MAYOR EMANUEL ANNOUNCES 80 NEIGHBORHOOD VIADUCT UPGRADES; Community Investments Will Improve Neighborhood Connections and Promote Public Safety; Work to Begin on Viaducts this Spring; Assessments Continue at Remaining Locations

MAYOR EMANUEL ANNOUNCES 80 NEIGHBORHOOD VIADUCT UPGRADES

Community Investments Will Improve Neighborhood Connections and Promote Public Safety;

Work to Begin on Viaducts this Spring; Assessments Continue at Remaining Locations

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) today announced plans to upgrade 80 viaducts in neighborhoods across the city to make much needed infrastructure improvements while benefiting public safety for residents in those communities.

“Viaducts are an important part of the transportation infrastructure in many Chicago neighborhoods,” said Mayor Emanuel.  “Viaducts knit many of our neighborhoods together – but if they are not maintained properly, they do the opposite. These repairs and stepped up maintenance work are an important part of my administration’s efforts to improve the quality of life in all of Chicago’s neighborhoods.”

Major roadway reconstruction work will be conducted on 11 starting this spring, including repaving, new curbs and gutters, sidewalk improvements, improved storm water management, and new pavement markings. CDOT worked with the Chicago Police Department to prioritize improvements on another 50  viaducts across Chicago based on public safety needs. These viaducts will receive targeted sidewalk improvements, lighting upgrades and new paint as needed. An additional 19 viaducts will also receive lighting repairs and other upgrades.

Additionally, Mayor Emanuel directed CDOT to conduct a citywide survey of road and sidewalk conditions at freight rail viaducts in order to prioritize additional maintenance needs and future improvements.

The City works closely with the railroads to coordinate maintenance needs at and under viaducts, and at the Mayor’s direction CDOT will also renew high-level discussions with the freight railroads to strengthen that coordination and ensure maintenance needs are being identified and addressed quickly. The City is responsible for the condition of right-of-way under railroad viaduct structures. The railroads own more than half of the approximately 1,500 viaducts in Chicago and are responsible for the condition of the structures.

“We’re very grateful to our partners at the railroads who work collaboratively with the City to maintain the hundreds of viaducts across Chicago,” said CDOT Commissioner Scheinfeld. “By coming together with our partners in an even more coordinated way we can address routine but important maintenance needs in a more comprehensive fashion.”

All 80 locations are identified in the attached map. The 11 locations with major roadway reconstructions include:

• 1530 S. Paulina Ave.
• 1530 S. Wood St.
• 2500 W. 16^th St.
• 2500 W. 21^st St.
• 2500 W. 24^th St.
• 600 W. 80^th St.
• 600 W. 78^th St.
• 9300 S. St Lawrence
• 2230 E. 86^th St.
• 8950 S. Colfax Ave.
• 9250 S. Exchange Ave.

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