Saturday, January 26, 2013

Construction of the Chicago Transit Authority's orange line rapid transit to Midway Airport. Chicago Illinois. April 1989.

I took this now historic photograph, way back in April of 1989.

Seen here at the South Keeler Avenue railroad crossing near West 52nd Street in Chicago's Archer Heights neighborhood, is much construction activity that was recently started.

The Chicago Transit Authority was now officially constructing the long since proposed "Southwest Elevated Project" to Midway Airport. The adjacent Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad's own Stockyard's branch which was located to the left of the photograph, had just recently had it's track removed. The CTA rapid transit line would utilize part of the IHB Stockyards branch right of way, which for many years operated parralel to the single track Belt Railway of Chicago owned branch line to the right of the photograph.

During the year of 1993, the Chicago Transit Authority began a system pf color coding their rapid transit routes. This line would officially open in November of 1993 as the CTA orange line rapid transit to Midway Airport.

Thanks.
Eddie K.

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