CHICAGO | General Developments

[ethereal_reality]

Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten

Mr Downtowns post a few post back

You didn't read my post.
I was asking about the abandoned streetcar tunnels....not the freight tunnels.
I already know where the freight tunnels are located.

[J_M_Tungsten]

Oh. Then I have no idea.

[the urban politician]

A whole lot more info, including some more renderings, of the Vermilion Harper Court development project here (pdf file)

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I had all but forgotten about the three abandoned streetcar tunnels.
Can someone show on a map where they are located?

One under Washington, one under LaSalle, and one about 100 feet north of Van Buren.

From the Encyclopedia of Chicago:

The low bridges crossing the Chicago River were frequently opened for the passage of masted vessels, cutting off street traffic to the North and West sides. City officials began discussing a tunnel as early as 1844, and several schemes were proposed in subsequent decades. Finally, construction of a Washington Street tunnel began in 1866 and, after several construction delays, opened January 1, 1869. The 1,605-foot underwater tunnel was the world s first to serve both pedestrians and vehicles.

North Side access was made easier with construction of the LaSalle Street tunnel (1869-71), 2,000 feet long. The LaSalle Street tunnel had two separated lanes for vehicles, and a third tunnel for pedestrians. The tunnels were a valuable escape route only three months later, during the Great Chicago Fire, which quickly consumed the wooden bridges. These first two tunnels were simply public tunnels for the convenience of vehicles and pedestrians; they carried no horsecar lines.

The cable car came to Chicago in the 1880s, and the city soon boasted the world's largest system. But drawbridges could not accommodate the continuous cables, so the cable car companies took over the two tunnels to provide North and West Side service. In 1891-92 a third tunnel was built by the street railway company just north of Van Buren Street, 1,514 feet long.

Although the tunnels had been some 18 feet under the riverbed when built, the reversal of the Chicago River in 1900 and associated dredging exposed the tunnels, and Congress declared them to be hazards to navigation in 1904. They were closed with the end of cable car operation in 1906. Wider, deeper replacements were built underneath the original tunnels, opening to electric streetcar service in 1911-12. The LaSalle Street tunnel was built in drydock, of steel plate, and lowered into a trench in the riverbed.

The Van Buren Street tunnel was closed to regular traffic in 1924, but was used for training and emergencies until 1952. Both portals have been sealed, but there are occasional discussions of using it as part of a pedway link to Union Station. The LaSalle Street tunnel closed in 1939 to allow subway construction, and the Washington Street tunnel was closed in 1954.

[denizen467]

Mister Mysterious Downtown, can you explain this.

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

The Van Buren Street tunnel was closed to regular traffic in 1924, but was used for training and emergencies until 1952. Both portals have been sealed, but there are occasional discussions of using it as part of a pedway link to Union Station. The LaSalle Street tunnel closed in 1939 to allow subway construction, and the Washington Street tunnel was closed in 1954.

The above underlined text does not appear on that page in the Encyclopedia.

(Actually there are differences in other paragraphs as well.)

Do you have access to a different version of the Encyclopedia or something?
[Edited.]

[ardecila]

According to a few old Trib articles, the Van Buren tunnel was also used for parking somehow, for a brief period. The east portal is underneath 311 S. Wacker, and the west portal is underneath the Union Station parking garage.

Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten

Why the hell can't we rehab and use these things again!!!

Well...

1. Not many people are aware that they still exist
2. Out of sight, out of mind
3. The few people who are aware of them see them only as vintage relics
4. Security concerns, founded and unfounded
5. Practical problems with the grade of the tunnels (projects to move the tunnels deeper under the riverbed increased the incline)

Don't get me wrong, I'd LOVE for reactivation of the tunnels to be considered. But it definitely needs some study by professionals. The problem is getting the city to even see a slim chance that re-use might be a possibility. They're not there yet.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by denizen467

Do you have access to a different version of the Encyclopedia or something?

Sorry. I was hurrying and just copied and pasted from an unedited draft of the article rather than from the Encyclopedia page itself.

Here's a 1902 map of the three streetcar tunnels (in yellow):



I have to double-check, but I think the west portal of the Washington tunnel was moved a half-block west when the tunnels were lowered, making that not such a steep grade. I know the tunnel opening was visible under the North Western Station trainroom until the late 80s. At the time of the lowering/rebuilding, the streetcar tracks at either end were placed on trestles (rather than fill) that could be easily removed if the lines were extended into a Philadelphia-style streetcar subway.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Riddle me this!
Yes, Mr. D was the original author of that and many other articles. According to a few old Trib articles, the Van Buren tunnel was also used for parking somehow, for a brief period. The east portal is underneath 311 S. Wacker, and the west portal is underneath the Union Station parking garage.



Well...

1. Not many people are aware that they still exist
2. Out of sight, out of mind
3. The few people who are aware of them see them only as vintage relics
4. Security concerns, founded and unfounded
5. Practical problems with the grade of the tunnels (projects to move the tunnels deeper under the riverbed increased the incline)

Don't get me wrong, I'd LOVE for reactivation of the tunnels to be considered. But it definitely needs some study by professionals. The problem is getting the city to even see a slim chance that re-use might be a possibility. They're not there yet.

It seems pointless even discussing considering all of the other pressing priorities out there. Vehicle traffic is out of the question, and not even necessary considering how infrequently the bridges are raised today. A pedway would be nice, but the cost to refurbish it would be significant Im sure.

[george]

Thanks for that 1902 map, Mr. Downtown.^ I had no idea Michigan St became Hubbard St and Cass St became Wabash Ave north of the river.

[BWChicago]

Michigan is Pine

[Mr Downtown]

Michigan Street became Hubbard Street (circa 1908).
Pine Street became Michigan Avenue (circa 1920).
Wolcott Street became North State Street.
Cass Street became North Wabash Avenue.

[Loopy]

..........

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

A whole lot more info, including some more renderings, of the Vermilion Harper Court development project here (pdf file)

Still love it, but it seems like we're going backwards here. Weren't some full blown realistic renderings already released? I remember seeing them some months ago... they looked quite good as I remember. They aren't starting over are they?

[aic4ever]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Still love it, but it seems like we're going backwards here. Weren't some full blown realistic renderings already released? I remember seeing them some months ago... they looked quite good as I remember. They aren't starting over are they?

This looks much more like a pitch to the City to create a TIF district for the job than a proposal for the project.

[Zerton]

Those tunnels would be very eerie as pedestrian crossings. Are they very wide?

[Mr Downtown]

^The Van Buren tunnel is 30 feet wide—and 1052 feet long. I think pedestrians would be very unlikely to use them unless forced to (as they were in the 1860s by frequent bridge openings). Psychologically they would seem incredibly long and claustrophobic; with no escape, people would fear crime. Think of how long the transfer tunnel between the Blue and Red Line subways seems. Now multiply that by four.

[Rizzo]

Heck, Chicago is closing useful pedestrian tunnels too. They have the one at Michigan and Oak shut down, but people are now back to unsafe habits of hopping the railing and cutting across LSD entrance ramp.

[i_am_hydrogen]

[denizen467]

^ Seriously, hydro, I hope you are making some money off these. Sheesh!

Definitely Gang is gunning for global greatness. I wish this were in Grant Park somewhere, so that more people could experience it.

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Heck, Chicago is closing useful pedestrian tunnels too. They have the one at Michigan and Oak shut down, but people are now back to unsafe habits of hopping the railing and cutting across LSD entrance ramp.

Is this intersection just going to be allowed to decay into oblivion until there is a billion-dollar project to straighten LSD and move the beach further into the lake? Anyone know anything about that plan/idea?