tunnel was reopened in 1910, the Washington in 1911, and the LaSalle in 1912. The WCSR filed a suit that went to the US Supreme Court, but they lost and had to pay for lowering the tunnel. tunnel would have to be lowered or removed at the owner's cost. tunnels were owned by the city, but the privately owned Van Buren St. After cable service ended Īfter the end of cable service all three tunnels were lowered, converted to electricity, and reopened.
In 1906 all cables, which had become obsolete, were replaced by electric service that could cross the bridges and all three tunnels were closed. In 1904 the Federal government declared that all three tunnels were hazards to navigation and had to be removed. The lower bottom level exposed all three tunnels and ships ran aground on the Washington St. When built all three tunnels were 18 feet under the riverbed, but in 1900 the direction of the Chicago River was reversed by deepening it. Construction began in 1890 but went slow and the tunnel didn't enter service until July 27, 1893. The last tunnel was built privately by the WCSRy next to Van Buren St. Cable service began Augand ended August 19, 1906. In 1888 The West Chicago Street Railway (WCSRy) made a similar arrangement with the city over the Washington St. Cable service began on Maand ended October 21, 1906. tunnel in exchange for payment, moving a bridge, rehabilitating, and maintaining the tunnel. Cable service Īn 1886 ordinance allowed the North Chicago Street Railroad to use the LaSalle St. A third tunnel next to Van Buren St., also connecting the West Side, was built later.
connected the North Side and one under Washington St. But the city had previously built two horse and pedestrian tunnels under the river, both were in poor condition and neither was being used. Heavy river traffic and flat terrain required movable bridges, causing long traffic delays, and which could not have cables on them. The Chicago River was the city's port, and shipping had priority over land transport. To enter downtown cable cars would have to cross the river. But the Chicago River, with its two branches, separated the North and West Sides from the downtown and South Side. Used as the backbone of a system of local horse and electric lines, the cable lines were immediately successful and greatly improved public transit in the South Side. In 1882 the Chicago City Railway opened the first of two cable car lines south from the downtown business district.
These tunnels should not be confused with a network of small freight tunnels under the downtown area. In 2010 all approaches had been covered but two tunnels still existed. One ended regular service in 1924, one was closed in 1939, and one remained in regular service until 1952.
All would reopen for streetcar service, but with the change to electricity streetcars could cross bridges and the tunnels were less important. In 1906 all Chicago cable lines were converted to electricity and the tunnels were closed. Two existing public tunnels were converted for cable use, and a third was built as a private venture. Heavy shipping traffic required movable bridges, which cable lines couldn't cross. After cable service ended they would be used by electric streetcars.īy 1900 Chicago had a cable-based transit system that carried 80 million passengers a year, but all cable routes leaving downtown to the North or West had to cross the navigable Chicago River. Two were built for pedestrian and horse traffic and later converted, the third was built specially for cable-cars. Between 18 Chicago had three cable car tunnels under the Chicago River.