Lathrop Avenue Viaduct (Racine, Wisconsin): Difference between revisions
Lathrop Avenue Viaduct (Racine, Wisconsin) (edit)
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In September 1931, the city of Racine and the [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad]] began jointly seeking contractors to excavate Lathrop Avenue at the site and construct a viaduct for the railroad to pass overhead.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44088867/the_journal_times/ "Notice to Grading Contractors"], [[Racine Journal-News]], September 1, 1931, page twelve.</ref> The [[Wisconsin Public Service Commission]] gave the railroad a deadline of December 31, 1931 for the completion of the $68,000 viaduct, which was later extended to April 30, 1932 after construction was hampered by flooding and freezing conditions.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44111013/the_journal_times/ "Hold Up Work For Large Force Of Racine Men: Freezing Weather Halts Work."], [[Racine Journal-News]], December 10, 1931, page nine.</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44110459/the_journal_times/ "Builders of Racine: West Racine Business Men's Assn."], [[Racine Journal-News]], February 15, 1932, page two.</ref> By early April, the excavation was complete and a "dangerously narrow" temporary wooden viaduct had been completed, but the railroad requested another deadline extension from the commission to build the permanent viaduct.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44089002/the_journal_times/ "Rail Company Asks For Time To Complete Work"], [[Racine Journal-News]], April 7, 1932, page four.</ref> The deadline was moved to July 1, but by early June the railroad was seeking another extension, leading to protests from residents of Lathrop Avenue, who called on the city council to fight any further extension.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44089197/the_journal_times/ "War Vets Would Restrict Use Of Memorial Hall"], [[Racine Journal-News]], June 8, 1932, page four.</ref> A week before the July 1 deadline, the construction was expected to overrun, but be completed as quickly as possible.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44089527/the_journal_times/ "Work on Viaduct"], [[Racine Journal-News]], June 24, 1932, page four.</ref>
After the construction of the viaduct, Lathrop Avenue remained unpaved. During heavy rainstorms, several feet of water gathered in the street, requiring local residents to clear off the water to prevent accidents. In 1934, the area's alderman, Leroy Olson, called for federal funding to pave the street under the
[[File:Lathrop Avenue Viaduct flooding, 1938.png|thumb|The street underneath the viaduct, seen here after record rainfall in January 1938, was prone to flooding.]]
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Thunderstorms believed to be sparked by a tornado trapped two cars under the viaduct on the night of August 16, 1987.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44111714/the_journal_times/ "Wet, wild storm socks Racine"], [[Racine Journal Times]], August 17, 1987, page 3A.</ref> Another rainstorm stranded a motorist there on August 30, 1993.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44111850/the_journal_times/ "STORM"], [[Racine Journal Times]], August 31, 1993, page 9A.</ref>
After the railway line was abandoned, the viaduct became a common yet dangerous place for local teenagers to hang out. On September 6, 1993, Labor Day, a 15-year-old boy fell 25 feet from the viaduct to the street below, while attempting to perform a somersault on the viaduct's railing. He suffered a fractured skull, but survived without noticeable brain damage. The boy's father, Jerry Anderson, subsequently began a campaign to have the viaduct removed or fenced off.<ref>Hayman, Rik. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44111956/the_journal_times/ "Boy seriously injured in fall from viaduct"], [[Racine Journal Times]], September 8, 1993, pages 1A and [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44112057/the_journal_times/ 7A].</ref> Anderson and city officials struggled to determine the ownership of the viaduct
===Demolition (1998)===
[[File:Lathrop Avenue Viaduct, Jim Slosiarek, March 1998.png|thumb|The abandoned viaduct, photographed by Jim Slosiarek in March 1998, months before its demolition.]]
In 1997, Racine County received federal grant money to convert the railway line into a bike trail, but ownership of the viaduct was still not established. The city council stated that it would negotiate a plan with both RAMAC and Wisconsin Electric to demolish the viaduct and fill in the dip in Lathrop Avenue.<ref>Burri, Lance. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44127754/the_journal_times/ "Viaduct headed for scrapyard"], [[Racine Journal Times]], June 14, 1997, page 1C.</ref> The [[Lathrop Avenue Business Association (Racine, Wisconsin)|Lathrop Avenue Business Association]] pushed for the viaduct to be removed in March 1998
The span of the viaduct was demolished in March and April 1998.<ref>Hertzberg, Mark. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44135690/the_journal_times/ "Demolition Duty"], [[Racine Journal Times]], March 26, 1998, front page.</ref> The removal of the support structure and retaining walls of the viaduct, and the raising of the cut in Lathrop Avenue, took place in September and October 1998.<ref>Scolaro, Joseph A. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/44074434/the_journal_times/ "Lathrop Avenue dip slated for repairs through Oct. 15"], [[Racine Journal Times]], August 28, 1998, page 1C.</ref> The road was raised three feet, leaving a smaller dip but not fully leveling out the roadway.
==References==
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