Design of Pedestrian Bridges in Blue Island, Illinois
Team Members Heading link
- Diego Alvarado
- Cesar Dominguez
- Ian Waratuke
Advisors: Dr. Mohsen Issa; Jeffrey Barnett, PE, SE
Project Description Heading link
Blue Island, Illinois, is a suburb south of Chicago that is home to more than 23,000 people, with a number of businesses, train tracks, and schools. Dwight D. Eisenhower High School is located on the outskirts of Blue Island, on 127th Street, and is separated from the community by two tracks just east of the school. These tracks are frequently used, almost exclusively by freight companies. With the tracks being approximately 750 feet apart, walking commuters are bound to be stopped by one, if not both, of the tracks. The wait time for one track can be anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. This greatly reduces the quality of life for residents of Blue Island, especially for students who choose to walk to school.
To address this problem, one possible solution is to design two short pedestrian bridges. The design would be ADA compliant. This would significantly increase the quality of life for the people of Blue Island. This project is something that the community desperately needs. This is due to the fact that students and other pedestrians have been seen crossing the tracks while in use. The pedestrian bridges will significantly reduce the possibility of someone being critically injured or losing their life.