It was not a mistake made by highway builders, nor was it part of a roadway bridge. This structure was built as a test track for experimental mobile radar units. The bridge segment was located at 6650 West Grand Avenue at Normandy Avenue in Chicago.
Western Electric built it in 1943 to test and tweak their mobile radar equipment, which was, at the time, cutting-edge technology.
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1960 |
The area around Grand Avenue and Fullerton is the highest point in Chicago, located on a natural ridge. The location was a few blocks from where Thunder Mountain, Chicago's only ski resort, was built in 1967.
The high elevation, 40 feet above ground level, kept the equipment clear from ground echoes.
Mobile radar units would be driven up a wooden ramp to the track. Airplanes from Glenview Naval Air Station would fly over the track, allowing the radar units to collect data. Later, the Navy would evaluate the data and the equipment's efficiency.
Radar was a new technology in the early 1940s that was crucial to American success in World War II. The track was used throughout WWII, and the Korean War was a big reason for America's military success.
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1975 |
After removing the wooden ramp, the track sat unused for over 40 years because it was too costly to demolish. Finally, in the 1990s, it was razed to build a new strip mall.
Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.