South Shore East Chicago Bypass

Just finished Wm. Middleton's book on the South Shore--a good read with lots of photos. There were some photos of the last days of running through East Chicago and the first days of the bypass. One of the photos showed a hand-throw switch from the bypass to the former track to the west side of East Chicago. Are the tracks from the bypass to East Chicago still there? Where approximately did the old East Chicago tracks leave what now is the bypass?

Thanks.

The former line ran down Chicago Avenue in East Chicago. By the time the bypass was constructed the third track in Chicago Avenue (which belonged to the Hammond Whiting & East Chicago) was long gone. Once the bypass was in operation the track in Chicago Avenue was taken out of service.

The bypass project was done in cooperation with the Indiana Toll Road Authority, following the Toll Road for most of its length. The deal involved a right-of-way swap around the west end of the bypass. The west end connection was where the current line crosses Chicago Avenue, the eastern can be traced from Chicago Avenue to the current main line crossing the Calumet River The junction was just east of US 12.

The old ROW is not hard to trace through the neighborhoods between Chicago Ave / Graselli Ave and Cline Ave. The western connection is less obvious. The South Shore maintained a connection there until a few years ago (a bridge for the connection is just north of the current main line as it turns to follow the toll road).