Damen Avenue

Damen Avenue is a street in Chicago, where it is 2000 West in the grid. It is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west of State Street, the city's north–south baseline. Known as Robey Street for politician James Robey prior to 1927, it was renamed in honor of Father Arnold Damen.[1] However, the Robey name is retained in Harvey and Dixmoor as Robey Avenue.[2]

Damen Avenue
Division Street[lower-alpha 1]
Robey Avenue[lower-alpha 2]
Damen Avenue at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and North Avenue (2006)
Former name(s)Robey Street
LocationMarkham, Harvey, Dixmoor, Blue Island, Chicago
South end163rd Street/Dixie Highway in Markham
North endHoward Street/Custer Avenue at Chicago–Evanston line

Route description

Throughout the south suburbs and the neighborhood of Beverly, the street assumes the role as disjointed residential streets. Damen Avenue is called Robey Avenue in Harvey and Dixmoor as well as Division Street in Blue Island. Between 153rd and 151st streets, Robey Avenue served as the eastern edge of the now-demolished Dixie Square Mall.[2][3]

Damen Avenue resumes as a thoroughfare north of 87th Street/Beverly Boulevard. Damen Avenue is in proximity to the Robert Lindblom Math & Science Academy and Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School north of 63rd Street and south of 47th Street respectively. North of 47th Street, Damen Avenue has a wide, one-block-long median serving industries and a mall before the road ends shortly after.[4]

Damen Avenue resumes at Pershing Road; however, the intersection is unusually designed with southbound traffic shifting one block west. Damen Avenue meets I-55 at a single-point urban interchange. Damen Avenue crosses over the South Branch Chicago River and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal as well as industries surrounding the river. Damen Avenue crosses under a series of railroad tracks (including the BNSF Line) between 17th Street and 14th Street. The avenue then becomes a 4 or 5-lane divided highway through the Illinois Medical District. After crossing I-290 and the Blue Line, Damen Avenue serves Malcolm X College as well as the United Center, cutting through a series of parking lots. After Washington Boulevard, the avenue downgrades to a two-lane road.[5]

Damen Avenue meets Milwaukee Avenue and North Avenue at a six-way intersection in the heart of Wicker Park. The Bloomingdale Trail serves Damen Avenue at Churchill Street. Damen Avenue meets I-90/I-94 (Kennedy Expressway), but access is limited to inbound expressway entrance and outbound expressway exit. Damen Avenue crosses over the North Branch Chicago River via a tied-arch bridge. This bridge is one of a few locations where there are two bike lanes per direction. At the six-way intersection of Diversey Parkway and Clybourn Avenue, Damen Avenue serves Lathrop Homes as well as retail stores like Costco. The roadway eventually ends at Bryn Mawr Avenue at the Rosehill Cemetery.[5] Beyond the cemetery, Damen Avenue is a residential street once again. This residential street has a few gaps, one of which is home to the Misericordia Home. Damen Avenue ends at Howard Street, where the road continues north as Custer Avenue.[6]

History

There was once a bridge connection above railroads and industries between 47th Street and Pershing Road. The bridge opened in the early 1960s.[7][8] However, the bridge was demolished by the late 1990s, forcing CTA bus route 48 to reroute to Western Boulevard to maintain its connection to the 35th/Archer station.[9][10] Remnants of the bridge exist as wide medians north of 47th Street and south of 37th Street. Route 48 now ends at Western station.[11]

Transportation

Plenty of train lines serve Damen Avenue: Damen station on the Pink Line, Illinois Medical District station and Damen station on the Blue Line, Damen station (slated to open in 2024) on the Green Line, and Damen station on the Brown Line.[11]

There are two CTA bus routes that primarily run along Damen Avenue: bus routes 48 and 50. Route 48 runs from 87th Street to 47th Street, where it then turns west toward Western station. Route 50 runs from Archer Avenue (after leaving 35th/Archer station) to Foster Avenue, where it then turns east toward the intersection of Ashland Avenue and Clark Street. There are bus routes that run along Damen Avenue for a short distance: CTA bus routes 12, 94, and 126, and Pace bus route 755.[11]

Notes
  1. in Blue Island
  2. in Harvey and Dixmoor

References
  1. "Historic Street Renamed for Damen After Hard Fight". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 88, no. 32. August 11, 1929. p. S-3. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. Google (August 16, 2023). "Overview map of Robey Avenue" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  3. Google (August 16, 2023). "Overview map of Division Street" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  4. Google (August 16, 2023). "Overview map of Damen Avenue (South Side)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  5. Google (August 16, 2023). "Overview map of Damen Avenue (West and North Sides)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  6. Google (August 16, 2023). "Overview map of Damen Avenue at Howard Street" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  7. "1961 Chicago, IL South Damen Ave Viaduct Construction Press Photo". Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  8. "1961 Chicago, IL South Damen Ave Viaduct Construction Aerial View Press Photo". Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  9. "Chicago Transit Map". Chicago Transit Authority. January 1997. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  10. "Chicago Transit Map". Chicago Transit Authority. March 1999. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  11. "RTA System Map" (PDF). Regional Transportation Authority. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
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