Thornton Quarry

[gangrel441]

So....a few years back (2002), Thornton Quarry almost took my life. For those of you not familiar with it, This quarry is one of the largest active quarries in the world, on the south side of Chicago, near Thornton, Homewood, Flossmoor, and Glenwood. I-80/94 goes right through the middle of this quarry, so if you have ever driven from NW Indiana or Michigan to Chicago, you have probably driven right through it.

No, the quarry is not flooded, and my near-death experience was not a dive incident. As I was a passenger in a car approaching the land bridge through this quarry, a drunk driver lost control of his car and put the car I was riding in nose first into a limestone wall at close to 65 mph.

I survived, and still dive actively. But when I go through the middle of that quarry where I once came so close to seeing the bottom, I often wonder if they are ever gonna' let that bad boy flood and let us go play in it. I pulled up some stats online, and here's what I came up with....

1.5 miles long
.5 miles wide
400 ft (!) deep
Actively quarried since the 1920's
Owned by Material Service Corp. since the 1930's
One of two quarries used as an overflow resivoir for the Deep Tunnel project

So...anyone else ever wonder what it would be like if they ever let Thornton Quarry become Lake Thornton? Sounds to me like it would have a little something for everyone! ;)

[juls64]

Everytime I drive over it, I think what an awesome dive it would be. Never knew it had a name. Thanks for the history lesson.

Glad you are still among the diving! That must have been a horrible experience.

Juls

[nauifins73]

Like Juls so glad you are still among us divers.

It does sound like it would be a great place to dive.

[gangrel441]

Everytime I drive over it, I think what an awesome dive it would be. Never knew it had a name. Thanks for the history lesson.

Glad you are still among the diving! That must have been a horrible experience.

Juls

I have been driving over that quarry for as long as I have been driving. Grew up not far from that neck of the woods. Been certified longer than I've been driving, so I have always had the same thoughts...

Just learned the name and history of the quarry this week. Also learned that the reason there is so much limestone there is because it is what remains of a prehistoric coral reef, back when the midwest was covered with a large, shallow sea. Many of the fossils pulled out of that quarry are ancient corals and other tropical marine life.

Thanks. I am glad I am still here too. ;) As for my experience...it sucked. Only saving grace was that it happened on the expressway leading up to the quarry, not over the quarry itself. If it happened over the quarry, we may have just bounced off the concrete abutment....then again, we may have taken a one-way trip to the bottom of the quarry. I came out of it with a busted up arm and wrist, a welt on my shin, and various bruises. My brother-in-law, behind the wheel, came out of it with a sore back and a busted hand. I guess we fared pretty well, all things considered....

[gangrel441]

Like Juls so glad you are still among us divers.

It does sound like it would be a great place to dive.

Thanks Becky. Most of my diving experience has come after that accident, so I guess I have bounced back ok... ;)

It would be a great place to dive if they ever flood it....I am sure it is below the water table, but they seem to pump it bone dry still, and it is still actively quarried...it is nice to dream, though...

[theskull]

So many places would be so much better if they were underwater . . . like maybe France! ;)

theskull

[nauifins73]

So many places would be so much better if they were underwater . . . like maybe France! ;)

theskull

That is the best idea I have heard in a long time!!!

[gangrel441]

So many places would be so much better if they were underwater . . . like maybe France! ;)

theskull

mmmmm....dive the Eifel Tower....Arc de Triomphe as a swimthrough....ok, count me in! :D