The 606 is Chicago's renovation of the Bloomingdale Trail, an old elevated railway. The new project will stretch nearly 3 miles and will connect four neighborhoods with new parks and a mixed-used trail. (Courtesy of The Trust for Public Land)

An abandoned elevated railway on Chicago's northwest side is undergoing a rapid transformation into a 3-mile long greenway called the 606.

Nature will take center stage along the 606. The Trust for Public Land, along with the city of Chicago and the Chicago Parks Department, envision the park as "an urban oasis."

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The shuttered Bloomingdale rail line is the centerpiece of the project, according to organizers. Construction workers are tearing out the old steel tracks, paving the way for a new trail for walkers, cyclists and runners. But the 606 is more than a trail. Once finished, it'll run through four neighborhoods, five public parks, a skate park and a new observatory, with lots of vegetation along the way.

The name comes from the first three digits of Chicago's zip code: 606. As Matt Gordon, part of the group taskedwith naming the park, told Chicago Tonight,"The 606 says 'This is something that belongs to everyone in Chicago.'This is something we all share."

The 606 is the latest in a string of existing and proposed public greenwaysin major cities. New York is working on the final link of its High Line, which runs above Manhattan's west side. There's a proposal on the table in Sydney for the Goods Line, a pedestrian and cycle trail that could connect as many as 80,000 people.

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The 606 is slated to be opened this fall. You can follow the progress on the project's website, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

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