
DuSable Bridge

DuSable Bridge

Du Sable Bridge

DuSable Bridge

Bridge Tender House

Bridge Tender House

DuSable Bridge

Bridge Tender House

DuSable Bridge

DuSable Bridge over the Chicago River

Bridge Tender House DuSable Bridge
The Michigan Avenue Bridge (110 East 365 North) crosses the main channel of the Chicago River 1/2 mile west of the river mouth. It was designed by Edward Bennett. The architectural style is Beaux Arts. The bridge was built in 1920. It was the first double deck bascule bridge ever built. It was built as a replacement of the Rush Street Bridge. The bridge was granted landmark status on July, 1991. It was named DuSable Bridge in October, 2010.
There are four bridge tender houses. There are bas relief sculptures on all of these buildings. Each has a theme in Chicago History: The Discoverers (North Tender House Marquette and Joliet), The Pioneers (North Tender House. Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, John Kinzie), Defense ( South Bridge Tender House Fort Dearborn Massacre), and Regeneration (South Bridge Tender House Rebuilding of City after the fire). The two northern bridge tender houses were donated to Chicago by William Wrigley Jr. 4 Bridge Pylons double as bridge tender houses. During World War II, the southeast bridge house was used a a recruiting office for the U.S. Maritime Service. The southwest bridge house is being used as the home of the McCormick Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum.
In the 1990’s, the bridge underwent an extensive rennovation. Cost was $31 million. During this project, the south leaf bascule moved from the reunion bearings. The leaf weighing 6.5 million pounds had to be lifted and repositioned.
The bridge is actually side by side double leaf bascules. Each side can be raised and lowered separately.

DuSable Bridge

Under surface DuSable Bridge