
Webster Avenue Brudge
Revised and expanded on 1/4/2017
The Webster Avenue Bridge (1600 West; 2200 North)crosses east to west the North branch of the Chicago River 4.9 miles from the river mouth. This is the second bridge at this site. The bridge opened on August 3, 1916. Contractors were:
Bridge Designer: Chief Bridge Engineer Thomas Pihlfeldt; City Bridge Engineer: Alexander von Babo
Builder/Contractor was Kettler Elliot Company of Chicago
Substructure Contractor Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company
Electrical Contractor. C.H. Norwood
The bridge type is a metal rivet-connected Pratt Pony Truss,movable: double leaf bascule (fixed trunnion) and approach spans : metal stringer (multi-beam) fixed. There is one main span and four approach spans.
Main span length is 189 feet. Structure length is 287 feet. Roadway width is 36 feet.The
Construction costs were $285,558.
In 1936, old deck paving removed and replaced by 3 in. X 6 in. deck overlaid with asphalt planking.
In 1968, open grid steel deck installed.
In the 199o’s, the bridge was converted from movable to fixed. The N.E. bridge house was removed. S.E. Bridge house was abandoned
The first bridge was an iron and wood swing bridge. The superstructure was the former Clark Street Howe through Truss bridge. It opened in 1889.
Contractors were:
Designer: Fox and Howard
Superstructure: Fox and Howard
Substructure: Chicago Dredge and Dock Company
Construction cost was $ 11,500.
Bridge was removed on June 4, 1914.
Inspection 9/2011.
Deck. Condition. Rating. Good. 7 out of 9
Superstructure Condition. Rating Serious 3 out of 9
Substructure. Condition. Rating Fair. 5 out of 9
Sufficiency Rating. 43.9 out of 100.

View from the Webster Avenue Bridge

Webster Avenue Bridge

Webster Avenue Bridge

Bridge Tender House Webster Avenue

Webster Avenue Bridge

Webster Avenue Bridge