The 9th Street Seven Arch Bridge crossed the DesPlaines River and the Deep Run Creek in Lockport.  It was approved and built in 1868 at a cost of $4000. It eventually led to a swing bridge over the Sanitary and Ship Canal.

   The bridge was constructed of limestone locally mined.  Each of the seven arches spanned 197 feet.  There were stone parapets 4 to 5 feet high.  The piers were reinforced with stone buttresses.   The largest span was 23.9 feet.  Total length was 191.9 feet.  Deck width was 21.6 feet.   It was thought that the builder may have been Julius Scheibe–a local stone maison.

     In the early 1900’s, a concrete slab was added to the foundation due  to increased water levels caused by the newly constructed Sanitary and Ship Canal.  The parapets were removed.  The grade of the crossing was raised.

     The bridge was closed to traffic in 1971.  In 2004, it was listed on the National Historic Register.   In March of 2011, the bridge was damaged due to flooding.  It was demolished that same year.

     

The first bridge over the Sanitary and Ship Canal at 9th Street (IL 7) in Lockport was an iron swing bridge. It was located in an area between the sites of the East Romeo Road and the Division Street Bridges. It was a lost through Pratt truss type. It had 12 sections with the pivot at section 5. It was removed in 1971.

Its replacement was located at mile marker 292.7. It was a fixed cement girder bridge. It crosses both the Sanitary and Ship Canal and the DesPlaines River. Its horizontal clearance was 225 feet. Its vertical clearance was 48.2 feet. There are two lanes in both directions.

    The Division Street Bridge crossed the DesPlaines River in Lockport. It was 3/4 north of the site of IL 7.   It is thought to have been built in 1899.  The builder/contractor is unknown.  It was a metal 9 panel Parker Through Truss, fixed and approach spans: metal pin connected Pratt Through Truss, Fixed.   There were three spans (2 truss designs– Parker Truss and Pratt Truss).

     When the bridge completely crossed the DesPlaines River, the structure length was 511 feet.  Main span length was 200 feet.  Roadway width was unknown.  It carried vehicle traffic. 

     In this area, there was also a swing bridge over the Sanitary and Ship Canal.  This is no longer present.

  The Division Street Bridge closed In 1993.  At that time, the main span of the bridge over the DesPlaines River was removed.

     The East Romeo Road Bridge crosses the Sanitary and Ship Canal between the 9th Street Bridge and Veteran’s Memorial Tollway.    The first bridge at this site was built in 1899.  It was the oldest of the highway swing bridges constructed by the Sanitary District of Chicago.

     It was a pin connected Warren through truss,movable: swing Bob tail.  There was a steel turntable on masonry piers. The main span length was 204 feet.  Structure length was 302 feet.  Roadway width was 20 feet. The steel and iron weight was 339,505 pounds.  Counter weight was 208, 100 pounds.

     The builder/engineer was Strobel Steel Construction.  Subcontractor was Heldmaier and Neu.  The subcontractor costs were  $9659.75.   Superstructure costs were $14,990.The

     The bridge was closed suddenly in 1990.   Replacement was delayed for 8 years due to environmental concerns and desire to preserve the old bridge.  It was relocated to a site on the Centennial Trail in 1996.

     The replacement bridge was a modern fixed cement girder type.  It is located at the 296.2 mile marker.  Its horizontal clearance is 160 feet.  Its vertical clearance is 51 feet.  It carries four lanes of traffic; two in each direction.

    The current Michigan Avenue Bridge over the Chicago River was completed in 1920.  There are four impressive bridge tender houses. Only the N.W. and the S.E. house bridge controls.  The remaining two are ornamental.

     In 1928, bas relief sculptures depicting various scenes from Chicago history were added to each house .  The northern sculptures were commissioned by William Wrigley,Jr.   The sculptor was James Fraser.

    The theme of the northwest sculpture was Pioneers.  It depicts two of Chicago earliest settlers.  These were John Baptiste Pointe DuSable and John Kinzie.  Unfortunately, the plaque beneath the sculpture is worned and unreadable.  It read “The Pioneers– John Kinzie, fur trader, settled near this spot in the early years of the nineteenth century.  One of a band of courageous pioneers–who with their lives at stake–struggled through the wilderness, breaking soil for the seeds of a future civilization.” 

     The theme of the north east tower is Discoverers.  It commemorates four European explorers Louis Joliet and Father Jacque Marquette, Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur Dr LaSalle and Henri Dr Tonti

     The sculptures on the southern bridge houses were commissioned by the B.F. Ferguson Monument Fund.  The sculptor was Henry Hering.

     The theme of the S.W tower is defense.  This depicts the Fort Dearborn Massacre of 1812.  Over 50 people were killed by the Potawatomi Indians who were allied with British during the War of 1812.

     The theme of the S.E. Tower is Regeneration.  This commemorates the great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the rising of the city from the ashes.

     The 104th Avenue (Willow Springs Road) Bridge crosses the Cal Sag Canal in Palos in Cook County.   It is a metal 8 panel bolt-connected, polygonal Warren through truss, fixed and approach spans: metal stringer (multi beam ) fixed.  

     The bridge was built in 1964.  The builder/contractor is unknown.  Engineer/Design was Alfred Benesch and Associates.

     Main span is 290 feet.

    Structure length is 406 feet

     Roadway width is 28 feet

    There is one main span and four approach spans.

    The bridge was designed so that it could be later modified to a vertical lift bridge.  This was never done.

     Bridge Inspection (March, 2015)

Superstructure.         Condition   Rating.    Fair.   5 out of 9

Substructure.             Condition   Rating.     Satisfactory    6 out of 9

Deck                             Condition    Rating       Fair.      5 out of 9

Sufficiency Rating.    59.5 out of 100

     The Edison Bridge crosses the Caloosahatchee River connecting Fort Myers with North Fort Myers.  The bridge is also known as  US Business 41.  The current bridge is actually 2 separate bridges– one for northbound and the other for southbound traffic.   Each bridge has  3 lanes and is 55 feet high.  They land at the same point in the north side and are separated by three blocks on the south side.  Bridges were built in the early 1990’s.    They are concrete girders bridges

     The current bridge was replacement of a prior structure built in 1931.  It was dedicated by Thomas Edison.  He was the first individual to drive across it.  It was a single two lane lost bascule drawbridge  It was replaced in 1992.

History added 4/22/2018.

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