Written 12/15/2017

   The Halsted Street Bridge (800 West; 2404 South) crosses the South Branch of the Chicago in a North South direction 4.4 miles west of the river mouth.  It is a metal rivet-connected Pratt Pony Truss: double leaf bascule (fixed trunnion) and approach spans: metal stringer (multi beam fixed), fixed.  It opened on September 13, 1934.

     Interesting facts about the bridge: 1) It was one of only three pony truss bridges in Chicago with three truss lines; 2) it is 90 feet wide with two roadways 28 1/4 feet wide; there are two pedestrian walks 10 1/2 feet wide; each leaf weighs 1,930 tons.

     The main span measures 224 feet.  Structure length is 316 feet.  There is one main span and 4 approach spans.

     The bridge was designed by the Division of Viaducts and Bridges.  Superstructure Contractor was Mount Vernon Bridge Company.  Substructure Contractor was FitzSimons and Connell.  Construction cost was $997,388.

     The bridge was rehabbed in 1988.

     The construction of the first bridge at this location was delayed by litigation.  It was eventually completed and opened on July, 1861.  It was a swing, wood hand operated bridge.  It was designed and built by Chapin and Howard.  Cost was $7,950.  It was eventually turned down in 1871.

     The second bridge at this site was opened in 1872.  It was tubular iron arch swing bridge hand turned..  There was center pier and turntable supporting the superstructure.    This resulted in a 150  foot double arch swing bridge.  It had an 18 foot roadway.  There were two six foot sidewalks.  It was designed and built by the King Iron Bridge Company.  Cost was $17,362.

     In 1882, the bridge was severely damaged in a collision with the Schooner B. Wavel.   It was subsequently repaired.  

     In June, 1892, the bridge met its demise in a collision with the Steamer Tiaga towed by the Tug Gardner.  The bridge was knocked from the turn table and damaged.  The wreckage was removed.  

     For two years, a temporary pontoon bridge was used at this location.

        The city of Chicago was unable to obtain approval for a third permanent swing bridge at the Halsted Street site.  In the planning stages for a replacement, there were significant disagreements among, the city of Chicago, the Sanitary District and the Commissioner of Public Works.  Finally, agreement was reached.  It was a somewhat unusual in that the design selected was virtually untested.  The selection was a Waddell vertical lift bridge–this was to be the first large scale version in the world.

     The bridge consisted of 160 foot through truss which spanned the river between two 220 foot high towers  There were steel cables on each side attached to the bridge, running over both towers and attached to the counterweights.  The bridge was powered by two steam engines later replaced by electric motors.

     The bridge opened on March 22, 1894.  It was designed by J.A. Waddell.  It was constructed by the Pittsburgh Bridge Company.  Construction cost was $242,880.

     The bridge was plagued by frequent mechanical problems and high cost of operation.  In December of 1931, it was closed and removed by Strobel Steel Construction Company.

     While the new permanent bridge was being built,a temporary swing bridge was constructed.   Contractor was John C. Paskins for a cost of $167,169.  The bridge was removed In 1934.

Inspection Current Bridge (12/2012)

Deck                         Condition                       Rating    Satisfactory 6 out 9

Superstructure      Condition                      Rating    Fair 5 out of 9

Substructure          Condition                     Rating.    Satisfactory 6 out 9

Sufficiency Rating 64 out of 100

Photos added 4/10/2018

 Posted 12/19/2017

    The Loomis Street (1400 West; 2470 South) crosses North to South over the South Branch Chicago River 5.3 miles from the river mouth. It is a metal double leaf bascule (fixed trunnion) bridge.  This bridge was the first use of welded box girders.

     The bridge opened in 1978.  Its main span measures 213 feet. The structure length is 457 feet.The roadway width is 48 feet.  There is one main span and four approach spans.

   The bridge was designed by City Architect Jerome Butler, Jr. and Chief Bridge Engineer  Henry Ecole.  Construction Contractors are unknown.

     The bridge was designed to carry the extra traffic flow from the closure of the Throop Street Bridge (one block south).

     The first bridge at the Loomis Street Site opened April 30, 1888.  It was a wood and iron hand operated swing bridge.  It was 200 feet long and 30 feet wide.  The designer is unknown.  Superstructure Contractor was Shailer and Schniglau.  Substructure Contractor was Chicago Dredge and Dock Company. Construction cost was $91,183. The bridge was removed In 1904.

    The second bridge at this site opened on October 17, 1904.  It was a steel electric powered Scherzer Rolling lift bascule.  The bridge was 178 feet in length  and 58 feet wide.

     The bridge was designed by Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company.  Superstructure Contractor was Jackson and Corbett Company. Substructure Contractor was Lydon and Drews Company.  Building cost was $231,249.

     During the 1960’s, this was the most frequently operated Chicago River Bridge.  The bridge was removed In 1977.

Bridge Inspection ( 12/2012)

Deck                            Condition                  Rating     Fair  5 out of 9

Superstructure        Condition                  Rating.    Poor 4 out of 9

Substructure.           Condition.                Rating.    Satisfactory. 6 out 9

Appraisal:  Structurally Defficient

Photos added 3/9/2018
 

 

     Following two photos taken 9/21/2018.  All images are copyrighted

     This is a group of five bridges over the Cal Sag Canal in Blue Island, Il.  Adjacent bridges are Francisco Avenue and Metra Cal Sag Bridge.

Occasionally, while taking pictures of the bridges on the various Chicago waterways,  I run across an interesting facility that is an incidental finding.   One such organization is the Robbins Community Power, LLC.  This is located on Kedzie Avenue near the Cal Sag Canal in Robbins, Illinois

There are red colored buildings present.  There is a very tall chimney.     A corporation known as Foster Wheeler built the Robbins plant in the early 1990’s.    This was designed to produce electricity by burning trash.    Unfortunately during the years, the process became too expensive to be profitable.   This was due in part to the withdrawal of state subsidies.   While in operation,  the facility had a troubled history.  It was cited on numerous occasions for emitting excessive pollution.    Foster Wheeler eventually went bankrupt and closed the facility.   The facility has sat empty for more than 6 years.

The facility fell into the hands of Citigroup after the bankruptcy.  Sylvan Power Company bought the plant.   Their goal is to obtain a permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to convert the waste incinerator into a wood burning power plant.    It would produce steam and electricity.  The facility would require 350,000 tons of wood annually.   Source of the wood would be from a variety of places where the wood is broken down and recycled.     Projected capacity of the plant would be 50 megawatts per hour.

 

The Halsted Street Bridge spans the Little Calumet River in Chicago.    Adjacent bridges are the Ashland Avenue Bridge and the Penn Central Railroad Bridge.  Bridge description is as follows:  metal 10 panel  rivet-connected Parker through truss, fixed and approach spans: pre-stressed concrete stringers (multi-beam), fixed.    The bridge was constructed in 1931 making it one of the older ones on the Calumet Waterway.    The bridge was rehabbed in 1996 and again in 2016-2017.

The builder/contractor is unknown.   There is on main span and 2 approach spans.  Main span measures 230 feet.  Structure length is 420.3 feet.   Roadway width measures 44 feet.

Because this is an older bridge, it exhibits some unusual features:  all of the connections are riveted; there is extensive use of built up beams with attractive lattice and v-lacing.  Originally, there was  a lattice railing for the sidewalk of the of the truss span.   This was removed.

Originally, there was a wooden bridge 200 feet down stream from the current bridge.  That was removed and replaced with the current structure.

Bridge Inspection as of 3/2013

Deck                                       Condition                                 Rating   Good 7 out of 9

Superstructure                    Condition                                 Rating   Fair    5 out of 9

Substructure                        Condition                                 Rating   Satisfactory  6 out of 9

Appraisal functionally obsolete.

The Kedzie Avenue Bridge crosses the Cal Sag Canal in  Robbins, Il.    It is situated between the Crawford Avenue and the Francisco Avenue Bridges.  It was built in 1964.  The builder/contractor is unknown.    Engineer/Design was Alfred Benesch and Associates.  Chicago, Illinois.

The bridge type is metal 8 panel bolt–connected polygonal warren through truss, fixed and approach spans: metal stringer (multi-beam), fixed.  There is one main span and 3 approach spans.   Main span measures 254 feet.   Structure length is 348 feet.  Roadway width measures 53.2 feet.

Findings that distinguishes as a more recent bridge include:  wide truss bridge, use of rolled and built-up beams for truss members,rivets for built-up beams and bolts for connections.

Bridge Inspection  3/2012

Deck                                            Condition                Rating     Satisfactory        6 out of 9

Superstructure                         Condition              Rating       Fair                      5 out of 9

Substructure                            Condition               Rating       Satisfactory       6 out of 9

Sufficiency Rating   44 out of 100

In the year 1889, subsidiary of the C&NW RR.  known as the Junction Rail Road was developed to build a bypass from the main line in Evanston at Simpson Street and Green Bay Road.  It extended southwest along what was known at the Big Ditch (predecessor or the North Shore Channel) to the Mayfair Junction in Chicago.   The purpose of this bypass was to alleviate congestion on the main line of the C &NW.  It predominately handled freight and industrial costumers.

The village of Evanston required the C&NW RR to also provide passenger service on this line.    Depots were built at Emerson Street, Greenwood Boulevard and the Weber Yard.  There were three trains per weekday.   Eventually this service was discontinued.

The Chicago and West Ridge Railroad was a railroad spur branching off the Mayfair Cut  near Oakton Street and extending to Lincoln Avenue.  This was originally built by the C&NW RR.  Barney Weber purchased the line in 1897.  The C &NW purchased  it back in 1917.  At the north end of the track was the Weber Yard.  This was a rail service facility that provided car storage and engine servicing.   This line serviced multiple brick yards and and flower nurseries.

Virtually nothing remains of the Mayfair Cut off and the Chicago and West Ridge Railroad.

Just south of Oakton Street, the author has encountered a bridge crossing the North Shore Channel.   This likely is a remnant of the Chicago and West Ridge RR

The Francisco Avenue Bridge crosses the Cal Sag Canal in Blue, Island, Il.   It is located between the Kedzie Avenue and the Blue Island Yard Bridges.  It is a metal 8 panel bolt–connected polygonal Warren through truss, fixed and approach spans: metal stringer (multi-beam), fixed.   There  is one main span and 3 approach spans.    The main span measures 252 feet.  The structure measures 364 feet.  Roadway width is 28 feet.

The bridge was built in 1969.  The builder/contractor is unknown.   The engineer design was Alfred Benesch and Associates, Chicago, Il.

Inspection as of 10/2012

Deck                                           Condition                    Rating         Satisfactory 6 out of 9

Superstructure                       Condition                     Rating          Poor              4 out of 9

Substructure                           Condition                    Rating          Satisfactory  6 out of 9

Appraisal  Structurally Deficient