The Western Avenue Bridge crosses the Cal Sag Canal in Blue, Island.  Adjacent bridges are at Kedzie Avenue and the Metra Cal Sag Bridge.   The Structure was built in 1966.  Builder is unknown.   It is a polygonal Warren through truss bridge.

The largest span measures 245.6 feet.   Structure length is 1,122.7 feet.  Roadway width measures 53.1 feet.

Bridge Inspection  9/2012

Deck                           Condition                  Rating           Serious.   3 out of 8

Superstructure       Condition.                 Rating           Serious.   3 out of 8

Substructure.           Condition.                Rating.          Serious.    3 out of 8

Appraisal. Functionally obsolete

    Written 12/23/2017

      Cortland Street Bridge (1500 West; 1800 North) crosses the North Branch Chicago River four miles from the river mouth.  In total, there have been 5 bridges at this site.

     The current bridge opened on May 24, 1902.  It is a metal 14 panel rivet-connected Pratt through 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 128 feet. Structure length is 217 feet.  Roadway width is 36 feet.  This bridge is unique because it was the very first Chicago style fixed trunnion bascule bridge.

     Bridge was designed by the Division of Bridges and Viaducts City of Chicago.  Superstructure Contractor was the American Bridge Company of New York.  Substructure Contractor was FitzSimons and Connell.  Construction costs were $159,911.

  During the years the bridge has undergone many repairs and modifications. 

     Included were:

1923 floor replaced, buffers replaced, bridge redecked.

1951 street car rails and old timber deck removed.  Floor beams and almost all stringers replaced.  Several truss members and gusset plates replaced.  Approach roadways were rebuilt.

1968 Bridge was redecked with open grate steel deck.

1990 Bridge was converted to a fixed span. Operating equipment was incapacitated.

1997  Bridge superstructure and roadbed was completely restored and repainted.

     The first Cortland Street Bridge was built before 1849.  Its location was  called Clybourn Place.  It was a wood bent bridge.  It was constructed as follows.  Four large logs were sunk into the river bed 20 to 30 feet apart.  Long stringers were laid in pairs to connect the bent with the shore.  Framework supported timber roadway was laid across the stringers.  No information is available about the designer, contractor or the cost.   Bridge was removed in 1859.

     The second bridge at this.location opened in September, 1859.  Like its predecessor, it was a fixed wood bent bridge.  Like its predecessor, its designer, builder or the construction costs are unknown.  There was controversy about this bridge from the beginning.  Local residents wanted a movable bridge.  It was removed on April 28, 1862.

     The third bridge at Cortland Street opened in 1862.  It was a wood pivot hand operated bridge.  It was 100 feet in length.  It was designed and constructed by Fox and Howard.  Construction cost was $2000.  It was removed in 1873.

     The fourth bridge was built in 1873. It was a wood swing hand operated bridge. It was 140 feet long and 32 feet wide. 

    The bridge was designed and constructed by Fox and Howard.  Construction costs were $13,700.

  In December, 1900, FitzSimons and Connell began removal of the bridge.  The superstructure, center pier, and abutments were removed.  Project was completed on January 1, 1901.

Bridge Inspection Current Bridge 9/2011

Deck.                                Condition.                Rating     Good     7 out of 9

Superstructure.            Condition.                Rating.     Poor.     4 out of 9

Substructure.                Condition.                Rating.      Fair.      5 out of 9

Sufficiency Rating. 35.6 out of 100

     This is a bridge over the Cal Sag Canal between the Cicero Avenue Bridge and and the Crawford Avenue Bridge.  It was built in 1958.  There are 3 spans.  Largest span measures 299.9 feet.  Total length of the structure is 584 feet.  Roadway width is 46.3 feet  (edge to edge).  The deck type is concrete cast in place.

     Inspection 2014

     Deck                           Condition.      Rating       Good. 7 out of 9

    Superstructure.       Condition.      Rating.     Very Good  8 out of 9

     Substructure.          Condition.      Rating.      Satisfactory  6 out of 9

      Sufficiency Rating:  93.1

The 127th Street Bridge crosses the Cal Sag Canal in Alsip, Illinois.  It is located between the Cicero Avenue and the Ridgeland Avenue Bridges.  It is a metal 12 panel bolt connected Warren through truss, fixed; and approach spans : metal stringer (multi-beam), fixed.   It was built in 1968.  The engineer/designer was Alfred Benesch and Associates from Chicago, Illinois.  It was rehabbed in 1991.

There is one main span and 4 approach spans.  The main span measures 396 feet.  Total structure length is 610.3 feet.  Roadway width measures 53.2 feet.  A distinctive feature of this bridge is its heavy skew.  This makes this bridge different from the adjacent structures.

     Inspection as of 8/2011

Deck                                   Condition                Rating    Good   7 out of 9

Superstructure                Condition               Rating      Fair    5 out of 9

Substructure                    Condition.             Rating       Fair   5 out of 9

Sufficiency Rating  70 out of 100.

The Crawford Avenue Bridge spans the Cal Sag Canal between the I 294 and the Kedzie Avenue bridges.  It is also known as the Pulaski Street Bridge.  It is located in Robbins, Illinois.  Its construction date of 1932 makes it one of the oldest bridges on the Cal Sag Canal.

It is a metal 9 panel rivet-connected Parker through Truss, fixed and approach spans: metal stringer ((multi-beam), fixed.    It consists of 1 main span and 3 approach spans.  The main span is 207 feet in length.  Structure length is 335 feet.    Roadway width measures 40 feet.    The bridge was built by McClintic Marshall Company of Pittsburgh.

The bridge was rehabbed in 1971 by the state of Illinois.  It was rehabbed again in  1992 by Cook County.

Inspection 10/2012.

Deck                                     Condition                                Rating   Good     7 out of 9

Superstructure                 Condition                                 Rating    Fair      5 out of 9

Substructure                    Condition                                  Rating    Good    7 out of 9

Appraisal   Functionally obsolete

     The Cicero Avenue Bridge over the Cal Sag Canal is located between the 127th Street Bridge and the Tristate Toll Road Bridge.  It was built in 1938.  It was rehabbe d in 1963, 1984.  As of the date of this blog October, 2017, the bridge is closed for rennovations. 

     It is a 10 panel rivet-connected polygonal Warren Through Truss, fixed and approach spans: metal stringer (multi-beam), fixed.  Main span measures 270 feet.  Structure length is 378 feet.  Road way width is 43.6 feet.  This is one of the oldest metal truss bridges on the Cal Sag Canal.