This blog was revised on 12/31/2017

 The Roosevelt Road (12th Street) Bridge (200 West; 1200 South) crosses the south  branch Chicago River east to west 2.9 miles from the river mouth.   The current bridge is the fourth bridge at this location.  It opened on November 22, 1930.  It was extensively rehabbed in 1995. It is a metal rivet connected Pratt deck truss movable double leaf bascule (fixed trunnion) and approach spans: metal stringer ( multi beam ) fixed.  The largest span is 204 feet.  Total length is 257.4 feet.  Deck width is 71.8 feet.  There is one main span and 2 approach spans.

     The bridge is unique for its round bridge keeper houses.

     The bridge was designed by the Division of Bridges and Viaducts City of Chicago.  The superstructure contractor was Kettler Elliot Erection Company Chicago. Fitzsimmons and Connell Dredge and Dock Company was the contractor for the east substructure .  M.E.White Company was the western substructure contractor.  Norwood and Noonan Company was the electric contractor.Bridge tender houses contractor was C.E. Carson Company.     Construction costs were $2,050,116

       In the 1850’s, property owners in the area around 12th Street raised $2000 to build a bridge across the south branch Chicago.  They received both city approval and a $1000 appropriation.  The new bridge opened in the fall of 1855.  It was a wood hand operated pontoon swing bridge.  The designer is unknown. It was constructed by City Superintendent John Van Osdel.  This First 12th Street Bridge was removed in 1868.

     In 1868, the south branch was widened.  The new second 12th Street Bridge opened on April 28, 1868.  The bridge was constructed under the Supervision of James K. Thompson, City Supervisor of Streets.  It was a swing hand operated wood and iron bridge.  It had an improved turntable and refined Howe truss design.

     It was designed and built by Fox and Howard.  Construction costs were $44,500.  The bridge was removed In 1887.

     The third 12th bridge opened in June, 1887.  It was an all steel electric powered swing bridge.  It was the first all steel bridge built by the City of Chicago.  It was 220 feet long and 49 feet wide. Designer was unknown.  Superstructure Contractor was Chicago Forge and Bolt Company.  Substructure Contractor was FitzSimons and Connell Company.   Construction costs were $101,010.  There was an extensive system of viaducts on either side of the bridge.

     In 1889, the bridge was involved in a crash with a passing vessel.

     In 1899, the bridge was replanked and replaced

     In 1902, there were upgrades of the protection piers, boiler machinery and floor beams and stringers.

     In 1908, a new danger signal system was installed; locks, spider rods and the engines were serviced.  Boilers were overhauled.

    In 1910, the steam plant was rebuilt and boilers were overhauled.

     In 1913, the iron works were repainted  Nine clumps of 13 pilings were added to the protection piers.  The boilers were overhauled.

     In 1920, the bridge was closed and later removed.
     Current bridge inspection as of 10/2011

Deck Condition Rating.    Good.   7 out of 9

Superstructure Condition Rating   Satisfactory 6 out of 9

Sub structure Condition Rating. Fair. 5 out of 9

     Posted 1/20/18

     The Congressway parkway Bridge ( 320 West; 400 South) crosses the South Branch Chicago River east to west 2.4 miles from the river mouth.  It is the only bridge at this site.  It opened on August  10, 1956.

     It connects Chicago downtown with the Eisenhower Expressway. It is not a single bridge but side by side twin double leaf bascule bridges.  Each is 298 feet a long and 43 feet wide.  Each bridge carries 4 lane of traffic.

    Bridge description is metal rivet-connected Warren deck truss: movable : double leaf bascule (fixed trunnion).  There is one main span and 2 approach spans.    The bridge was named the Wagner Memorial Bridge after a deceased Chicago Alderman.  The bridge underwent a 33 million dollar rehab 2010–2012.

     Contractors were:

Design:                  Division of Bridges and Viaducts, City of Chicago

Superstructure Contractor:   Overland Construction Company

Substructure Contractor:      M.J. Boyle and Company.

     Construction costs were $5 million.

     

     Bridge Inspection 8/2012

Deck.                            Condition       Rating         Excellent.  9 out of 9

Superstructure.       Condition       Rating.         Satisfactory  6 out of 9

Substructure             Condition.      Rating.        Satisfactory  6 out of 9

Sufficiency Rating. 68 out of 100

 

     Revised and expanded 1/22/2018

      The Harrison Street Bridge ( 322 West; 420 South) crosses East to West the South Branch of the Chicago River 2.4 miles from the mouth.  It opened on August 23, 1960.   The current bridge is he third at this site.   It has four lanes of traffic.  The largest span is 209.9 feet.  The total length of the structure is 278.8 feet.   Bridge width is 43.9 feet.   There is one main span  and three approach spans.

     The bridge description is metal-rivet connected Pratt Railing Height Truss, movable double leaf bascule (fixed trunnion) and approach spans: metal stringer (multibeam) fixed.

Bridge contractors included:

Design:     Division of Bridges and Viaducts City of Chicago

Divane Brothers Electric Company

Substructure:   M.J. Boyle and Company

Superstructure:  Overland Construction Company

Bridge Inspection as of 12/2012

Deck                               Condition                           Rating    Satisfactory     6  out of  9

Superstructure            Condition                           Rating    Satisfactory      6 out of 9

Substructure               Condition                          Rating     Fair                      5 out of 9

     Beginning in the 1870’s, local residents around Harrison Street began lobbying for a bridge at this site.  In 1877, the bridge opened. It was an iron swing hand operated structure.  It was 175 feet long and 31 feet wide.

     Contractors were:

Designer:          unknown

Construction: American Bridge

     Construction costs were $24,875.  Bridge was removed in 1902.

     2nd Harrison Street Bridge opened in 1905.  It was a Scherzer Rolling Lift Bascule Bridge electric powered.  It was 185 feet long and 51 feet wide.

     Contractors were:

Designer:                               Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company  

Superstructure Contractor :  Jackson and Corbett Company

Substructure Contractor:      Lydon Drews

     Construction costs were $272,606.  Bridge was removed on December, 1959.

     The current Van Buren Bridge is the  sixth at this site.  It opened on December 5, 1956.  The Van Buren Steet Bridge (361 West; 380 South) runs east to west over the South branch of the Chicago River 2.3 miles from the mouth.    It has only one  bridge house.It was rehabbed in 2014.

     It is a metal rivet-connected Pratt Through Truss, Movable Double Leaf Bascule (fixed trunnion) and approach spans; metal stringer (Multi-beam), Fixed.  It consists of one main span and 2 approach spans.   The main span length is 210.3 feet.  The structure length is 267 feet.  Roadway width is 44 feet.The

     Designer:  Division of Bridges and Viaducts, City of Chicago

     Superstructure contractor :Overland Construction of Chicago.  Costs were $1,514,723. 

     M.J. Boyle and Company removed the prior bridge and dredged the construction site. Costs were $332,675.

     Electrical work was done by Duane Brothers Electric Company.   Cost was $332,675.

     Bridge tender house and enclosures were built by R.C. Wieboldt Company.  Cost was $157, 043.

     The first Van Buren Street Bridge opened on January, 1850.  It was a pontoon swing wood hand operated.  

     Contractors:

     Designer :  Derastus Harper,  City Superintendent Public Works

     Contractor:  Derastus Harper, City Superintendent Public Works

     Construction costs were unknown.  Bridge was removed in In 1858.

     The second VanBuren Bridge opened on September, 1858.  It was a pivot type.  It was constructed of wood and was hand operated. 

     Contractors were:

Designed:         Chapin and Howard

Construction: Chapin and Howard

     Construction costs were $18,000.  It was removed in 1867.

     The third Van Buren Street Bridge opened in 1867. It was a wood and iron Howe truss center pier swing bridge.  It was hand operated.The

     Contractors were:         Design:                          Fox and Howard

                                                 Construction:              Fox and Howard

     Construction costs were $18,270.  The bridge was destroyed by the Chicago Fire October 8–10, 1871.       

     Fourth bridge at Van Buren Street opened on January 12, 1872.  It reused the prior stone center pier.    There was a new rim bearing turntable and a swing wood and iron hand operated superstructure. 

     Contractors:

Design:                 E. Sweet Jr and Company

Construction:     E Sweet Jr and Company

     Construction cost were $13,200. Bridge was removed on January 4, 1894.          

     The fifth bridge at Van Buren Street opened on February 4, 1895.  It was a Scherzer Rolling Lift bascule bridge. It was electric powered.

     Contractors were:

Design:                                            Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company

Superstructure Contractor:      C.L. Strobel

Substructure  Contractor:         FitzSimons and Connell  Company

     Construction costs were $169,700.  The bridge was removed in 1956.

Bridge Inspection as of 11/2012

Deck                         Condition.          Rating.          Satisfactory     6 out of 9

Superstructure.    Condition.         Rating.           Serious.            3 out of 9

Substructure.         Condition.        Rating.          Satisfactory     6 out of 9

   For a period of time, there was a tunnel beneath the Chicago River at Van Buren Street.  It opened in 1892. It was used by the West Chicago Street Railway Company.  The tunnel was designed by Samuel Artingstall, City engineer.  It was arch masonry and concrete construction.  It was 30 feet wide, 1,514 feet in length.  The two tunnel approaches were approximately 600 feet in length.  Construction costs were $1 million. 

     In 1899,Sanitary District advised increasing the river depth to 26 feet for the  river flow reversal project.   In September, 1904, the Secretary of War ordered either removal of the three tunnels under the Chicago River or lowering of the tunnels so that the river depth would be 21 feet.  There followed a legal battle between the City of Chicago and the West Chicago Street Railway Company as to who should pay for the VanBuren Street tunnel revision project.  The railroad eventually lost in court in 1906.

     In 1906, the Union Railway Company acquired the West Chicago Street Railway Company.  The new company began work on the new deeper, tunnel.  This opened in 1911.  It was used regularly until 1924.   It was used intermittently until 1952.   Since that time, the tunnel was eventually sealed. 

Goose Island is a man made island located in the North branch of the Chicago River.   The land of the island was initially owned by the I and M Canal.    The Canal Commissioners sold the property to raise funds for the canal project. Over the years, there were multiple owners.  Eventually, in 1853, it was purchased by the Chicago Land Company. The major stock holder was William Ogden.  In the 1850’s,  he arranged for a project to build a canal at the east border of the land.

The project started in the South and extended to the North end.  The workers dredged a channel that was 50 feet wide and 10 feet deep.  The channel connected to the North Branch of the Chicago River at its North and South ends.  It was completed in 1857.  The canal was known as the North Branch Canal or Ogden’s Canal.   The island was called Goose Island or Ogden Island.   The dredged clay from the project was used in local area brick yards or as land fill.

The island is 1.5 miles long and .5 mile wide.   It is bordered on the North by North Avenue.  It is bordered on the South by Chicago Avenue.  On the east it is bordered by North Branch Canal.  The border on the west is the North branch of Chicago River.

The island is crossed from east to west by the Division Street Bridge over the North Branch Canal and the bridge over north branch Chicago River.  It is crossed from north to south by the Halsted Street Bridges.   Railroad access is from the north on the Cherry Avenue Bridge.  This is currently owned by the Chicago Terminal R.R.

By the late 1880’s, there were two grain elevators, 11 coal yard and a single railroad.  Housing although always present was never a significant presence on the island.

 

Fairly recent developments included: new warehouses; warehouses reconfigured for modern manufacturing or creative loft office space.    Wrigley Corporation built a new research and development facility.  The former Sara Lee Building has been redeveloped for use by Kendall College.   There is an adaptive re-use warehouse renovation at 909 W. Bliss.

 

     The author encountered this bridge while doing research on the Star Union Brewery in Peru, Il.  This structure crosses the Illinois River and Water Street.  It was built between  1958 and 1964.   The building contractor was Industrial Construction Company.  Engineer/Design was Alfred Benesch and Associates Chicago.

     The largest span is 476.9 feet.  Total structure length is 2,291.4 feet. Deck width is 29.8 feet.  It is open to two lanes of traffic. It is a cantilevered Warren Through Truss, fixed and approach spans: metal stringer (multi-beam ), fixed.  There are 3 main spans and 10 approach spans.

     The bridge was rehabbed in 1992.  (New deck; new approach steel span)

Bridge Inspection as of 6/2012

Deck                             Condition.                 Rating.             Fair.     5 out of 9

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

Substructure.             Condition.               Rating.             Good.   7 out of 9

Sufficiency Rating. 44  out of 100

Additional photos added on 9/16/2018

     The Jefferson Street Bridge is east bound US 30 over the DesPlaines River in Joliet. It was built in 1933 and rehabbed in 1987.

     It consists of 1 main span and 2 approach spans.  The main span length is 166 feet.   The Structure length is 331 feet.  Bridge width is 40 feet.  It is a metal-rivet connected Pratt Through Truss, movable: double leaf bascule (rolling lift).  Original cost of construction was $160,000.

     The builder/contractor was the Mississippi Valley Structural Steel Company.  The engineer/design was the Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company of Chicago,Il.
Bridge Inspection as of 5/2012

Deck.                        Condition.              Rating.        Satisfactory. 6  out of  9

Superstructure      Condition.             Rating.        Fair.                 5  out  of  9

Superstructure.     Condition.            Rating.         Fair.                 5  out  of  9
Appraisal fumctionally obsolete

The Split Rock is an interesting area of the I and M Canal in LaSalle County.   During  the construction process at this site, the canal workers blasted a passage through a ridge of limestone.  The  interurban electric line the Chicago, Ottawa, and Peoria constructed a bridge across this passage.

The bridge was a lost Pratt through truss bridge.  It is no longer present.  The photos above are obtained from the internet.

On one side of the passage, the Chicago, and Rock Island constructed a  tunnel through  the rock ridge.

 

      Revised and updated 1/18/2018

     The current Jackson Boulevard Bridge (375West; 300 South)  crosses east to west the South Branch of the Chicago River 2.2 miles from the river mouth. It is the second bridge at this site .  It is also known as the U.S. 66 bridge.  It opened on January 29, 1916.     It was rehabbed in 1993.

    The bridge type is metal rivet-connected Pratt Deck Truss (roadbed rests on top of the truss), movable double leaf bascule (Strauss trunnion) and approach spans : metal stringer (multi-beam), fixed.  There is one main span and three approach spans.   The main span measures 202 feet.  Structure length is 273 feet.  Roadway width measures 37 feet.

     At each side  of the bridge are bridge tender houses.  Style is Beaux Arts.  Shape of the houses is octagonal.  External veneer is pebble aggregate.

     Contractors

     Superstructure   Strobel Steel Construction Company of Chicago

     Substructure       Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company

     Engineer/Design. Strauss Bascule Bridge Company of Chicago

     Cost unknown.

     

     The first Jackson Boulevard Bridge opened on August 25, 1888. It was a 3 Pratt truss steel swing bridge. It was initially steam powered. It was 280 feet long and 58 feet wide.   It’s center pier was near the West bank.  In 1897, the bridge was converted to electric power.  In 1899, the deck was replanked and repaved.  The iron work below the bridge deck was repainted.  The entire structure was overhauled.  In 1906, the deck was replanked and repaved.  New side walks were built.

     Contractors were:

     Designer:     Unknown

     Superstructure Contractor:     Detroit Bridge Company

     Substructure Contractor:         FitzSimons and Connell Company

     Construction costs were $131,633.

     The bridge was removed In 1915.

Inspection 11/2010

Deck                          Condition.                  Rating.        Good.   7 out of 9

Superstructure       Condition.                  Rating.        Fair.      5 out of 9

Substructure           Condition.                  Rating.        Fair.       5 out 9

Appraisal functionally obsolete

 

 

     The Illinois Central Bridge in LaSalle is an impressive structure crossing the I an M Canal, old Rock Island tracks and the Illinois River.  It was a single track bridge built for the I.C. Line in 1855.  The builder was the American Bridge Company.  The original bridge consisted of a series of cast and wrought iron Howe deck trusses resting on ashlar sandstone piers.

     In 1893, the superstructure was reconstructed with 16 steel spans Pratt Deck trusses measuring 150 feet in length. They have pin connections.  In 1920, 3 steel plate girder were placed  adjacent to the main span.  Each girder is 60 feet in length.

     In 1932, 2 deck trusses were replaced with a single Parker through Truss span measuring 300 feet in length.    This is supported by concrete piers.  Builder was McClintic Marshall Corporation.

     The total bridge length was 2,875 feet.  The bridge was used until the 1970’s by the Illinois Central Railroad.  At this time it was abandoned.

     The bridge and a short section of the South right of way was purchased by Buzz Unicem.  This was to service its concrete factory on the North side of the Illinois River.