Revised and expanded 1/17/ 2018

    The Adams Street Bridge (380 West; 300 South) crosses east to west  the south branch of the Chicago River 2.1 miles west of the river mouth.   It is also known as the U.S.66 bridge.  It opened on August 26, 1927.   Th i was t The fourth bridge at this site.  It is metal rivet-connected Pratt Deck Truss, movable; double leaf bascule (fixed trunnion) and approach spans; metal stringer (multi-beam), fixed.   Because of the proximity of Union Station, modifications were needed. The West leaf of the bridge was shortened.  The counterweight was compact cast iron.  The counter weight pit was small. There is one main span and three approach spans. Main span length is 199 feet.  Structure length is 250 feet.  Roadway width is 38 feet.  In 1955, the bridge was converted to a one way bridge West bound.

     Superstructure Contractor was Strobel Steel Construction Company of Chicago.

     Substructure Contractor was Fitzsimmons and Connell Dredge and Dock Company.

     Engineer:  City Engineers Thomas Pihlfeldt, Donald Becker; architect Edward Bennett

     Construction costs were $2.5 million.

     Bridge was rehabbed in 1996 and 2017.

     In 2012, sidewalks were replaced with fiberglass material.

     Residents lobbied for years for a bridge at Adams Street.  Finally, the first bridge opened in 1869.  It was a swing wood and iron hand operated bridge. 

     Contractors were:

Designer: Fox and Howard

Construction:  Fox and Howard

     Construction costs were $36,800.  It was destroyed in the Chicago Fire October 8–10, 1871.

     The second Adams Street Bridge opened in 1872.  It was an iron swing hand operated bridge.  It was 160 feet long and 32 feet wide.  

     Contractors were:

Designer:     Keystone Bridge Company

Construction:  Let some Bridge Company

     Construction costs were $47,790.

     Moved to Taylor Street in 1889.

     The third Adams Street Bridge opened in 1889.  It was a large steel Pratt truss swing bridge.  It was electric powered.    It was 259 feet long and 59 feet wide.  It was a four track bridge.  The bridge cost  of $141,115 was shared between the City of Chicago and the Chicago Passenger Railway Company (ran street cars over the bridge).

     Contractors were:

Design:          Keystone Bridge Company

Superstructure Contractor:     Keystone Bridge Company

Substructure Contractors:   Fox and Howard

     Construction was were $141,115.   Bridge closed on August 31, 1925.  Physically removed between September,1925 and June, 1926.

 

     Bridge Inspection 10/2011

Deck                         Condition                  Rating                 Fair     5 out of 9

Superstructure     Condition                  Rating                Poor   4 out of 9

Substructure        Condition                  Rating                  Fair   5 out of 9

Appraisal:  Structurally deficient

  

   Revised and expanded on 1/17/2018

    The current Monroe Street Bridge (378 West; 50 South) is the first and only one over the South Branch of the Chicago River.  It crosses the South Branch east to west 2 miles from the river mouth.   It opened on February 22, 1919..  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 3 approach spans.  At one time, there were ornamental pillars at each end of the bridge.  Also, at one time, there were arched overhead beams.  These were for support for the street car cables.  Neither one of these is currently present.  The bridge tender houses are granite faced octagonal structures.

     The main span measures 193 feet.  Overall structure length is 271 feet.  Roadway width measures 36 feet.

     Contractors were:

     Design:     City Bureau of Engineering; architect Edward Bennett

     Superstructure  Ketler and Elliott.

     Substructure. Fitzsimons and Connell Dredge and Dock Company

Construction costs were: $525,447.

     Inspection 12/2010

Deck                                       Condition    Rating   Very Good  8 out of 9

Superstructure                    Condition    Rating     Good   7 out of 9

Substructure                         Condition.  Rating.   Good   7 out of 9

Appraisal. Functionally Obsolete

     Revised and expanded 1/16/2017

     The Madison Street Bridge (378 West; 50 South) crosses the South branch of the Chicago River east to west 2 miles from the river mouth.  It is also known as the Lyric Opera Bridge.   This is the sixth bridge at this locr. It opened on November 29, 1922.  The bridge type is metal rivet-connected Pratt railing Height Truss, movable; double leaf bascule (fixed trunnion) and approach spans: metal stringer (multi-beam) fixed.

     There is one main span and three approach spans.  The main span length is 221 feet.  The structure length is 283.2 feet.  Roadway width is 38 feet.   This was the first bascule bridge in Chicago with a truss configuration that is partially a pony truss and partially a deck truss.

     Contractors:

Design:  City Bureau of Engineering, City of Chicago

                   Architect  Edward Bennett

Superstructure Contractor:         Kettler Elliot Company of Chicago.

Substructure Contractor:            FitzSimons and Connell Company

     Construction Costs were $1,622,000

     The bridge was rehabbed in 1958 and 1994.

     The first bridge at this site opened in 1847.  It was a wood pontoon float swing bridge, hand operated.

     Contractors were:

Designer:

     Plan of Common Council

Construction:

     S. Peck, L.M. Boyce, and E.S. Wadsworth.

     Construction costs were $3500.

     Destroyed by a flood  March 12, 1849

     Second bridge at this site opened June, 1849.  It was a pontoon turntable wood hand operated.  

     Contractors were:

Design:    

      Common Council City of Chicago

Construction:

     Common Council City of Chicago

     Construction costs were $ 4,000.

     Bridge removed winter, 1856.

   The third bridge at this site opened June, 1857.  It was an iron swing hand operated bridge that combined two Mossely tubular arches end to end over a center pier.  It was 155 feet long.

    Contractors were:

Designer: City of Chicago, Gregory, Bandon, and Robinson

Contractor: Gaylord

    Construction costs were $42,000.    Bridge was removed in 1875.

    Fourth bridge at this site opened in 1875.  It was a Pratt truss iron swing steam powered bridge. It was 158 feet long and 30 1/2 feet wide. The old center pier was reused.  The masonry approaches and sidewalks were rebuilt.

     Contractors were:   

Design : American Bridge Company

Contractors:  American Bridge Company

     Construction costs were $15,000.  Bridge was removed in 1891.

     The fifth bridge at this site opened on October 16, 1951.  It was a steel swing electric powered. It had two trusses and four traffic lanes.

     Contractors were:

     Designer: Unknown

     Superstructure Contractor:  Riter and Conley

     Substructure Contractor:  FitzSimons and Connell

     Construction costs were $104,500.

     Bridge was removed September to November, 1922.

Bridge Inspection 10/2011

Deck                                         Condition       Rating        Very Good 8 out of 9

Superstructure                      Condition         Rating         Good   7 out of 9

Substructure.                         Condition         Rating       Satisfactory 6 out 9

Sufficiency Rating. 76 out of 100

Revised and expanded on 1/3/2018

     The current Washington Boulevard Bridge (364 West; 50 North)  over the South Branch of the Chicago River is the second bridge at this location.  It is 1.8 miles from the river mouth.  It opened on May 26, 1913.  The bridge type is a metal rivet -connected Pratt Pony Truss, Movable: double leaf bascule (fixed trunnion) and approach spans metal stringer (multibeam), fixed.  There is one main span and 3 approach spans.  The bridge houses have wood side panels and hipped roofs.

     The main span length is 197 feet. The structure length is 303.5 feet. The roadway width is 36 feet.    This bridge was considered the most ornate of the double leaf bascule bridges during this time period.

Contractors for this project were:

Design:  City Bureau of Engineering and architect Edward Bennett

Superstructure:  Strobel Steel Construction Company of Chicago

Superstructure.  FitzSimons and Connell Dredge and Dock Company.

Engineer/Design City of Chicago

Construction costs were $238, 288.

     The first Washington Boulevard Bridge opened in 1891.  It was an iron swing bridge initially powered by steam; later electric.  The superstructure was the old Madison Street Pratt Truss Bridge.  The Substructure was constructed by the West Chicago Street Railway Company.

Design: American Bridge Company

Superstructure Contractor was American Bridge Company.

Substructure Contractor was FitzSimons and Connell Company

Cost was $67,594

Bridge was transferred on January 3, 1907

     At this site in 1869, a tunnel for pedestrian and wagons was built.  It was the first tunnel under the Chicago River.   The contractor was J.L. Lake.  The tunnel was 1,605 feet long.  It extended from Franklin Street to Clinton Street.   Construction cost was $517,000.  It was built with masonry.

     Around 1884, the tunnel began leaking. It was closed.  In 1888, it was leased by the Western Chicago Railroad.    They renovated the tunnel for cable car servive.  It opened in 1890.

     When the flow of the Chicago River was reversed, the water level dropped.  The roof of the tunnel became exposed.  Several ships ran aground on it.  The tunnel was closed by the federal government in 1906. 

     A widened deepened tunnel was built of concrete. Contractor was George Jackson.

     The tunnel was reopened for street car service in 2011.  It was in use until 1953.

     

     The first bridge was built at this site in 1875.  It was an iron swing bridge built by the American Bridge Company.  It was 157 feet long and 31.5 feet wide.  The next bridge was erected at this site in 1891. It was formerly the Madison Avenue Bridge over south branch of the Chicago River. It was a swing bridge.  It was demolished in 1907.

     Currently, this bridge averages 40 raises/year.

     Inspection 10/2011

Deck                               Condition.                Rating.        Fair  5 out 9

Superstructure            Condition                Rating         Poor 4 out of 9 

Substructure.              Condition.               Rating          Satisfactory  6 out of 9
Appraisal:    Structurally deficient

 

     This bridge crosses the I and M Canal 5 miles from the Morris City limits.   It is also called Old Stage Road Bridge.

    It was built in 1995.  It is an all wood closed spandel arch bridge.  It was built by Belvidere Construction of Belvidere, Il.  The designer was Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer and Associates of Chicago, Il.  

    THe largest span is 126.6 feet.  Total length is 130.3 feet.  Structure width is 25.9 feet.

Bridge Inspection as of 9/2014

Deck Condition                            Rating.      Very good   8 out of 9

Superstructure.                            Rating.      Very good   8 out of 9

Substructure.                                Rating.       Very Good  8 out of 9

     There are limestone piers adjacent to Lock 15  I and M Canal.  This was the site of a prior C,B,Q R.R. Bridge.    This was damaged and removed in 1979.  According to historical records, the bridge was built by King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio.    It was lost through truss bridge

     This is a canal walkway over the I and M Canal in rural Grundy County.   The builder is unknown.  It is a metal 5 panel rivet–connected Pratt truss, fixed.  The bridge sits in its original location.  It is now used for non motorized uses.  

     The trusses are very light weighted.  There are stone abutments.  The guard rails are very ugly and probably not original.

 

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.

 

     Blog Posted 1/3/2018

     The North Ashland Avenue Bridge (2201 North: 1600 West) crosses North to South over the North Branch Chicago 4.9 miles from the river mouth. The current bridge is the first and only bridge at this site.  It opened on August 20, 1936.

     It is a metal rivet-connected Pratt Pony Truss, movable: double leaf bascule (fixed trunnion) and approach spans, metal stringer (multibeam), fixed.  There is one main span 4 approach spans. The main span measures 232 feet. The structure length is 386.5 feet. The roadway width is 60 feet.   There are four lanes of traffic.

Contractors  were

Design:  Division of Bridges and Viaducts   City of Chicago

Superstructure Contractor:  Kettler Elliot Company

Substructure Contractor:  FitzSimons and Connell Company Company

     In 1993, the bridge was rehabbed.

     In 1995, bridge was charged to fixed.

     Construction Costs were $1.7 million.

Bridge Inspection  11/2010

Deck                            Condition.                Rating.    Satisfactory. 6 out 9

Superstructure.       Condition.               Rating.    Satisfactory  6 out of 9

Substructure.          Condition.                Rating.     Good 7 out of 9

Sufficiency Rating   94/100