The Michigan Avenue Bridge (110 East  365 North) crosses the main channel of the Chicago River 1/2 mile west of the river mouth.     It was designed by Edward Bennett.  The architectural style is Beaux Arts.  The bridge was built in 1920.  It was the first double deck bascule bridge ever built.  It was built as a replacement of the Rush Street Bridge.   The bridge was granted landmark status on July, 1991.  It was named DuSable Bridge in October, 2010.

There are four bridge tender houses.  There are bas relief sculptures  on all of these buildings.  Each has a theme in Chicago History:  The Discoverers (North Tender House  Marquette and Joliet),    The Pioneers (North Tender House. Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, John Kinzie),  Defense ( South Bridge Tender House Fort Dearborn Massacre),   and Regeneration (South Bridge Tender House Rebuilding of City after the fire).  The two northern bridge tender houses were donated to Chicago by William Wrigley Jr.  4 Bridge Pylons double as bridge tender houses.  During World War II, the southeast bridge house was used a a recruiting office for the U.S. Maritime Service.  The southwest bridge house is being used  as the home of the McCormick Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum.

In the 1990’s, the bridge underwent an extensive rennovation.  Cost was $31 million.  During this project, the south leaf bascule moved from the reunion bearings.  The leaf weighing 6.5 million pounds had to be lifted and repositioned.
The bridge is actually  side by side double leaf bascules.  Each side can be raised and lowered separately.

 

 

        Revised and completed 12/28/2017

     The current Lake Street Bridge is the fifth bridge at this location.  The bridge (356 West; 200 North) crosses the South Branch of the Chicago River 1.6 miles from the river mouth. This is a double deck bridge.  This was the first double deck bascule bridge in the world. It carries auto traffic on its street level.  On its upper level, it carries elevated line rapid transit traffic–Green and Pink Lines.  It opened on November 6, 1916.    It was rehabbed in 1995.  The bridge description:  metal rivet-connected Warren through truss, movable; double leaf bascule (fixed trunnion).  Approach spans: metal stringer multiple beams fixed.  There is one main span and 4 approach spans.   Largest span 245 feet.  Total length 332.9 feet.  Deck width is 16 feet.

     Superstructure contractor is Kettler and Elliot Erection Company of Chicago.  Substructure contractor was FitzSimons and Connell Company.  Design City Engineers. John Ericson, Thomas Pihlfeldt, Alexander von Babo, Hugh Young.  Architect Edward Benett.  Construction Costs were $610,000.

     There were major rehabs in 1959 and 1969

     

   The first crossing at Lake Street was a ferry.

     The first bridge built at this site opened in 1852.  It was a pivot wood hand operated bridge.  It was the first center pier pivot bridge built in Chicago.  It was designed and built by Street Superintendent Derasmus Harper.  In 1857, $1700 was spent in repairs.  In the same year, it was involved in a crash with the Steamer Foster.  The bridge was removed in 1859.

     The second bridge at Lake Street opened on July 2, 1859.  The bridge was a 185 foot swing wood hand operated resting on a pile center pier and stone abutments.  It was designed and built by Newton Chapin.  On July 7, 1859, the bridge was involved in a collision.  It was removed in 1867.

     The third bridge at this site opened in 1867.  The Substructure of the second bridge was refurbished.  A new bridge superstructure was built in 1867.  The new bridge was a Howe truss 33 feet wide. It was a swing wood and iron hand operated. It was designed and built Fox and Howard.  Construction costs were $11,450.  It was removed in 1885.

     4th Lake Street Bridge

     In 1885, the West Division Railway Company offered to pay one half the costs of the new bridge.  In return, the company was allowed to use the bridge for its tracks.

     The new  fourth bridge opened in June, 1886.  It was a Pratt truss iron swing bridge powered by steam initially later converted to electric power. It was 220 feet long and 59 feet wide.  It has two roadways each 21 feet wide. Each carried street cars.  There were two 8 and one half feet sidewalks.  The bridge was designed and built by the Detroit Bridge Company.  Substructure Contractor was FitzSimmons and Connell Company.  Construction costs were $127,259.

     Later, the Lake Street Elevated Railroad paid to reinforce the bridge and added an upper deck to carry The elevated lines.

     Bridge was removed February–November 1916.

Bridge evaluation as of 10/2011

Deck Condition Condition Rating  Good 7 out of 9

Superstructure Condition  Rating  Poor 4 out of  9

Substructure Condition Rating  Fair 5 out of 9

Overall appraisal Structurally Deficient

 

     This is a railroad bridge over the north branch of the Chicago River.  It is located between the Kinzie Street traffic bridge and the Lake Street Bridge.  It was built in 1908.  It is one of the few single leaf movable bascule bridge with the counterweight above ground and independently moving.  The bascule superstructure was a design by Joseph Strauss.  The steel superstructure was fabricated by Toledo Massillon Bridge Company of Toledo.   The substructure was designed by William Finley.   The largest span is 170 feet.  Total length is 196 feet.  There is one main span and one approach span.  The bridge was built for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.  At the time of construction, this was longest and heaviest bridge of this type.  It carried passengers and freight to the Wells Street station.  Eventually, it carried only freight.  Its last customer was the Chicago Sun Times.  In 1995, CNW was taken over by the Union Pacific Railroad.

 

 

Although the line was abandoned in 2001, the bridge is operated once a year.  It is stated that the bridge is in good mechanical order.

The bridge has been known by multiple names.  These include:  Kinzie Street Railroad Bridge (ironic because the bridge is actually located at Carroll Street), North Branch  Railroad Bridge, CNW Wells Street Bridge (after the CNW Station).

There have been many bridges at this site.  There was a railroad bridge from 1852 here.  One of the first all steel bridges was built at this site in 1879.   This bridge was replaced with lattice through truss swing bridge in 1898.

         Revised and expanded on 1/14/2018

   There have been six bridges at the Kinzie Street site. The location is historic because: it is the location of the first Chicago bridge (1832); the site of a river fire (1899);site of a flood that shut down the city center for one week (1992).   The current Kinzie Street Bridge (423 west; 400 North) crosses the North Branch Chicago River 1.8 miles from river mouth.  It crosses east to west.   Its technical description is Metal Riveted-connected Pratt through Truss, movable single leaf bascule (Fixed trunnion).  Approach spans metal stringer, fixed.   This bridge is the only remaining single leaf bascule from the first generation through truss.  It opened on May 10, 1909.

     In 1910, danger signals were installed on the west approach; the deck was paved. In 1931, the east bridge house was elevated above the sidewalk and was rebuilt.  In 1939, the upper two stories of the State Street Bridge house were moved to the sw corner of the bridge. In November, 1998,Kinsey Street was closed and the bridge structure was elevated 5 feet.  Bridge was converted from movable to fixed.  The bridge was rehabbed extein 1999.

       The main span is 136.2 feet.  The structure length is 195 feet.  Road width is 36 feet.  There is one main span  and 2 approach spans. 

     Contractors were:

     Design:                  Alexander von Babo   City Engineer of Bridge Design

      Contractor Superstructure:  John J. Gallery

      Contractor Substructure:    Great Lakes Dredge  and Dock Co.

     Construction costs were $199,750.

     The first bridge at Kinzie Street opened in 1832.  It was a fixed wood bent bridge.  

     Contractors were:

     Design:                  Samuel Miller

     Construction:     Samuel Miller

     Construction costs are unknown.

     The bridge was removed In 1839.

     The second bridge at this site opened in 1839. It was a wood pontoon swing bridge hand operated.  It was 120 feet by 10 feet.  

     Contractors were:

     Design:  unknown

    Construction:     L. Price and R. Freeman.

     Construction costs were unknown.

     This bridge was destroyed in a flood March 12,1849.

     The third Kinzie Street Bridge opened September, 1849.  It was a pontoon turntable wood swing bridge, hand operated.  

     Contractors were:

     Designer:          Derastus Harper, City Superintendent Public Works

     Construction:  Derastus Harper, City Superintendent Public Works

     Construction costs were $1276.

     Bridge was removed in 1859.
   

     Fourth bridge at this site opened on November 3, 1859.  It was a swing wood hand operated structure. 

     Contractors were:

Designer:            Newton Chapin and Company

Construction:    Newton Chapin and Company

     Construction costs were:    $15,000

     The bridge was removed In 1870.

     The fifth bridge was constructed in 1870  It was a Howe truss hand operated wood an iron swing bridge.  It was 170 feet long and 31 1/2 feet wide.

     Contractors were:

Designed:          Fox and Howard

Construction:  Fox and Howard

Construction costs were $15,850.

     In April 17, 1899, there was a river fire that caused extensive bridge damage. The bridge house, western approach, roadway, and side walks were rebuilt.

     The bridge was removed on December 16, 1907

Inspection of current bridge on 9/2011.

     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  Funtionally obsolete

     There was an unusual incident involving the current bridge.  On Augus, 2004, a river cruise boat the Little Lady was drenched with septic waste from a bus chartered by the Dave Matthews Band.  The driver apparently emptied the holding tank while the bus was on the Kinzie Street Bridge

     Revised and expanded on 1/13/2018

     The Ohio Street Bridge (500 West; 560 North) runs east to west across the North Branch Chicago River 2.1 miles from the mouth.  This is the first and only bridge at this location.

    It was built in 1961.  It was renovated in 1992. It is a unique structure.  It is two side by side double leaf bascule bridges.   There are three lanes in each direction. There are two bridge houses.  There are no pedestrian sidewalks.  It is a major connection between the near North side and the Kennedy Expressway.  The main span is 219.2 feet. Structure length is 367 feet. Roadway width is 76 feet.  It has one main span and two approach spans.

     Contractors were:

     Designer:           Division of Bridges and Viaducts  City of Chicago

     Superstructure Contractor:   Strobel Steel Construction Company

     Substructure Contractor:        FitzSimons and Connell Company

     Construction Costs were $195,141.

     Inspection as of 12/2012

     Deck Condition Rating Satisfactory 6 out of 9

     Superstructure Condition Rating Fair 5 out of 9

     Substructure Condition Rating Fair 5 out of 9

Photos added 4/19/2018

  

   

    Revised and expanded 1/13/2018

    The Grand Avenue Bridge (462 West; 450 North) traverses the North Branch of the Chicago River east to west 2 miles from the river mouth. The current bridge is the second at this location.  It opened December 13,1913.  It was rehabbed in 1974.  The following is the technical description of the bridge: metal rivet-connected Pratt Pony Truss, moveable double leaf bascule (fixed trunnion).  Approach spans: metal stringer (multibeam fixed).  It is a steel structure.  It is a second generation Chicago bascule bridge.  There is one main span and 3 approach spans.   In the early 2000’s, it was converted from movable to fixed.

     The largest span is 187.9 feet.  The total length is 269.9 feet.  Deck width is 36 feet.

   Contractors are as follows:

     Superstructure was built by Strobel Steel Construction Company Chicago

     Substructure Contractor was Fitzsimmons and Connell Bridge and Deck Company Chicago

     Bridge Engineer/Design City of Chicago.

     Construction costs were $195,141.

     The first bridge at this location opened in 1869.  It was a common Howe truss wood and iron swing bridge.  It was 163 feet long and 32 feet wide. In 1895, it received a reinforced floor system for electric streetcars.   In 1907, the bridge underwent an extensive rehab.

     Designer:          Fox and Howard

    Construction:   Fox and Howard

     Construction Costs were $48,800.

     Bridge was removed between June to July, 1910

Bridge  inspection (Current Bridge) 11/2010

Deck Condition Rating Satisfactory 6 out of 9

Superstructure Condition Rating Poor 4 out of 9

Substructure Rating Condition Satisfactory 6 out of 9

Appraisal Structurally Deficient

Photos added 4/19/2018.

The following images were obtained in the end of July, 2017.  This was after a period of severe rain and flooding

 

 

 

 

The Des Plaines River originates in Wisconsin.  Its course is south and west through Illinois.  Through much of its course it parallels the Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Illinois Michigan Canal.   It merges with the Kankakee River near Channahon, Illinois to form the Illinois River.

Not much is written about the current bridge at this site.    It was apparently built in 1920.  The city undertook a 2.5 million dollar rehabilitation project in 1998.  New lighting fixtures were added.  Railing similar to the original construction was installed.  Pedestrian sidewalks were widened.

The bridge plaque references a bridge reconstruction that took place in 1998.

 

 

The above picture is a view of the North Branch Chicago River from the bridge

This is a view from the other side of the bridge.

A prior bridge at this site was a lost Pony truss bridge.  This bridge was replaced in 1920

Landmark Wilmette

Nestled in a wooded area of Evanston crossing the North Shore Channel is a historic railroad bridge.   At various times it was used by  the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific RR. and the Chicago , North Shore and Milwaukee interurban line.  Currently it is used by the CTA Purple line.

The bridge is a Warren through truss with all verticals.  Largest span measures 175 feet.  Total length is 425 feet.     It was built in 1909.  Bridge engineer was listed as Carlton R. Dart.