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Dec 19, 2019 · St. Charles Air Line Bridge. This one is for the bridge nerds out there. Built in 1919, the St. Charles Air Line Railroad bridge once held the world-record for the longest bascule bridge at 260 ...
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- Dusable Bridge
- Chicago Skyway
- Nichols Bridgeway
- State Street Bridge
- Bp Pedestrian Bridge
- Outer Drive Bridge
- St. Charles Air Line Bridge
- Kinzie Street Railroad Bridge
- Wells Street Bridge
- Canal Street Railroad Bridge
The DuSable Bridgeis one of the most iconic bridges in Chicago and that’s because it’s located right near where the city was founded. It crosses the Chicago River in the heart of the city and is located right near where Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the founder of Chicago, built his house in the 1780s. It’s one of several historic bridges in Chicag...
The Chicago Skyway is an elevated bridge that forms an integral part of Interstate 90 (I-90) in Illinois. It runs for nearly 8 miles (13 kilometers) and took nearly 3 years to build in the 1950s. This tollway was first opened for traffic in the year 1958. The bridge crosses the Calumet River on the South Side of the city and this particular section...
Nichols Bridgeway is arguably one of the most remarkable pedestrian bridges in the United States. It starts on the Great Lawn of Millennium Park, the stunning green area in downtown Chicago, and leads all the way up to the third floor of the new modern wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. The bridge has a length of 620 feet (189 meters) and was co...
The State Street Bridge is also known as the “Bataan-Corregidor Memorial Bridge” and is another historic bridge in the heart of downtown Chicago. It carries State Street across the Chicago River, not too far west of the DuSable Bridge near Pioneer Court. The construction of the bridge started in 1939 but it wasn’t completed until 1949 due to materi...
The BP Pedestrian Bridge is another pedestrian bridge that is located in Millennium Park. It’s situated on the opposite side of the stunning Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the amphitheater in downtown Chicago that can be used for concerts and other events. This girder footbridge winds across Columbus Drive and connects Maggie Daley Park with Millennium Par...
The Outer Drive Bridge is also known as the Link Bridge and is officially called the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge. As its name suggests, it’s the final bridge that crosses the Chicago River before it flows into Lake Michigan. The bridge was constructed between 1929 and 1937 and has a total length of 356 feet (109 meters). It’s a double...
The St. Charles Air Line Bridge is another remarkable bascule bridge that spans the Chicago River. It’s located just south of downtown Chicago and was constructed in 1919 by the American Bridge Company as an integral part of the St. Charles Air Line Railroad. With a main span of 260 feet (79 meters), it held the record of being the longest bascule ...
Kinzie Street Railroad Bridge is another historic bascule bridge that is located just west of downtown Chicago. It was completed in 1908 and held the record of being both the longest and heaviest single leaf bascule bridge in the world at the time, although it’s only 195.83 feet (59.69 meters) long. The bridge that was completed in the early 20th c...
Wells Street Bridge is a historic bridge in downtown Chicago that provides one of the best views of the Merchandise Mart, the largest building in the world upon completion in 1930. It connects the Near North Side with the Chicago Loop in the heart of the city. The original bridge was completed in 1922 but it has since been partially rebuilt between...
The Canal Street Railroad Bridge is also known as the Pennsylvania Railroad bridge. It’s a vertical-lift bridge that spans the southern part of the Chicago River and carries two railroad tracks across it. The two towers allow the tracks to be raised for boat traffic. This bridge in Chicago was a nifty piece of engineering upon completion because it...
Oct 8, 2024 · The Dearborn Street Bridge is a steel bridge over the Chicago River. It connects the Near North Side with the Loop area of Chicago. It was built in 1834, was the first movable bridge in Chicago and served as the primary crossing point over the Chicago River for the original town (population of 350 at the time).
Oct 11, 2013 · During bridge lifts, seven crews from the Chicago Department of Transportation work to open and close 27 city-owned bridges. Crews leapfrog one another to keep the process moving, but it can take ...
A vertical lift bridge is pulled up and down from counterweights in two tall towers on either side of it. The Scherzer rolling lift bridge is similar to a rocking chair, with large counterweights above the road level to help balance the bridge as it opens and closes. Ultimately, though, it was the trunnion bascule bridge that became a Chicago ...
Jan 28, 2020 · Featuring dramatic undulating balconies reminiscent of a waterfall, the 859-foot combination hotel, apartment, and condominium building was Jeanne Gang’s tallest building until nearby Vista ...
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What is a bascule bridge in Chicago?
When was the Chicago Bridge built?
In 1830, right around when the first movable bridge was designed, the city’s population was about 4,000. When the swing bridge was introduced in 1856, the population size grew to 90,000. For this large and increasing number of people, bascule bridges were the most practical and remain common in Chicago today. These movable bridges are still ...
