Tuesday, March 1, 2016

1914-2018 Chicago Avenue Bridge

(Bridge HunterHistoric Bridges, HAERSatellite)

The 60622 Nostalgic posted
Looking east, on Chicago toward the Chicago Avenue bridge. The bridge was completed in 1914. The superstructure was built by the Ketler-Elliott Erection Company and the substructure completed by the Byrne Brothers Dredge and Engineering Company. The Chicago Avenue bridge is historically significant for its unique concrete bridge tender house. This bridge was one of the first Chicago bascule bridges to employ a "permanent" bridge tender building. Notice the Montgomery Ward Company complex in the background. (1914)

Ryan Anthony shared

Ron Kolman posted
Chicago Ave. Bridge looking East. Immediately behind this view (facing West), is Halstead St. 11-08-1918.
Michael J Fleming Ward was on both sides
Jeff Bransky I wonder when they removed the round bridge house on the west side? Taking a closer look, both bridge houses were rounded at each end, lozenge shaped.
Joseph Osowski Sadly, this bridge is about to be replaced.
Bill Molloy It really, really needs it though.

Pierre Hamon shared
[There are lots of comments about fish places, which I'm ignoring.]

Bill Kolton posted
Great seafood shack on the other side of the river back in the 60's, Joe's.
Xavier Quintana posted three photos with the comment: "The old Chicago Avenue bridge is coming down."

The 60622 Nostalgic posted
Looking northeast, on the North Branch Chicago River toward the Chicago Avenue bridge. [The rest of the comment is the same as the one on the above photo.]

The 60622 Nostalgic posted
Looking south, on the North Branch Chicago River toward the Chicago Avenue bridge.  [The rest of the comment is the same as the one on the photo at the top.]
 
Donna Harrison-Rodeghiero posted
Chicago is known for it's variety of bridges.
Joseph Schlesinger: Looks like Chicago Avenue, northward past the former Montgomery Ward catalog warehouse.
 
HAER ILL, 16-CHIG, 117--1
1. COUNTER WEIGHT TRUNION RACK AND PINION AND COUNTERWEIGHT. - Chicago Avenue Bridge, Spanning North Branch of Chicago River at West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Cook County, IL

HAER ILL, 16-CHIG, 117--4
4. DETAIL REDUCTION GEAR. - Chicago Avenue Bridge, Spanning North Branch of Chicago River at West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Cook County, IL

Significance: Prior to the Civil War, commerce and travelers from west of Chicago could cross over a float bridge at Chicago Avenue to the northeast side of the city, an area separated from the emerging central business district by th2e river that served as the commercial lifeline of the burgeoning city. By 1914, three different types of movable bridges had spanned the Chicago River at this point, each type representing an important stage in the development of movable bridge technology in Chicago. Attendant with the technological changes from the first float bridge to the bascule bridge completed in 1914, a new conception of the bridges as contributors to the physical beauty of the city added an influential dimension to the city's plans for future bridges. The Chicago A venue bascule belonged to a set of Chicago city bridges built between 1910 and 1915 that augured in this transition in design from an earlier strictly utilitarian approach to one influenced by aesthetic concerns. Its design also incorporated several innovations that became standard features of the next generation of the "Chicago type" bascul e bridge. [HAER-data]

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Chicago Avenue bridge will close Thursday for demolition, reconstruction

Mark Holmes posted
The sun sets on the Chicago Avenue bridge. [Nov 14, 2018]
Mike Petitti Sad, but long overdue for a replacement. I worked in that warehouse building-turned tech center at the turn of the century and the bridge was rickety then. Supposedly, the temp bridge will be in place in January and the project will be completed in 2021.
[It looks like they are taking it apart piece by piece rather than putting a barge under a truss and cutting it off near the trunnion. Maybe they are taking the counterweight apart as they remove pieces from the trusses to keep it balanced. The "white building" was Montgomery Wards's warehouse.]
Mark Taylor That wards catalog house had the hugest rats I ever seen.
John Casey commented on Mark's posting
Looking east from the west approach of the north walkway. Shot with a phone last July.
Jeff Bransky John Casey It would be nice to preserve that bridge house even though the replacement will be a non opening span. The other house is in bad shape.
John Casey Last Summer I read that the city had offered the bridge free to any group that would remove it and haul it away. Haven’t heard anything about that since the Summer so I guess nothing came of it. And yeh, the houses were not in good shape. In fact for years I didn’t like crossing the span.
Randy Smith commented on Pierre's share
This is a photo of that same bridge, Chicago St., being demolished.
Victor StLawrence commented on Pierre's share
From the fall of 2018.


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