Dearborn Street Bridges

ChicagoLoopBridges shared
The current Dearborn St bridge was built at the same time as the
"corncobs" (aka Marina City in 1962). This bridge replaced
a Scherzer rolling lift bridge that was built in 1907.

(Bridge Hunter, Bridge Hunter (Rolling), Bridge Hunter (First), Historic Bridges, Chicago Loop Bridges, Satellite, Streetview with one leaf partially up)

I didn't realize that they were still replacing the rolling bridges until the 1960s. I guess if the foundation was good enough, there was no need to replace it. After all, the Cermak Road Bridge was refurbished rather than replaced.

 Bridge Hunter (Rolling) from archive.org, cropped

There is a plaque on the current bridge with this picture and the text "Chicago's first movable bridge was constructed at this site in 1834. The timber span provided only a sixty foot opening for the passage of vessels. So dangerous to ships was this narrow draw, that the bridge was ordered removed by the council in 1839. The present bridge is the fourth at this site." Chicago Loop Bridges features a picture of the plaque.

Bridge Hunter (First)
Paul Petraitis posted
Dearborn St drawbridge erected in 1834, demolished in 1839 when southsiders complained that it helped northsiders too much!... from Andreas HISTORY OF CHICAGO
Paul Petraitis It was also too narrow for river traffic especially as chicago and its port started to grow!

When I looked at the Satellite image, I noticed some barges parked along side. So I saved a bigger view to record this view of the building of the riverwalk.

Satellite

Update:

BDBRCPC posted
Dearborn Street Bridge.

MWRD posted two photos with the comment:

Historical photo of the week: Boats and bridges on the Chicago River on July 2, 1910, looking west towards the lifted State St and Dearborn St bridges, which were both built by the Sanitary District of Chicago (now MWRD).
Close up: A zoomed in view of the Theodore Roosevelt steamship loaded with passengers.

Patricia Armell Both State and Dearborn were rolling lift bridges at that time. There is a train on the Wells St bridge. Both Clark St and Wells St bridges were center pier swing bridges. Looks like Clark is open and hidden by the ship. LaSalle St crossed the river via tunnel; bridge was not built until 1928. www.chicagoloopbridges.com

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Francine Grossi commented on MWRD's post
A more recent picture, October 2019 with Open Bridge month and boats going home for the season.

David M Laz posted
Some one stole our bridge! Not really, construction of the new Dearborn St. Bridge went on at the same time as construction of Marina City, on right, 1961.

MWRD posted
The Dearborn Street Bridge over the Main Stem of the Chicago River on April 9, 1920, viewed to the west with the center pier for a swing bridge at Clark Street visible in the background.
MWRD posted on Apr 12, 2023

MWRD posted
A view to the west showing construction of the southern portion of a bridge at Dearborn Street over the Chicago River on June 8, 1906. The bridge was completed in 1907.
MWRD posted again with the same comment