Western Avenue Bridges over CS&SC in Chicago, IL

(Bridge Hunter, Historic Bridges, 3D Satellite)

The Western Avenue Bridge over the West Fork of the South Branch of the Chicago River was a few blocks north.

MWRD posted
Historical photo of the week: The Western Ave bridge in the open position for passing boat traffic on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on August 23, 1916.
Bob Lalich That is the McCormick tractor works, which was located on both sides of Western Ave on the canal. This bridge was replaced by a lift bridge just before WWII.

MWRD posted
Bob Colton: Looks like a cable is attached to the boat, so that it can pull the bridge into the open position. Theres also a cable on the other end of the bridge so it can be pulled into the closed position.
Mike Breski shared 

MWRD posted on Jan 9, 2022
A view to the northeast at a dipper dredge and tugboat in transit on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near the Western Avenue bridge on July 14, 1924, on its way to the construction site for a bridge at Cicero Avenue.

 

MWRD posted
A swing bridge at Western Avenue on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is moved into position to make way for a passing steamship, viewed from the south side of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal between the Western Avenue bridge and the 8-Track Rail bridge, on April 20, 1921. This area is the current home of the Richard J. Daley Park and boat launch.

MWRD posted
Workers on the Western Avenue bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on February 5, 1925. The photographer’s notes indicate that this photo shows the “Chicago Surface Line method of planking.”

MWRD posted
Historical Photo of the Week: The Western Ave bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, looking north, showing the laying of timber for paving on February 13, 1925.
[Note the streetcars. The canal level off to the right looks rather high.]
MWRD posted

MWRD posted
Historical photo of the week: Onlookers watch while a worker places pavers on the Western Ave bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on February 13, 1925.

MWRD posted
Workers placing pavers for the deck of the Western Avenue bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on February 13, 1925.
Emile John Buteau: Wow, that's a lot of weight.

MWRD posted
A view to the northwest showing a crowd gathered near the Western Avenue Bridge over the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal on April 23, 1928, after a vehicle crashed and ended up on the bank of the waterway near the bridge. In addition to demolishing the vehicle, the crash also damaged the stone approach wall for the bridge.
[Again, notice IH in the background.]

MWRD posted
A view to the northeast showing the Western Avenue bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on August 11, 1924. 

Bridge Hunter indicated the current bridge was built in 1940 and rehabilitated in 1942. I was wondering had to be fixed just two years later. It turns out the bridge was not the problem, World War II was the problem. As discussed earlier postings, the bridges on the canal were made movable during WWII so that submarines from Manatowic, WI and landing craft from a shipyard on the North Branch of the Chicago River could go to New Orleans because the east coast shipyards were considered too vulnerable to Nazi submarines.

HAER ILL, 16-chig, 163--1 from il0605

1. LONG VIEW LOOKING EAST FROM SCISSORS BRIDGE - Western Avenue, Sanitary & Ship Canal Bridge, Spanning Sanitary & Ship Canal, Chicago, Cook County, IL

MWRD posted
The Western Avenue bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, looking west, on June 10, 1924.
Dennis DeBruler Was that the I&M Canal pumping station on the left? In the 1970s, I was on the bridge taking photos of it. Fortunately my wife was with me because she spotted a big 5-foot or so square hole in the sidewalk of the bridge before I fell through it.

MWRD posted
A view to the north showing temporary repairs to the deck of the Western Avenue bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on June 10, 1924.
Bill Meyer: The workman is wearing a tie. And a white/very light colored one at that! wow.
Stephen Casper: 4 guys watching 1 guy working 😂. Some things don’t change.

 

MWRD posted on May 4, 2023
Conrad Pomykala: One actual worker (in a tie!) with 6 "beings" supervising him...seems about right for a city job! 🤣

MWRD posted
A view to the south showing Sanitary District (now #MWRD) workers inspecting temporary repairs to the deck of the Western Avenue Bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on June 10, 1924.

MWRD
 A view to the northeast showing the Western Avenue bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on August 11, 1924. 

MWRD posted
Workers on the Western Avenue Bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in Chicago, Illinois, on February 5, 1925. The photographer’s notes indicate that this photo shows the “Chicago Surface Line method of planking.”

David Wilson from his photoset
19880514 02 ICG CM&W IMX, Chicago, IL
IMX was a combined Illinois Central Gulf and Chicago, Missouri and Western facility.
[In 1988, Western Avenue still had its lift spans.]

ForgottenChicago has more photos of this bridge, included the lift towers.