Bridges over North Shore Channel

From north to south:

Linden Avenue: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

Maple Avenue/Hill Street: (Satellite)

Isabella Street: (Satellite)

Lincoln Avenue: (Satellite)

Emerson Street: (Satellite)

Church Street: (Satellite)

Oakton Avenue: (no Archived Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

Devon Avenue: (Satellite)

Foster Avenue: (no Archived Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

Irving Park Road: (no Archived Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

Building bridges across the channel had to be a significant fraction of the cost of digging the North Shore Channel.

Linden

MWRD posted
A view looking southwest at the Linden Avenue Bridge over the North Shore Channel in Wilmette, Illinois, showing work on the bridge struts on August 29, 1910, three months before channel construction was complete.
Victor StLawrence What is the average depth of the channel?
The North Shore Channel is generally between 5 - 7 feet deep when the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) is at it’s typical operating height. At some points, it can go as deep as 10 feet and as shallow as 3 feet. You may learn more about the CAWS here: https://mwrd.org/chicago-area-waterway-system
MWRD posted again

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Maple Avenue/Hill Street

MWRD posted
The nearly completed bridge at Hill Street (now Maple) over the North Shore Channel in Wilmette, Illinois, viewed looking north on January 13, 1909.

MWRD posted
The bridge at Hill Street (now Maple) over the North Shore Channel in Wilmette, viewed looking east after it was opened for traffic on March 2, 1909.

MWRD posted
Workers replacing the deck for the Hill Street (now Maple Avenue) bridge over the North Shore Channel on May 31, 1922.

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Isabella Street

 

MWRD posted
A view to the east showing workers on the east end of the Isabella Bridge over the North Shore Channel in Evanston, Illinois, on April 4, 1924.

 

MWRD posted
A view to the northeast showing workers on the west end of the Isabella street bridge over the North Shore Channel in Evanston on April 4, 1924.

MWRD posted
A view to the northwest showing workers on the east end of the Isabella Bridge over the North Shore Channel in Evanston on April 4, 1924. 

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Lincoln Avenue

MWRD posted
Workers make repairs to the deck of a bridge at Lincoln Avenue over the North Shore Channel on June 14, 1921. 

MWRD posted
Repairs to a bridge over the North Shore Channel at Lincoln Avenue, looking to the northeast, on June 14, 1921. 

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Emerson Street

MWRD posted
A view to the northeast of a bridge over the North Shore Channel at Emerson Street in Evanston, Illinois, on July 12, 1909. 

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Church Street

MWRD posted
A view to the west at the Church Street bridge over the North Shore Channel in Evanston, Illinois, on October 17, 1921, prior to repairs to the deck of the bridge.

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Oakton Avenue

MWRD posted
A view to the north showing work on a foundation for the Oakton Avenue bridge over the North Shore Channel in Skokie, Illinois, on July 12, 1909. 

 

MWRD posted
A view to the north showing the Oakton Avenue bridge over the North Shore Channel in Skokie on May 3, 1911. The North Shore Channel was built by the MWRD between 1907 and 1910.

MWRD posted
A westward view of workers removing an old deck from the Oakton Street bridge over the North Shore Channel in Skokie, Illinois, on October 14, 1921.

Jim Ritchie: looking at the overburden piles on the opposite bank - appears the channel was dredged - referencing todays google earth shows a "straight" channel from Belmont north to Wilmette Harbor.

 

MWRD posted
A view to the northeast showing construction of a bridge over the North Shore Channel at Oakton Street in Skokie on October 14, 1921. 

Hilary Marie Shaeffer: Do you know which direction this photo is facing?? I live up near there now🤩🤩

Dennis DeBruler commented on Hilary's comment
As MWRD mentioned, Northeast. The railroad tracks in the right background were C&NW, and the water towers in the left background were in Weber Yard. 1953/55 Evanston Quad @ 24,000

When I looked at a satellite image, I noticed that the bridge is significantly wider than the street. I presume that is to have more lanes of traffic crossing McCormick Blvd. during a green light. If I ever get up that way again, I need to use the rowing dock to get a photo of the underside of the bridge. I'm currently guessing that I should use the label "bridgeGirderConcrete" instead of "bridgeGirderSteel".

Satellite

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Devon Avenue

MWRD posted
A view of a new fence and grading along Devon Avenue in Chicago looking west towards the bridge over the North Shore Channel on June 4, 1925. 

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Foster Avenue

MWRD posted
A view to the east showing material and workers on the deck of the Foster Avenue bridge over the North Shore Channel on August 13, 1921.

MWRD posted
A view looking south/southeast from a rock spoil bank showing the Foster Avenue bridge with the Argyle Street bridge in distance over the recently constructed North Shore Channel on August 29, 1910.

MWRD posted
A view of the Foster Avenue bridge over the North Shore Channel on April 20, 1911.

Street View, Jun 2011

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Irving Park Road

MWRD posted
A view of Irving Park Road looking east towards the bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River in Chicago on April 8, 1903.

1888,1992 Washington Bridge over Harlem River in New York, NY

(Bridge Hunter broke Mar 22, 2023; Historic Bridges; HAER; Satellite)

Street View, Mar 2022

Street View, Aug 2023

HAER NY,31-NEYO,162--2
2. VIEW OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BRIDGE WITH MANHATTAN IN THE BACKGROUND - Washington Bridge, Spanning Harlem River at One-hundred-eighty-first, New York County, NY

"Two-span steel arch; total length, 2,375 feet [724m]; 141 feet [43m] above normal water; two central spans of 510 feet [155m]; result of design competition; 3,342 tons of steel; cost $2.85 million; arched masonry approach spans" [HAER_data]

New York History posted

Washington Bridge and Harlem River Speedway, in Washington Heights, New York (1901)

In 1901, the Washington Bridge, spanning the Harlem River between Manhattan and the Bronx, was a vital link for transportation. Below the bridge, the Harlem River Speedway attracted horse and carriage enthusiasts, who would race along the riverbank in Washington Heights. This scenic area was a favorite retreat for New Yorkers seeking an escape from the city’s crowded streets. The Washington Bridge, with its elegant arches and impressive length, provided not only a connection between boroughs but also stunning views of the river and surrounding landscape.

Bridges Now and Then shared

 

Larry Demers commented on the above post, cropped
Circa 1904. Postcard from the original photo.

 

Lens of Discovery posted

"A Century of Change: Washington Bridge, NYC 🌉

Looking west at the Washington Bridge, where history meets modern life. From its early days in 1908, standing strong with architectural elegance, to its bustling presence in 2019, connecting generations and stories across the Harlem River. A timeless symbol of New York’s resilience and evolution.

Jeffrey Gluck posted
Washington Bridge

It would have cost almost $100m in 2023 dollars.

inflation

Bridges Now and Then posted and Google eBook, p164, rotated
New York City's Washington Bridge over the Harlem River, March 23, 1888. (Historic Bridges)

Tom Venditto commented on the above post

The length of the main spans exceeds those of the Eads Bridge across the Mississippi River in St. Louis, a bridge that is often considered the most impressive steel-arch bridge of its time. Each of the main spans is actually made up of six parallel arches that carry the traffic loads to the masonry foundations.

The designs submitted to the competition were:

• Suspension bridge with an 800-foot-long main span; designed by William J. McAlpine.

• Cantilever-arch bridge with a 428-foot-long main span, two 250-foot-long side spans and steel-viaduct approaches; designed by William J. McAlpine.

• Steel-and-masonry arch bridge with a main 543-foot-long steel-arch span, flanked by masonry side spans and approaches; designed by Buck and McNulty.

• Masonry-arch bridge with three 350-foot-long main spans; designed by Union Bridge Company.

• Steel-arch bridge with two 510-foot-long main spans and masonry approaches; designed by C.C. Schneider.

[nycroads]

This photo shows a segment of the arch being lifted into place.

Google eBook, p166, rotated

Note the hole in the falsework to allow boats to pass through.

Google eBook, p178, rotated

 

The Alexander Hamilton Bridge is framed by the Washington Bridge and the High Bridge is in the left background.

Street View, Mar 2022

Historic Bridges notes that the ornate railings have been retained.

Street View, Nov 2017

Michael Quartararo posted
Washington Bridge, New York City

Mark Lavinski commented on Michael's post
Opened Dec. 1, 1888

2022 Pelješac (Peljesac) Bridge over the Adriatic Sea in Croatia

(Satellite, 2,446 photos)

Highway Engineering Discoveries posted
Croatia opens massive bridge bypassing Bosnia [in Aug 2022].

 

visit-croatia
"The Peljesac Bridge is finally complete and open! (It opened in July 2022.) Bypassing the need to drive through that part of Bosnia & Hercegovina (often referred to as the Neum Corridor) when travelling from Split to Dubrovnik or vice versa, the bridge certainly makes travel along the coastline easier for many visitors to Croatia. Here are all the details about this new bridge."
The travelers no longer have to wait in line at two border controls.

It cost 525m Euro ($531m) and has a clearance of 55m (180'). [cnn]

Highway Engineering Discoveries posted
The 2.4-km-long [1.5 mile] Peljesac Bridge connects Croatia's mainland with the Peljesac Peninsula on the country's southern Adriatic coast.

Andreas Schlimper commented on the above post, cropped

 

Highway Engineering Discoveries posted
Croatia

Michal Šubrt commented on the above post

Highway Engineering Discoveries posted
Croatia

Highway Engineering Discoveries posted
Croatia

The red boundary lines show how Bosnia separates the southern part of Croatia from the rest of the country. And this image also shows how this bridge allows the use of the peninsula to go around Bosnia.

Satellite

13:09 video @ 0:59
A $650 Million Project. Paid by Europe. Built by China.

This video segment includes a lot of construction scenes.

1966,1999 25th of April (Salazar) Bridge over Tagus River at Lisbon, Portugal

(Satellite, 128,844 photos!!!!)

Street View, Aug 2022

I like the blue sky above, but the freighter below.

Street View, Sep 2019

Highway Engineering Discoveries posted
Portugal

Bridges Now and Then posted
Lisbon's Salazar Bridge, seen during construction, 1963. It was renamed the 25th of April Bridge in 1974. (Helder Matos Photo)

lisbon
"At 2,277 meters (1.4 miles) long, the 25 de Abril Bridge holds the record for the longest suspension bridge in Europe and was the first bridge to be built in Lisbon."
It was inaugurated on Aug 6, 1966, and it has two levels. The lower level was added 1999 for trains.
It was originally named the Salazar Bridge after the dictator of Portugal. It was renamed the '25th of April" after the Carnation Revolution on that day in 1974 overturned the Salazar regime.
"It was designed by the American Bridge Company, also responsible for the San Francisco Bridge, and this is why the 25 de Abril Bridge looks a bit like the Golden Gate and why they are often compared."

Caroline Haycock posted
25 de Abril Bridge, Lisbon, Portugal. Two level suspension bridge constructed in 1966, with the lower railway deck installed in 1999.

1 of 8 images in architectuul, cropped, Ricardo Oliveira Alves, CC
It connects "the city of Lisbon to the municipality of Almada on the south bank of the Tagus river."

Anne Sukuvaara posted

 

Ed Lazzara posted
One of my favorites, the Ponte 25 de Abril over the Tagus River in Lisbon, Portugal.

"It's a spectacular sight from any direction, with an overall length of 2278m (approx. 1.5 miles), and the longest central span in Europe (1013m/3323ft), longer than San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, which it resembles. Its foundations also hold the world record by going 80m (262ft) below the riverbed to stand on basalt rock." [GoLisbon]

"The bridge has a central span of 1,013m (3,323 ft) and two lateral spans of 483m (1,585 ft) each. On the northern side there are two end spans with just one on the southern side. Each measures approximately 100m (328 ft). The two main towers are 190m (623 ft) tall and the drop from deck to water is 70m [230']. The bridge connects to a 945m (3,100 ft) long viaduct on its northern side." [BridgesOfDublin]

Some of the sources implied that this bridge was built by the company that built the Golden Gate Bridge. But it was built by the company that built the Bay Bridge, American Bridge Company. The Golden Gate bridge was built by Bethlehem Steel. [kqed]

2013 Dragon Bridge over Han River in Da Nang, Vietnam

(Satellite, 414 photos)

Panoma360 com, Oct 2020

highway Engineering Discoveries posted
Vietnam
Dragon Bridge

vinpearl
"The Dragon Bridge in Da Nang, Vietnam took six years to be constructed and was officially opened in 2013 (Source: Collected)"

Total length: 666 meters (2,185 ft)

Width: 37.5 meters (123 ft) [six lanes]

Longest span: 200 meters (660 ft)

Clearance below: 7 meters (23 ft)

YongMing ChiN, Oct 2023

"No one's allowed to drive across the bridge while the show is going on. The six-lane bridge shuts down every weekend just before the 9:00 pm show on Saturday and Sunday. The bridge is also illuminated by LED lights, which provide a pretty spectacle even when the dragon isn’t breathing fire." [SmithsonianMag]

Before it squirts water three times, it squirts fire nine times. The light show is synchronized with the dragon's "breathing." [vinpearl]