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106th Street Bridge

   

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Bridge Documented: August 12, 2006, September 7, 2011, and September 10, 2012

Primary Photographer(s): Nathan Holth

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Key Facts

	Bridge Name	Facility Carried / Feature Intersected	Location	Structure Type	Construction Date and Builder/Engineer
	106th Street Bridge	106th Street Over Calumet River	Chicago: Cook County, Illinois	Metal Rivet-Connected Pratt Pony Truss, Movable: Bascule (Fixed Trunnion) and Approach Spans: Metal Stringer (Multi-Beam), Fixed	1930 By Builder/Contractor: Ketler-Elliott Company of Chicago, Illinois and Engineer/Design: City of Chicago

Technical Facts

Rehabilitation Date	Main Span Length	Structure Length	Roadway Width	Main Spans	Approach Spans	NBI Number
1998	250 Feet (76.2 Meters)	349 Feet (106.4 Meters)	38 Feet (11.6 Meters)	1	4	16604326832

View Archived National Bridge Inventory Report - Has Additional Details and Evaluation

This bascule bridge has very large and impressive trusses on account of its long span length. The bridge's trusses are tall like downtown Chicago's Clark Street Bridge, but do not have the smooth curve at the top of the tallest part of the trusses, even though both bridges are essentially the same design and are part of the same generation in terms of the development of the Chicago bascule bridge. This difference in truss curvature, which is somewhat less graceful in the 106th Street Bridge, is something shared with similar Sanitary and Ship Canal bridges, as well as other Calumet River bridges of similar design. This may indicate a lesser concern for aesthetics in these more industrial areas as opposed to the bridges in the downtown Loop, where the concern of aesthetics was paramount. Even so, the 106th Street Bridge has handsome bridgetender buildings although again these are not quite as elaborate as those found in the Loop. The bridge tender buildings consist of brick with belt courses of Indiana Limestone.

The bridge's trusses appear to be in good condition overall. The built-up riveted lateral bracing and floorbeams under the bridge have all been replaced with modern rolled beams. However, the abutments and bridgetender buildings are in a state of significant deterioration. Entire sections of walls have bricks falling out of them, and other areas of the walls that have been repaired were not done so in a very tasteful manner. Chicago has traditionally done a good job maintaining its bascule bridges, and even the trusses on this bridge are in good condition. It is therefore unclear why the substructure and buildings of this bridge are in contrast so neglected.

Like the other movable bridges on the Calumet River these are the most frequently operated movable bridges in Chicago. They are staffed by bridgetenders 24 hours a day and open fairly frequently each day for barge and other ship traffic. For barges, the bridge's leaves are normally only lifted partially. However HistoricBridges.org was able to photograph a full bridge lift during a field visit. The very large, historic bascule bridge, powered by electric motors, can open quite quickly, indeed far more quickly than many modern hydraulic-powered bascule bridges.

This bridge has fences and industrial properties surrounding it, making it impossible to get beside or under the bridge from on land, therefore requiring a boat to get a full photo-documentation of the bridge. Thanks to Tom Winkle for providing boat transportation to assist in the photo-documentation of this historic bridge.

The 1930 Annual Report of the Public Works Department provided some interesting details about the construction of this bridge. The bascule bridge actually opened to traffic in Fall 1929.  At this time, the bridge structure was completed, but the bridge tender houses were not complete, so operation of the bridge was conducted in a temporary building. The previous bridge at this location was a center pier swing bridge. Fitzsimons & Connell Dredge & Dock Company constructed the substructure. Ketler-Elliott Company constructed the superstructure. Ralph H. Simpson Company constructed the bridge tender houses. Pierce Electric Company installed electrical equipment. William J. Gormley Company installed the plumbing. Central Dredging Company and  Fitzsimons & Connell Dredge & Dock Company both played a role in removing the previous bridge.

Main Plaque 106TH STREET BRIDGE CITY OF CHICAGO 1930 WM HALE THOMPSON MAYOR RICHARD W. WOLFE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS EDWARD F. MOORE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS JOSEPH E. MOODY CONSULTING ENGINEER MYRON B. REYNOLDS ASSISTANT CITY ENGINEER THOMASS G. PIHLFELDT ENGINEER OF BRIDGES DONALD N. BECKER ENGINEER OF BRIDGE DESIGN LORAN D. GAYTON CITY ENGINEER PAUL SCHIDLER CITY BRIDGE ENGINEER CLARENCE S. ROWE ENG. OF BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION HARRY BERNSTEIN RESIDENT ENGINEER CHICAGO PLAN COMMISSION JAMES SIMPSON, CHAIRMAN HUGH E. YOUNG, CHIEF ENGINEER A. A. SPRAGUE, VICE-CHAIRMAN E. H. BENNETT, CONSULTANT CONTRACTORS FITZSIMONS & CONNELL DREDGE & DOCK CO. KETLER-ELLIOTT CO. RALPH H. SIMPSON CO. KELLY-ATKINSON CONSTRUCTION CO. PIERCE ELECTRIC CO.

Historic Bridges of Chicago and Cook County Browse Bridges In Google Maps This special map has bridge markers colored by bridge movable type. Complete Bridge List

Chicago and Cook County are home to one of the largest collections of historic bridges in the country, and no other city in the world has more movable bridges. HistoricBridges.org is proud to offer the most extensive coverage of historic Chicago bridges on the Internet.

Chicago / Cook County Bridge News

May 15, 2013 - The Ashland Avenue Bridge over North Branch Chicago River has been recommended for Chicago Landmark designation by the Chicago Art Deco Society.

April 30, 2013 - Illinois Landmarks has included Chicago's Bascule Bridges as one of their Top 10 Most Endangered Historic Places. View The Official Page.

April, 2013 - The replacement of the outer trusses of the northern Wells Street Bridge bascule leaf is underway. The outer trusses of the southern bascule leaf has already been completed.

April 2013 - Spring Bridge Lifts Are Ongoing! The bridge lift schedule is available here.

Washington Boulevard Bridge - This bridge celebrates its 100th Anniversary on May 26, 1913! Click Here To View A Commemoration Article By ChicagoLoopBridges.com! (Alternate PDF Format)

General Chicago / Cook County Bridge Resources

Chicago's Bridges - By Nathan Holth, author of HistoricBridges.org, this book provides a discussion of the history of Chicago's movable bridges, and includes a virtual tour discussing all movable bridges remaining in Chicago today. The book includes dozens of full color photos. Only $9.95 U.S! ($11.95 Canadian). Order Now Direct From The Publisher!

View Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) Overview of Chicago Bascule Bridges (HAER Data Pages, PDF)

Chicago Loop Bridges - Chicago Loop Bridges is another website on the Internet that is a great companion to the HistoricBridges.org coverage of the 18 movable bridges within the Chicago Loop. This website includes additional information such as connections to popular culture, overview discussions and essays about Chicago's movable bridges, additional videos, and current news and events relating to the bridges.

Additional Online Articles and Resources - This page is a large gathering of interesting articles and resources that HistoricBridges.org has uncovered during research, but which were not specific to a particular bridge listing.

Photos and Videos: 106th Street Bridge

Available Photo Galleries and Videos

Click on a thumbnail or gallery name below to visit that particular photo gallery. If videos are available, click on a video name to view and/or download that particular video.

 

	Structure Overview Original / Full Size Photos	A collection of overview photos that show the bridge as a whole and general areas of the bridge. For the best visual immersion and full detail, or for use as a desktop background, this gallery presents the photos for this bridge in the original digital camera resolution.
	Structure Details Original / Full Size Photos	A collection of detail photos that document the parts, construction, and condition of the bridge. For the best visual immersion and full detail, or for use as a desktop background, this gallery presents the photos for this bridge in the original digital camera resolution.
	Structure Overview Mobile Optimized Gallery	A collection of overview photos that show the bridge as a whole and general areas of the bridge. View the photos for this bridge in a reduced size which is useful for mobile/smartphone users, modem (dial-up) users, or those who do not wish to wait for the longer download times of the full-size photos. Alternatively, view this photo gallery using a popup slideshow viewer (great for mobile users) by clicking the link below. Browse Gallery With Popup Viewer
	Structure Details Mobile Optimized Gallery	A collection of detail photos that document the parts, construction, and condition of the bridge. View the photos for this bridge in a reduced size which is useful for mobile/smartphone users, modem (dial-up) users, or those who do not wish to wait for the longer download times of the full-size photos. Alternatively, view this photo gallery using a popup slideshow viewer (great for mobile users) by clicking the link below. Browse Gallery With Popup Viewer
	Bridge Being Lowered Full Motion Video	Taken from a boat at the northwest quadrant around the bridge. Streaming video of the bridge. Also includes a higher quality downloadable video for greater clarity or offline viewing.
	Bridge Being Raised Full Motion Video	Taken from a boat at the northwest quadrant around the bridge. Streaming video of the bridge. Also includes a higher quality downloadable video for greater clarity or offline viewing.
	Bridge Being Partially Raised Full Motion Video	Taken from a boat at the northwest quadrant around the bridge. Streaming video of the bridge. Also includes a higher quality downloadable video for greater clarity or offline viewing.
	Bumpercam: Eastbound Crossing Full Motion Video	Note: The downloadable high quality version of this video (available on the video page) is well worth the download since it offers excellent 1080 HD detail and is vastly more impressive than the compressed streaming video. Streaming video of the bridge. Also includes a higher quality downloadable video for greater clarity or offline viewing.
	Bumpercam: Westbound Crossing Full Motion Video	Note: The downloadable high quality version of this video (available on the video page) is well worth the download since it offers excellent 1080 HD detail and is vastly more impressive than the compressed streaming video. Streaming video of the bridge. Also includes a higher quality downloadable video for greater clarity or offline viewing.

View and Link To Maps

 

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