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Ashland Avenue Sanitary and Ship Canal Bridge |
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| Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date and Builder/Engineer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Ashland Avenue Sanitary and Ship Canal Bridge
| Ashland Avenue Over Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal | Chicago: Cook County, Illinois | Metal Rivet-Connected Pratt Pony Truss, Movable: Bascule (Fixed Trunnion) and Approach Spans: Metal Stringer (Multi-Beam), Fixed | 1938 By Builder/Contractor: Ketler-Elliott Company of Chicago, Illinois and Engineer/Design: City of Chicago |
| Technical Facts |
| Main Span Length | Structure Length | Roadway Width | Main Spans | Approach Spans | NBI Number |
| 225 Feet (68.6 Meters) | 312 Feet (95 Meters) | 57 Feet (17.4 Meters) | 1 | 4 | 16600326842 |
Photo Credit: Patrick Hynes
This is rare example... indeed one of only three... examples
of very wide pony truss bascule bridges in Chicago that
feature three pony truss lines to carry a wide roadway. This bridge was built in 1938,
with the superstructure contractor being the Ketler-Elliot Company, the the
substructure contractor being Fitzsimons and Connell Dredge and Dock. This
bridge is also associated with depression-related funding, and this is shown by
the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works label on the plaque. The
design composed of three truss lines combined with original, handsomely
decorated bridgetender buildings, as well as the Depression funded nature of the
bridge make this structure stand out as one of the most historically and
technologically significant highway bridges on the Sanitary and Ship Canal.
This bridge still operates for boats, thanks to the Chicago Yacht Yard, which is located along the canal on the west side of Ashland Street. Moving southwest down the canal, the bridge is also the final bridge that still operates for boats. It is interesting to note that if the yacht yard were located on the other side of the road, this bridge would likely no longer lift.
Carnegie Steel marks are found on some of this bridge's steel indicating the source of at least some of the steel used in this bridge.
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Main Plaque SO. ASHLAND AVE. BRIDGEFEDERAL EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT - ILLINOIS - 1170 CITY OF CHICAGO 1938 EDWARD J. KELLY MAYOR OSCAR E. HEWITT COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS JOHN O. WILSON DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS LORAN D. GAYTON CITY ENGINEER
CHICAGO PLAN COMMISSION A. A. SPRAGUE CHAIRMAN
HUGH E. YOUNG CHIEF ENGINEER CONTRACTORS THE KETLER-ELLIOTT CO. FITZ SIMMONS AND CONNELL DREDGE AND DOCK
GARDEN CITY ENGINEERING CO. |
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Chicago / Cook County Bridge NewsMay-June 2012 - Click here to view the Spring 2012 Bridge Lift Schedule. The lift season is shorter this spring due to work on the Chicago Lock, but lifts will also be more frequent.
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