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Cermak Road Bridge

22nd Street Bridge

   

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Bridge Documented: August 12, 2006 and 2011

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
	Cermak Road Bridge 22nd Street Bridge	Cermak Road Over South Branch Chicago River	Chicago: Cook County, Illinois	Metal Rivet-Connected Pratt Through Truss, Movable: Bascule (Rolling Lift) and Approach Spans: Metal Stringer (Multi-Beam), Fixed	1906 By Builder/Contractor: George W. Jackson of Chicago, Illinois and Engineer/Design: Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company of Chicago, Illinois

Technical Facts

Rehabilitation Date	Main Span Length	Structure Length	Roadway Width	Main Spans	Approach Spans	NBI Number
1997	216 Feet (65.8 Meters)	337 Feet (102.7 Meters)	36 Feet (11 Meters)	1	4	16600727337

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

View Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) Documentation For This Bridge

HAER Data Pages, PDF

View Short Biography of Contractor George W. Jackson

View A Second Short Biography of Contractor George W. Jackson

View The Chicago Landmark Designation Report For This Landmark District

Cermak Road was originally known as 22nd Street. This bridge was designed by Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company. Today this type of movable bridge is in fact known as a Scherzer rolling lift bascule bridge. In Chicago, where the city usually built trunnion bascule bridges, this is the only remaining example of this bridge type on Chicago's roads. The city preferred the trunnion bascule bridge over the rolling lift bridge because rolling lift bridges shift the dead load on the abutments, which tends to wear out and damage the abutments over time on the unstable soil conditions that were found in Chicago. The city became very adept at designing trunnion bascule bridges, and so nearly all of the trunnion bascule bridges in Chicago were designed in-house by the city. The Cermak Road Bridge however, as a rolling lift bridge, was not designed by the city, but was designed by the Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company which obviously specialized in the rolling lift design.

Much like the Kinzie Street Bridge, a large amount of original bridge material has been removed and replaced in-kind. As such, while the bridge has lost integrity of original materials, it retains integrity of design and function.

While the primary goal with any historic bridge should be to preserve as much original material as possible, whenever something is replaced, it should be the goal to replace in-kind with as accurate a replica as possible. While it would be nice to see a greater quantity of original material on this bridge, this is nevertheless a good example of how a bridge beyond repair or nearly beyond repair might still be able to display the features which give it historic value. The only major shortcoming of the replacement is that standard high strength bolts were used instead of rivets. If rivets were used it appears it would be a perfect replication. From an aesthetic standpoint, the city could have partially simulated the appearance of rivets by using round head bolts which would make the bolts look more like rivets than the hex heads on the standard bolts the city used.

Main Plaque ERECTED BY SANITARY DISTRICT OF CHICAGO 1906 BOARD OF TRUSTEES ROBERT R. MCCORMICK PRESIDENT WILLIAM H. BAKER ADOLPH BERGMAN WALLACE G. CLARK FRANK X. CLOIDT HENRY F. EIDMANN ANTON NOVAK GEO. W. PAULLIN EDWD. I. WILLIAMS ISHAM RANDOLPH CHIEF ENGINEER

 

Information and Findings About Cermak Road Bridge District From Chicago Landmarks Designation General Information Address: Cermak Road, predominantly between Grove and Jefferson Sts. Year Built: 1901 - 1924 Architect: Various Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: April 26, 2006 This small district is the finest intact, early 20th-century riverfront industrial precinct in Chicago. It is an especially significant ensemble of four large industrial buildings, clustered around the Cermak Road Bridge, which is the City's last-remaining double leaf Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge. The District commemorates the importance of the Chicago River in the economic development of the City and conveys how the interconnected river and rail network made Chicago a national center of commerce. Individually, the buildings are fine examples of early 20th-century industrial architecture, and collectively they represent an almost vanished aspect of Chicago's historical industrial streetscapes. This Bridge Contributes To A Designated Chicago Landmark District Visit The Chicago Landmarks Website

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: Cermak Road 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

View and Link To Maps

 

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