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| Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date and Builder/Engineer | |
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Halsted Street South Branch Bridge
| Halsted Street Over South Branch Chicago River | Chicago: Cook County, Illinois | Metal Rivet-Connected Pratt Pony Truss, Movable: Bascule (Fixed Trunnion) and Approach Spans: Metal Stringer (Multi-Beam), Fixed | 1934 By Builder/Contractor: Mount Vernon Bridge Company of Mount Vernon, Ohio and Engineer/Design: City of Chicago |
| Technical Facts |
| Rehabilitation Date | Main Span Length | Structure Length | Roadway Width | Main Spans | Approach Spans | NBI Number |
| 1988 | 224 Feet (68.3 Meters) | 316 Feet (96.3 Meters) | 90 Feet (27.4 Meters) | 1 | 4 | 16602426838 |
This bridge is one of only three pony truss bascule bridges in
Chicago which is composed of three truss lines instead of two, allowing
the bridge to have a much wider roadway.
The substructure for this bridge was built by the Fitzsimmons and Connell Company of Chicago, who appears to have built most of the substructures for Chicago's bascule bridges. For most Chicago bridges, the superstructure was built by local contractors, or at least small contractors who are not well-known nationally. This bridge is an exception, with its superstructure being built by the Mount Vernon Bridge Company of Mount Vernon, Ohio. The Mount Vernon Bridge Company was one of the bridge companies that existed back during the height of the pin connected truss era, and built bridges like Michigan's Martin Road Bridge. The company did not die out or get absorbed by the American Bridge Company during the turn of the 20th century, and instead continued on as a bridge builder and fabricator allowing it to make an appearance here in Chicago during the 1930s.
This bridge was constructed with the aid of a temporary bobtail swing bridge built to carry traffic while the bascule bridge was constructed following demolition of the previous lift span. This temporary bobtail swing bridge was later reused as a temporary bridge for Ashland Avenue.
The
previous bridge at this location was one of the first modern vertical lift
bridges constructed in the United States. As such, it enjoyed a great deal of
attention from engineers and appeared in many different engineering texts and
periodicals. The bridge was designed by J. A. L. Waddell, who became a
leading designer and advocate for vertical lift bridges. The portal bracing for
this bridge originally included three plaques, a large plaque in the center and
two smaller circular plaques at the knee braces. The knee braces also had ornate
scrollwork. The bridge superstructure was constructed by the Pittsburgh Bridge
Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Above: Historical Photos Showing Previous Vertical Lift Bridge. Source: Library of Congress |
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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 NewsMay 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 ResourcesChicago'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.
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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.
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Bridge Photo-Documentation
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