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Halsted Street North Branch Bridge

   

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Bridge Documented: October 2010 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
	Halsted Street North Branch Bridge	Halsted Street Over North Branch Chicago River	Chicago: Cook County, Illinois	Metal Rivet-Connected Pratt Deck Truss, Movable: Bascule (Fixed Trunnion) and Approach Spans: Metal Stringer (Multi-Beam), Fixed	1955 By Builder/Contractor: Overland Construction 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
154 Feet (46.9 Meters)	267 Feet (81.4 Meters)	46 Feet (14 Meters)	1	4	16602326798

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

This bridge is one of the younger examples of a deck truss bascule bridge in Chicago. Unlike a number of bascule bridges in Chicago, the truss is a true deck truss with the entire truss below the deck, and no part of the truss visible from on top of the deck. The bridge appears to retain good historic integrity with no major alterations noted aside from the replacement of original railings in 2012. Prior to 2012, the sidewalk was in poor condition but the overall bridge appears to have been in decent shape.

A plaque on the bascule bridge relates a variety of information including that this is the fourth bridge at this location, however the plaque fails to list the contractors for the construction of the bridge. There is also a separate plaque for the approach viaduct system south of the bridge located a short distance south of the bascule bridge on a railing. This viaduct system of simple stringer spans is not included as part of the bridge proper and so the lengths of these viaducts are not included in the technical facts table on this bridge page. The 1955 Annual Report of the Public Works Department listed the contractors for the bridge. The Overland Construction Company built the superstructure with a bid of $1,657,329. The Fries Walters Company won the electrical work contract with a bid of $261,691. Walsh Construction Company built the bridge tender house and enclosures with a bid of $139,982. Pielet Scrap Iron and Meal Company demolished the previous bridge for $127,405. Michael J. McDermott Company built the northern approach viaduct system with a bid of $103,986.75.

During 2012, this bascule bridge was rehabilitated for about $5 million. Work included replacement of floorbeams, deck stringers, and lateral bracing. Some repairs to the trusses were undertaken as well, but this was not a major reconstruction of the trusses. The somewhat utilitarian railings that were present on the bridge (yet were in fact the original railings) were replaced with new railings with decorative flower designs that are a nod to earlier railing designs used in Chicago.

Main Plaque N. HALSTED ST. BRIDGE FOURTH AT THIS SITE --- 1957 --- CITY OF CHICAGO RICHARD J. DALEY MAYOR GEORGE L. DEMENT COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS STEPHEN J. MICHUDA CHIEF BRIDGE ENGINEER M. D. KRAUSMAN ASST. CHIEF BRIDGE ENGINEER ELMER D. MARTIN BRIDGE ENGINER VI (CONSTR.) JEROME R. BUTLER BRIDGE ENGINEER VI (DESIGN) EDWARD KLAUSNER RESIDENT ENGINEER

Nearby Viaduct Plaque CHICAGO-HALSTED VIADUCT --- 1968 --- CITY OF CHICAGO RICHARD J. DALEY MAYOR MILTON PIKARSKY Commissioner of Public Works MARSHALL SULOWAY Chief Engineer LOUIS KONCZA Chief Bridge Engineer HARRY BERNSTEIN Bridge Design Engineer HARRY ZALEWSKI Asst. Chief Engineer Const'n

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: Halsted Street North Branch 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

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