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| Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date and Builder/Engineer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge
High Bridge | I-90 (Chicago Skyway) Over Calumet River | Chicago: Cook County, Illinois | Metal Cantilever Rivet-Connected Warren Through Truss, Fixed and Approach Spans: Metal Rivet-Connected Warren Deck Truss, Fixed | 1958 By Builder/Contractor: American Bridge Company of New York, New York and Engineer/Design: J. E. Greiner Company of Chicago, Illinois |
| Technical Facts |
| Rehabilitation Date | Main Span Length | Structure Length | Roadway Width | Main Spans | Approach Spans | NBI Number |
| 2007 | 650 Feet (198.1 Meters) | 2458 Feet (749 Meters) | 76.4 Feet (23.3 Meters) | 3 | 6 | 16641905692 |
This bridge is an early example of a bridge whose design did not use any of
the v-lacing and lattice that was popular in decades past and still occasionally
used in the 1950s, instead using rolled beams or built-up beams of more simple
appearance. This tends to make this bridge look newer than it is, perhaps more
like a bridge from the 1970s. The bridge also has an overall design that makes
it appear somewhat more modern because of its slender steel piers and shallow
rise of trusses over the roadway.
The bridge and viaduct system including all approaches totals 7.8 miles in length. The listed navigational vertical clearance for the bridge is 125 feet.
The bridge's toll plaza retains much of its original overall appearance and design, something not frequently seen on toll roads and bridges.
The Mount Vernon Bridge Company, Bethlehem Steel, and U.S. Steel (American Bridge) all played a role in fabricating parts of the bridge and approach system. The designed was JE Greiner Company, which was a firm created by John Edwin Greiner. He worked with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad until leaving to form his own consulting company around 1908. He opened offices in Baltimore, Maryland as well as Chicago and New York City. John Greiner and his firm were noted for the construction of large and long-span bridges, like the Skyway Bridge. One of J.E. Greiner Company's more contemporary noteworthy achievements was the invention of the single-point urban interchange (SPUI) in Florida in the 1970s. The company remained an independent business until 1996, until the company, then called simply Greiner Engineering, became part of URS Corporation.
The bridge was originally built and owned by the City of Chicago. The bridge and the approaching roadway leading up to it were all legally described as a bridge because the city's laws allowed the city to own toll bridges but not toll roads. In a physical sense much of the approaching roadway is indeed a bridge, with the Chicago Skyway essentially configured as an elevated road. The toll project was never as profitable for them as hoped. In 2006, the publically owned bridge was sold by the City of Chicago and it became foreign-owned private property owned under a 99 year lease by Spanish and Australian interests who formed a company called Skyway Concession Company to own the bridge. This company continues to provide tolled public access to the bridge and roadway in much the same way that the city once did. It is unclear what this ownership change might mean for the preservation of this bridge.
This bridge is extremely difficult to photograph 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.
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Main Plaque CALUMET SKYWAYTOLL BRIDGE CITY OF CHICAGO RICHARD J. DALEY MAYOR BUILT BY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS GEORGE L. DeMENT . . . . COMMISSIONER JOHN G. DUBA . . . ADMINISTRATIVE ENGINEER JOHN C. MELANIPHY . CORPORATION COUNSEL JOHN F. WARD . . . . . PURCHASING AGENT CARL H. CHATTERS . . . . . . COMPTROLLER DeLEUW, CATHER & COMPANY CONSULTING ENGINEERS SECTION ENGINEERS
1955-1958 |
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Historic Bridges of Chicago and Cook CountyBrowse Bridges In Google MapsThis special map has bridge markers colored by bridge movable type. Complete Bridge List |
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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.
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.
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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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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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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. |
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