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Ohio Street Bridge

   

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Bridge Documented: March 26, 2006

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
	Ohio Street Bridge	Ohio Street (I-90 / I-94 Ramp) 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	1961 By Builder/Contractor: Unknown and Engineer/Design: City of Chicago

Technical Facts

Rehabilitation Date	Main Span Length	Structure Length	Roadway Width	Main Spans	Approach Spans	NBI Number
1992	219.2 Feet (66.8 Meters)	367 Feet (111.9 Meters)	76 Feet (23.2 Meters)	1	2	16020226650

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

This bridge is one of the few bascule bridges in Chicago that is a true deck truss. In the construction of deck truss bridges, the city more frequently preferred to raise the truss up slightly so that the top chord was above the deck functioning as a guardrail and increasing the vertical clearance under the bridge. That was not done with this bridge, so it stands out as uncommon in the city. Although the bridge was built in 1960 and is one of the younger bascule bridges in Chicago, its trusses are still composed in the traditional manner that the city used for decades including use of rivets and built-up beams with lattice. This is of interest because the trend nationally by 1960 was to switch to rolled beams, eliminate use of lattice and v-lacing, and use bolts instead of rivets. Chicago however seemed to follow its own path, perhaps not seeing a need to change when the tried and true construction methods had served them so well with so many bridges.

The historical photo shown to the right shows a 1/8 scale model of a single bascule leaf similar to one of the four individual leaves of the Ohio Street Bridge. The model was created in 1942 and appears to have been part of a unique promotional effort to sell war bonds during World War II. While the model significantly predates the Ohio Street Bridge, it is not known which bridge (if any) that model was specifically built to look like, however the Ohio Street Bridge's leaves are one of the most similar structures to this model.

Adam Kerman provided the following information:

The Ohio Street bridge over the north branch of the Chicago River was built as part of the Kennedy Expressway construction in the late 1950s, most of which opened in 1960. It's part of a feeder from Wells Street, three lanes in each direction (getting rid of shoulders during a reconstruction). Note that the expressway feeder is immediately north of the original alignment of Ohio Street, which never had a bridge at this point that I know of. Erie Street, nearby, did have a bridge but it was removed years ago. I never saw it. A swath of mostly industrial buildings were demolished between Ohio and Ontario Streets to build the feeder.

Photo Credit: Patrick Hynes

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: Ohio Street 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.

 

	Bridge Photo-Documentation Original / Full Size Photos	A collection of overview and detail photos. 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.
	Bridge Photo-Documentation Mobile Optimized Gallery	A collection of overview and detail photos. 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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