| Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date / Builder or Contractor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ashland Avenue Bridge
| Ashland Avenue Over North Branch Chicago River | Chicago: Cook County, Illinois | Metal Riveted Pratt Pony Truss, Bascule | 1936 By: Unknown |
| Technical Facts |
| Rehabilitation Date | Main Span Length | Structure Length | Roadway Width | Main Spans | Approach Spans |
| 1993 | 232 Feet (70.7 Meters) | 386.5 Feet (117.8 Meters) | 60 Feet (18.3 Meters) | 1 |
The Ashland Avenue Bridge over North Branch Chicago River is an example of one of Chicago's smoothly curved pony truss bascules. Perhaps the most graceful of the many Chicago bridge forms, the bridge conveys almost a modern and simplistic appearance, while also maintaining the geometric complexity which makes truss bridges so intriguing to the eye. This particular bridge is further embellished by bridge tender towers which include engraved depictions of mythological persons holding various parts of the bridge, such as the trusses, bridge tender builders, gears, etc. This is the only Chicago bascule bridge to display these depictions, which is clear evidence of the individual significance of the many historic bridges within the Chicago bascule bridge group.
This bridge is the northernmost highway example of the greatest collection of historic bascule bridges on the planet, which is located in the city Chicago and Cook County. The fact that Chicago is a city with such a large, record-breaking number of bascule bridges, and most of them considered historic, is something the city should be truly proud of. For the most part, Chicago has been a model for historic bridge preservation, especially with the bridges in the downtown area. They have chosen to maintain, and rehabilitate as needed, their historic bridges for the continuous heavy traffic one might expect in the nation's third largest city. The fact that so many of these bridges remain functional and historically intact as well sends a message to other cities and even rural locations who claim that historic bridges cannot serve the needs of modern day traffic.
While Chicago is a leader in historic bridge preservation downtown, how do the city's historic bridges fare out away from the core of the city? Their conditions vary widely, some remain in excellent condition, while others show need of rehabilitation. How does the city's commitment to preservation stand outside of the downtown? This remains to be seen for certain, with initial evidence pointing in both directions. Certainly, nearby Cortland Street Bridge displays a commitment to preservation, having been continuously maintained and preserved the past few years. However, it is worth noting that Ashland Avenue Bridge was not always the northernmost historic movable highway bridge in Chicago. Nearby Damen Avenue Bridge to the north was demolished and replaced with a modern through arch that, while more attractive than a normal modern bridge, does not convey Chicago's movable bridge or industrial heritage, and does not blend into the context of Chicago bridges or the canalized river in which they cross. It is impossible to make a connection to Chicago's past, or the canal's past with this new bridge.
The movable bridges on the North Branch and South Branch (Sanitary Canal) of Chicago River are unlike those on the main branch and downtown Chicago. In addition, some of the oldest and most historic bascule bridges are on the North Branch. It is essential that these outlying bridges be preserved alongside the core downtown movable bridges. Moving forward, if Chicago wishes to maintain its image as the worldwide capital of bascule bridges, and if it also wishes to maintain its image as one of this nation's great Historic Bridge Cities alongside cities like Pittsburgh, a preservation plan for its remaining historic bascule bridges must be put in place.
