Cermak Road Bridge

Most Recent Visit To Bridge: August 12, 2006

Visit HABS HAER's Page For This Historic Bridge

This bridge was designed by Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company. Today this type of movable bridge is in fact known as a Scherzer rolling lift bascule bridge. In Chicago, where the city usually built trunnion bascule bridges, this is the only remaining example of this bridge type on Chicago's roads. This bridge apparently recently received the "Kinzie Street" treatment as I call it. This involved replacing the majority of the bridge structure with modern semi-reproductions of the original material. I first will point out that this process is much better than demolishing the bridge, and it does retain the same general appearance as it did. However, modern bolts were used to connect everything together, and this does not look historic or as nice as using rivets, or even bolts that have rivet-style heads on them. One thing I can't figure out is whether there is supposed to be a concrete counterweight overhead on this bridge. HABS HAER's photos appear to have been taken before the steel was replaced on this bridge, yet their is no concrete counterweight there. There are little blocks on pegs where I think the concrete counterweight would be. Perhaps these blocks serve as the counterweight? Some of the blocks are missing too! Overall, this bridge is historically significant and the work done on the bridge still retains the appearance of the structure, although I would have liked to see more attention paid to riveting, and perhaps retaining more of the original materials. Although they are newer and have a slightly different design and appearance, I personally feel that bridges like Jefferson Street and other Scherzer rolling lift bridges in nearby Joliet represent the technology and design better these days.