|
Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
|
Jackson Blvd. Bridge |
Bascule (Truss) |
Jackson Blvd. |
Cook County, IL |
Chicago |
Chicago River South Branch |
|
Technical Facts |
|
Construction Date |
Structure Length | Trunnion-Trunnion Length | Clear Span | Roadway Width | Bridge Width | Approach Spans | Navigational Vertical Clearance |
| 1915 | 273 Feet | 202.3 Feet | 173.5 Feet | 27 Feet | 64 Feet | 3 Steel Stringers | 15.74 Feet |
With a 1915 construction date, this bridge is one of the oldest of the deck truss style bascule bridges in Chicago, and is thus historically significant. During this time. Joseph Strauss and his Strauss Bridge Company had various conflicts with the City of Chicago because he felt his patents were being violated by the city. Their is a second little plaque on this bridge that says this Strauss Trunnion Bascule bridge is operated under license by the Strauss Bascule Bridge Company. This plaque and the license it mentions is likely as a result of these conflicts. The bridge's superstructure was built by the Strobel Steel Construction Company, while the substructure was built by the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company. This bridge is visually appealing because its arch is very smooth and has a graceful appearance to it. Unfortunately, the sun was just not in the right place when I was at this bridge, and my few photos are not all that great.
