|
Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
|
Western Avenue Railroad Bridges |
Bascule (Truss) |
Railroad (Various) |
Cook County, IL |
Chicago |
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal |
|
Technical Facts |
|
Construction Date |
Structure Length | Navigational Vertical Clearance | Builder |
| 1909 | 140 Feet | 16 Feet | Chicago Bridge and Iron Works |
There are four bridges side by side, each carrying two tracks each. They are among the most unusual of the movable bridges in the greater Chicago area, and have a unique appearance to them. The truss spans seen today were built in 1909-1910 by the Chicago Bridge and Iron Works. There is a colorful history behind these bridges, so be sure to check out the HABS HAER website's data pages for the full story.
In their page for the Western Avenue Bridge, the HAER entry calls these unusual railroad bridges, which are nearby the Western Avenue Bridge, the "Scissors Bridges." Such a nickname seems appropriate since they do have a scissors-like look to them, which is because the machinery end (the end with the counterweights), of the four bridges are not all on the same side. The trusses on the bridge employ the subdivided Warren truss configuration, and there are riveted connections present on the bridge.
Although the local graffiti crew didn't appear to have trouble getting to, and even on top of, the bridge, I could not see a reasonable way to get closer and portal view photos of this bridge. The HABS HAER website does have these photos though, so be sure to check them out for closer views of the structure.
