|
Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
|
North Branch Railroad Bridge |
Bascule (Truss) |
Railroad (Abandoned Union Pacific) |
Cook County, IL |
Chicago |
Chicago River North Branch |
|
Technical Facts |
|
Construction Date |
Structure Length | Bascule Span Length | Approach Plate Girder Length | Skew |
| 1907 | 195.83 Feet | 170 Feet | 25.83 Feet | 15 Degrees |
Sitting south of the Kinzie Street Bridge as shown in the above photo, this railroad bridge is always in the up position and is no longer used by trains. HABS HAER presents a number of data pages that discuss the historic significance of this bridge, which in fact has a great deal of documentation for a a railroad bridge. On aesthetic terms, this strange movable bridge is one of only a few bascule bridges in Chicago where the counterweight is above the ground. Like the Lakeshore Drive Bridge, this bascule set records when it was built. At the time of its completion, it was the heaviest as well as the longest bascule leaf in the world! The bridge was built in 1907, with its design being provided by Joseph Strauss, who was an important person who worked to develop the bascule bridge designs, and would often be angry at Chicago since he felt the designs the city was using were to close to his patented designs. The steel superstructure was fabricated by the Toledo-Massillon Bridge Company of Toledo, Ohio. This rail-line was owned by the Chicago and North Western Railway until Union Pacific bought them out in 1995.
HABS HAER mentions that this bridge still lowered once in a while to allow a train to access the Sun Times building to deliver paper, but noted that the newspaper company was going to move its printing operations after which the bridge would be abandoned. It looks to me like that printing move and subsequent abandonment has occurred, based on the derelict condition of the tracks. The bridge itself however is still in good shape with a decent coat of paint on it. However HABS HAER notes that apparently some people feel that this bridge has no aesthetic value and does not blend in with the clean look of the skyscrapers of the city. They note that likely this priceless historic artifact may eventually be scrapped and someone will pick up a few bucks for the steel. This is an absurd idea to do with a bridge that is part of the bascule bridge legacy in Chicago. Perhaps if it were painted a lighter color, or a color similar to that of the other highway bridges in Chicago then people would like it more. As a bridge enthusiast, I personally think it is quite beautiful looking as it is. I think it is rude of whoever else feels this way about the bridge to complain about this bridge marring the view of their skyscrapers. I respect other people's right to enjoy skyscrapers, and expect the same in return: a right to enjoy historic bridges. Indeed, the skyscrapers made photographing the bascule bridges more difficult for me, casting dark shadows on half of some of the bridges, and causing other photographic issues. I put up with this, and ask that other put up with this bridge. There are many people who I am sure appreciate this bridge and the heritage behind it.
