|
Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
|
Wabash Avenue Bridge |
Bascule (Truss) |
Wabash Avenue Bridge |
Cook County, IL |
Chicago |
Chicago River |
|
Technical Facts |
|
Construction Date |
Structure Length | Trunnion-Trunnion Length | Clear Span | Bridge Width | Roadway Width | Approach Spans | Navigational Vertical Clearance |
| 1930 | 345 Feet | 269 Feet | 232 Feet | 90 Feet | 57 Feet | 3 Steel Stringers | 22 Feet |
In 1930 this bridge received the "Most Beautiful Steel Bridge" award from the American Institute of Steel Construction. Today, there are several bridges that look like this one, but they are all attractive structures. Like the State Street Bridge, these bridges are unusual for the way they extend above the roadway a bit. HABS HAER explains that this is so that the trusses can also serve as railings for the bridge. A consequence of this is that when viewed from a distance, the amount of truss is quite small under the deck. A memorial plaque on the bridge shows that the nickname "Irv Kupcinet Bridge" was appended to this bridge in 1985 to honor a well-known Sun Times Columnist often called simply "Cup." At one time, the Chicago Sun Times building was located near this bridge, where Trump Tower is currently being built. This explains why the bridge was named after a columnist rather than another such as Kinzie Street, which is near the current Sun Times Building.
