[34] Originally the bridge was staffed 24 hours a day, and opened up to 3,000 times a year to allow ships through, but since the 1970s bridge lifting has been scheduled in the spring and fall, when the bridge is raised twice weekly to allow sailboats to pass between Lake Michigan and inland boat yards where they are stored for the winter. The lifting concept involved construction of two shoring towers to support and lift each bridge leaf. The bridge is also bedecked with 28 flagpoles, usually flying the flags of the United States, Illinois and Chicago. [17] In 1903 an editorial in the Chicago Tribune proposed a new bascule bridge across the river at Michigan Avenue. [9] The northern end of the bridge covers part of the Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable Homesite,[n 1] which is commemorated by a National Historic plaque in Pioneer Court. First conceived by architect Daniel Burnham in his 1909 “Plan for Chicago,” the Michigan Avenue Bridge was designed as a gateway between Chicago’s north side and south side. The sculptures on the northern bridgehouses were commissioned by William Wrigley Jr. and made by James Earle Fraser: The Discoverers depicts Louis Joliet, Jacques Marquette, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and Henri de Tonti;[35] The Pioneers depicts John Kinzie leading a group through the wilderness. This bridge still operates for boats as do all the Calumet River bascule bridges. The earliest movable bridge in Chicago was a drawbridge at Dearborn Street built in 1834. Clients worldwide seek our expertise to solve the most significant, interesting, and challenging problems of the built world. The southwest bridgehouse has been converted into a museum, with its entrance off the Chicago Riverwalk. [14] These proposals were not adopted. The neighboring bridges are Columbus Drive Bridge to the east and Wabash Avenue Bridge to the west. It was designed by Joseph Strauss, who would later become famous as the chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge. The first trunnion bascule bridge in the country opened in 1902 over the north branch of the Chicago River at Cortland Street. The bridge is situated in a historically significant area. Each of the bridge's leaves is divided into two along the axis of the bridge such that it functions as two parallel bridges that can be operated independently of one another; at the time of construction bridges over the Chicago River were frequently struck by vessels, and this duplex arrangement allows for leaves damaged in such a collision to be opened for repair without needing to completely close the bridge to traffic. Our engineers, architects, and materials scientists have expertise in developing solutions for all aspects of new and existing structures. Construction of the bridge started in 1918, it opened to traffic in 1920, and decorative work was completed in 1928. A flood in 1849 swept away a number of floating bridges and drawbridges proved to be too narrow to accommodate the influx of people traveling thro… Bascule Bridge Grille is an upscale-casual restaurant with a playful yet elegant atmosphere to go along with creative and flavorful fare. One of the few remaining swing bridges can be found east of Cicero Avenue across the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The bridge supports two lanes of traffic on its lower level and two CTA tracks on its upper level. The bridge can carry about 30,000 people daily. The Lake Street Bridge is a double-deck bascule bridge that was constructed circa 1914. [23] A second ordinance was passed in 1914, but legal battles continued until the end of 1916. The bridge was opened to traffic on June 27, 1958. Ask the Structure and Solutions for the Built World are trademarks of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. WJE's Northbrook, Illinois, campus includes our headquarters and one of the most advanced facilities anywhere for construction-related investigations, instrumentation, and research. You will receive a confirmation email from us soon. Left to right: McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum. The DuSable Bridge (formerly the Michigan Avenue Bridge) is a bascule bridge that carries Michigan Avenue across the main stem of the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States. [25] It was also designated as a Chicago Landmark on October 2, 1991. The Scherzer rolling lift bridge is similar to a rocking chair, with large counterweights above the road level to help balance the bridge as it opens and closes. An example of a fixed trunnion bascule bridge (which is also known as a "Chicago style bascule bridge"), it may be raised to allow tall ships and boats to pass underneath. WJE encourages its engineers, architects, and materials scientists to contribute to the ongoing dialogue of the built world through the sharing of presentations at conferences, seminars, and other educational forums. The shoring towers were to be built inboard of the main bridge trusses and supported from below on the concrete pit structure below the bridge bearings. As part of the superstructure analysis, a two-dimensional finite element model was constructed of one of the main bridge trusses to facilitate determining the reactions at the bridge supports. The Michigan Avenue Bridge is the first double-deck, double-leaf, fixed trunnion bascule bridge ever built. [31] The location is significant in the early history of Chicago, connecting on the north near the 1780s homestead site of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable and on the south the early 19th century site of Fort Dearborn. © COPYRIGHT WISS, JANNEY, ELSTNER ASSOCIATES, INC., NORTHBROOK, ILLINOIS. [24] Construction finally started on April 15, 1918, and the bridge was officially opened in a ceremony on May 14, 1920. [33] The Robert R. McCormick Foundation was the major donor that helped to provide the $950,000 cost of the formation of the museum. Building on more than sixty years of finding innovative solutions to construction-related problems, WJE recognizes the value of knowledge sharing and collaboration, not just among our employees but with our industry colleagues as well. While it is quite a spectacle for some, many find it bothersome as they wait to walk or drive across the river. One of these piers was sunk to bedrock, 108 feet (33 m) below the river surface, the other 17 piers are sunk to the hardpan, which is 80 to 90 feet (24 to 27 m) below the water level. The bridge superstructure is composed of two bridge "leafs" that cantilever from the bridge …
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