This year, the bridge lifts will begin in mid-April. The horizontal line on which the bridge is pivoted is commonly located at the center of gravity of the bridge to create a balance between the weight of the bridge on either side of the horizontal pivotal axis. The bascule can be: fixed trunnion (axel) with hidden counter weights, heel trunnion with visible counterweights, or rolling. Collisions were a common occurrence. The Franklin-Orleans bridge was opened to traffic Oct, 23. Movable bridge basics. Opened at Van Buren Street, the Scherzer rolling lift bridge opens and closes with large counterweights above the road level to help it keep the balance. Some of the bridges that are still utilized in the downtown area are double decker, with vehicle traffic on the bottom level and L trains passing through on the upper level. Due to the column built in the middle of the water to rotate the bridge, the passage was so narrow that it wasn’t able to accommodate ships navigating the river. Chicago, famous for its movable bridges, has more of that design than any other city in the United States. Learn more about our membership benefits and hear directly from CLA members about their experience. It should be known that the weight balance is not accurate and slight inaccuracies … The swing bridges described here are just a few of the varied movable bridge designs that help make Chicago the Drawbridge Capital of the World. It was built in 1834 and was similar to a bridge found over moats at medial castles. Derived from French, “trunnion” means “pivot point” and “bascule” means “seesaw.” Operated by a bridgetender, the leaves of the bridge raise high, away from the center of the river with a complex system of counterweights, gears, and electric motors. The narrow channel saw frequent collisions between sailing ships and bridges, spurring the search for other solutions. Beginning at river level and spiraling five stories up, the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore a historic landmark bridgehouse. In 1830, right around the time of the first movable bridge design, the city’s population was about 4,000. 2. One of the few remaining swing bridges can be found east of Cicero Avenue across the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Population growth mainly attributed to the popularity and necessity of trunnion bascules in Chicago. In 1922 Chicago had forty-seven bridges with movable spans and thirty with fixed spans. McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum The McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum celebrates the Chicago River and its world-famous movable bridges. Also known as the “Chicago Style,” the first of its kind opened over the north branch of the Chicago River at Cortland Street. There were also thirty-nine viaducts and eight foot bridges. Chicago River Bridges #1: Dearborn Street Even though the original Dearborn Street bridge was the first moveable bridge in Chicago, what stands today was constructed in 1963. With tall towers at either end, the vertical lift bridge controlled the counterweights to lift the center span. Tell your friends and customers you were featured in the article Chicago's Movable Bridges.Just copy one of the highlighted code examples below and paste it into your website's HTML. How and why did Chicago become home to so many movable bridges? The earliest movable bridge in Chicago was a drawbridge at Dearborn Street built in 1834. The Chicago River and its canals snake through the city and historically Chicago’s many train lines needed to cross the river. CDOT is responsible for more than 300 bridge and viaduct structures, including 37 operable movable bridges along the Chicago and Calumet rivers. Ever wonder what a lift looks like from the point of view of one of Chicago's movable bridges? 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