Cortland Street Bridge

Photos

View Of Eastern Bridge Portal, Looking West

Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record

View photos at Library of Congress

BH Photo #118220

Map

Maps and Databases

Street View

Description

Designated a landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Cortland Street Bridge is a double-leaf bascule span that became in the early twentieth century the standard for movable bridges designed by the city engineer of Chicago. The Cortland Street bridge was the first of this type and featured electric motors that drove pinion gears which engaged a rack attached to the end of each truss. Counterweights on the shore sides of the bridge counterbalanced the roadway and superstructure that spanned the river and thus little power was required to raise or lower the bridge. When raised, each leaf assumed a nearly vertical position providing a wide clearance for vessels plying the river. City engineers designed the machinery so that the bridge could open within one minute during calm weather and under three minutes during windy conditions.

From a report prepared for the American Historic Engineering Record, 1987. HAER photos by Jet Lowe.

Facts

Overview: Double-leaf bascule bridge over North Branch Chicago River on W. Cortland Street in Chicago
Location: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Status: Open to traffic
History: Built 1901-02
Builders: - American Bridge Co. of New York (Lassig Plant of Chicago)
- Edward Wilmann (Chicago Engineering Co)
- Fitzsimons & Connell Co. of Chicago, Illinois
- John E. Ericson
Railroads: - Chicago Surface Lines (CSL)
- Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
- Streetcar
Design: Bascule Pratt through truss
Dimensions: Length of largest span: 127.9 ft.
Total length: 216.8 ft.
Deck width: 36.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 16.1 ft.
Recognition: Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
Also called: Clybourn Place Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude: +41.91694, -87.66361 (decimal degrees)
41°55'01" N, 87°39'49" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates: 16/444969/4640767 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:: Chicago Loop
Average daily traffic (as of 2014): 9,900
Inventory numbers: IL 016-6011 (Illinois bridge number)
BH 15116 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection report (as of September 2017): Overall condition: Poor
Superstructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 50.1 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com

Update Log

September 1, 2021: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
June 4, 2016: New Street View added by Douglas Butler
November 30, 2015: New Street View added by Douglas Butler
November 26, 2015: New photos from Royce and Bobette Haley
November 25, 2015: New photos from Royce and Bobette Haley
May 26, 2015: Updated by Luke: Added categories "Chicago Surface Lines", "streetcar", "Railroad", "Rail-and-road"
March 30, 2015: New photos from Steve Conro
January 3, 2014: New photo from Douglas Butler
October 8, 2013: New Street View added by J.P.
May 17, 2010: Updated by J.R. Manning: Added description from HAER Report
July 25, 2008: New photos from James Baughn

Related Bridges

Cortland Street Bridge (Old) (Predecessor)

Sources

HAER IL-138 - Chicago River Bascule Bridge, West Cortland Street, Spanning North Branch of Chicago River at West Cortland Street, Chicago, Cook County, IL
James Baughn - webmaster [at] bridgehunter [dot] com
J.R. Manning - thekitchenguy [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
Douglas Butler
J.P. - wildcatjon2000 [at] gmail [dot] com
Steve Conro - sconro [at] yahoo [dot] com
Royce and Bobette Haley - roycehaley111 [at] yahoo [dot] com
Geoff Hubbs