Rating:
No votes cast

Lake Street Swing Bridge

Cook County, Illinois

Photos 

Lake Street Bridge

Period postcard

License: Released into public domain

BH Photo #260905

Map 

Description 

From Volume 15 of the Engineering News-Record, 1886: "The iron swing bridge over the Chicago river at Lake street, Chicago, is completed, but the viaduct and approaches are not yet finished The bridge is 220 feet long. 23 feet high in center, and 20 feet high at ends; it has a width of 60 feet, composed of two 21-feet roadways and two 7-feet sidewalks: the floor will carry a weight of 125 pounds per square foot: The drum on which the bridge turns is 48 feet in diameter, and rests on 74 solid iron wheel-, 18 inches diameter and 8 inches wide on face: the gearing is of phosphor bronze. The bridge will be turned by a steam engine with a pair of 8-in. by 12 in. cylinders, and a 7-inch cylinder engine will be used to drive the electric light plant: the engine-house is on top of the structure. The bridge will cost $145,000, divided equally between the city and the West Division Street R. R. Co.: the viaduct will cost $55,000. paid by the railroads interested: total cost, $200,000."

Facts 

Overview
Lost Through truss bridge over South Branch Chicago River on Lake Street, Lake Street Elevated Railway
Location
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Status
Replaced by a new bridge
History
Built 1886, replaced 1916
Railroads
- Chicago Surface Lines (CSL)
- Interurban
- Lake Street Elevated Railroad (LSER)
Design
Through truss
Dimensions
Total length: 220.0 ft.
Deck width: 60.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+41.88573, -87.63783   (decimal degrees)
41°53'09" N, 87°38'16" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
16/447081/4637285 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Chicago Loop
Inventory number
BH 57346 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (9,794)
Built 1886 (228)
Built during 1880s (2,420)
Chicago Surface Lines (21)
Chicago, Illinois (351)
Cook County, Illinois (530)
Illinois (5,123)
Interurban (1,086)
Lake Street Elevated Railroad (2)
Lost (32,302)
Lost 1916 (83)
 Lost during 1910s (847)
Movable (3,195)
Navigable waterway (2,256)
Rail-and-Road (403)
Railroad (17,179)
Replaced by new bridge (22,014)
Swing (1,624)
Through truss (19,311)
Total length 175-250 feet (4,714)
Truss (38,697)

Update Log 

  • October 19, 2020: New photos from Dave King
  • December 15, 2014: New photo from Douglas Butler
  • July 25, 2013: Updated by Luke Harden: Added categories "Lake Street Elevated Railroad", "Interurban", "Railroad", "Rail-and-Road"
  • July 25, 2013: Added by Frank Hicks

Related Bridges 

Sources 

Comments 

Post a comment here