Looking north towards an opening W. Adams St. bridge - South Branch Chicago River.
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Quick Facts for West Adams St. Bridge
- Date Opened: August 26, 1927
- Designers: Thomas G. Pihlfeldt, Donald Becker, Edward Bennett
- Classification: Single Deck; Deck Trusses
- Group Age Ranking: 9th oldest
- Clear Span: 173 feet (12th longest)
- Trunnion-to-Trunnion Span: 199 feet (13th longest)
- Width: 64 feet (10th widest – tied w/ West Jackson)
- Leaf Weight: 1000 tons (est.)
- Height above the Water: 16 feet
- Average Daily Foot Traffic (1999): 32,739 (3rd most)
- Average Daily Vehicular Traffic (2006): 9,300 (12th most)
- Annual Lifts (2006): 39
- Last Rebuilt: 1996
- Cultural: None
The West Adams Street river crossing has been in use for 139 years. The first swing bridge was built around 1869. The swing bridge era at West Adams ended when the current bridge opened.
The current bridge uses two deck trusses to support each leaf. This bridge and its neighbor at Jackson Boulevard are the only two, single deck bridges using deck trusses in this group.
Limestone clad bridge tender houses are at the northwest and southeast corners of the bridge. These bridge tender houses are characteristic of the bridges built between 1913 and 1930.
Railing detail of the W. Adams St. bridge (photos © 2008 P. Armell).
This bridge was involved in some political controversy. In 1923, then city engineer Alexander Murdoch supported the use of patented Strauss designed bridge components for use on this bridge and the bridge at Roosevelt Road. While use of these patents was supported by two boards of engineers, the fact that Chicago had lost a patent suit brought by the Strauss Bascule Bridge Company no doubt gave upper management a negative view of his decision. The Commissioner of Public Works asked Mr. Murdoch to change his decision. Mr. Murdoch declined and was fired. John Ericson, the former city engineer, was rehired and Strauss patented components were not used on the bridge.
Looking south as a sand barge passing under an open W. Adams St. bridge.
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