Chicago River Bridges | South Branch Bridges | North Branch Bridges | Main Channel Bridges
Erie Street Bridge #3
Chicago Tribune, May 19,1908
The old wooden bridge which spanned the river at Erie street and made connections between the thoroughfare proper and the viaduct over the Chicago and Northwestern railroad tracks yesterday fell of its own weight—a victim of the elements and of its decrepitude.
Danger was scented by John Meyers, the bridgetender, who used exceptional judgement in swinging it parallel with the river and preventing it from blocking navigation. Consequently no one was injured.
However, the crash created much excitement. Some one telephoned to the city hall that the bridge had gone down with a number of persons. Assistant Chief Schuettler called in all his available men and a dozen detectives were sent hurrying from Capt. O’Brien’s office. Patrol wagons, ambulances, and physicians also were rushed to the spot.
In a short time all streets leading to the bridge were black with people. These curious persons made real work for the police. It was with difficulty they were kept out of danger.
Built After Fire of 1871.
The bridge was erected shortly after the great fire of 1871 and little iron was used in its construction. It was on of the old-fashioned swinging affairs operated by hand. It had been regarded as weak for some time, and those in charge have been careful not to allow too much weight to pass over it.
A few days ago one of the main supporting timbers rotted in two, and that threw the structure out of alignment. About 5 o’clock, just after a heavily loaded coal wagon had passed over the bridge, Meyers heard a crackling sound and noted breaks in the floor of the structure.
Fearing it would drop into the river as it lay, he began turning it, but found that there was “something wrong” with the key he was operating. He hailed a Great Lakes sand tug to pull the bridge open. A rope was attached and the tug began its work, but no sooner had the bed been lifted off its end abutments than the crackling increased. The tug made speed and barely got the bed of the bridge pulled over on the supporting piles when these made slippery by rain, slid off the long stringers underneath the bed and shot up through the floor of the bridge.
Slit in Half Dozen Places.
The timbers running up from the bed to the top cross beams snapped, and the bed slit in the middle as well as a half dozen other places. Both ends of the bed are now hanging a few feet above water and likely to fall at any moment.
It is understood the city was preparing to begin work on a new bridge at this point next week.
Erie Street Bridge #2
Robinson Fire Maps
Volume 3 Plate 6
Erie Street Bridge #2
Obstruction Report 1897
Chicago Tribune November 4, 1971
BY EDWARD SCHREIBER
Another Chicago landmark, the 61-year old Erie Street bridge, is going to be removed starting Monday. It won’t be replaced.
Louis Koncza, city bridge engineer, said wrecking of the bridge will be done under a $48,480 contract with Bongi Construction Company, 1920 S. Laramie Av.
Costs Too High
The bridge, said Koncza, now carries little traffic, and nearby are two modern bridges over the Chicago River’s north branch at Chicago Avenue and Ohio Street.
Koncza said this bridge is in such bad condition that costs for rehabilitation would be prohibitive.
The roadway is 38 feet wide, the approach from the west over railroad right of way is only 19 feet wide.
It’s the end of the road for the Erie Street bridge, built in 1910 to span the Chicago River’s North Branch.
Price Difference
This bridge has superstructure beams as supports—something eliminated in modern bridges—and wooden sidewalks. The bridge house is an old frame shack.
It cost $216,000 at 1910 prices, compared with typical cost of $5 million today for a modern bridge with 36-foot roadways in each direction.
Another old bridge, at Polk Street over the river’s south branch, was scheduled to be removed this year, and will have to go eventually because of developments planned nearby.
But objections of businessmen in the area have won it a temporary reprieve.
Erie Street Bridge #3
1910
|
Street
|
Opened
|
Closed
|
Type
|
Power
|
Builder
|
Cost
|
|
Erie #1
|
1856
|
1871
|
Wood, Pontoon Swing
|
Hand
|
Unknown
|
$5,000
|
|
Erie #2
|
1871
|
1908
|
Wood, Swing
|
Hand
|
Fox & Howard
|
$30,000
|
|
Erie #3
|
1910
|
1971
|
Steel, Chicago Double-Leaf Bascule
|
Electric
|
King Bridge Co
|
$216,000
|
|
|
||||||