Historic Swing Bridge

Historic Swing Bridge. . The 135th Street bridge is the only remaining example of this type of bridge in the state of Illinois. Built in 1899 to cross the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, it was uniquely designed to allow passage of large vessels along the waterway., This two-span bridge was able to pivot on a steel turntable supported by a masonry pier; thus the name "swing bridge” as it swung across the water to the opposite bank. The longer east span was the part that actually crossed the canal, and the shorter west span functioned as the counterweight arm., The trusses, which are the supporting framework, were constructed out of steel and extended up and over the bridge. Located within the trusses is an overhead pilothouse where the movement of the bridge was controlled., The bridge was a busy, active bridge up until its removal and relocation. After its closing in 1990 due to structural problems, it was moved to Centennial Trail for preservation., Let's Take a Closer Look , . Total length of bridge-302 feet , East span - 204 feet , West span - 98 feet , . Total width of bridge - 26 feet , Road width - 18 feet , Walkway width - 5 feet , . Height from bridge deck to highest point of truss – 40 feet , . Statistics for 1989-1990: , Number of closings for canal traffic - 4,598 , Average closings per day - 7.7 , Average closing duration - 15 minutes , Average vehicle crossings per day - 9000, Caption: 135th Street Bridge. January 12, 1940. Credit: Lewis University Canal and Regional History Collection.