The St. Charles Air Line Bridge is a Strauss Trunnion
bascule bridge
A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...
which spans the
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center (the Chicago Loop). The river is one of the reasons for Chicago's geographic importance: the related Chic ...
in
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
.
Built as part of the
St. Charles Air Line Railroad by the
American Bridge Company
The American Bridge Company is a heavy/civil construction firm that specializes in building and renovating bridges and other large, complex structures. Founded in 1900, the company is headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsb ...
in 1919, the bridge originally had a span of . This bridge held the world record for longest bascule-type span until 1930, when it was shortened to during a relocation as a result of straightening the river channel. The chief design engineer of the original bridge was Leonard O. Hopkins.
Photo gallery
File:Chicago Landscape.jpg, Chicago landscape with a boat
File:St. Charles Air Line Bridge close-up, 2012.jpg
File:St. Charles Air Line Bridge and Chicago skyline with water taxi in foreground.jpg
File:St. Charles Air Line Bridge May-2022.jpg, St. Charles Air Line Bridge, May 17, 2022.
See also
*The adjacent
B&OCT Bascule Bridge, with more information about the history of both bridges
*
Further reading
*
External links
*
Historic Bridges of Michigan and Elsewhere
Bridges completed in 1919
Bascule bridges in Illinois
Bridges in Chicago
Historic American Engineering Record in Chicago
Railroad bridges in Illinois
Canadian National Railway bridges in the United States
Chicago Landmarks
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