Bridges along the Chicago River will lift almost a dozen times this fall to allow sailboats and other recreational vessels to return to their winter storage yards, the Chicago Department of Transportation said Monday.
Chicago lifts its river bridges in the fall and spring to allow boats to travel between Lake Michigan and their winter storage facilities. The fall lift schedule starts at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Bridges will be lifted in succession from DuSable Lake Shore Drive to the 18th Street Bridge, CDOT said. Traffic will be stopped during each bridge lift. The lifts are scheduled in the mornings and take between 8 to 12 minutes on average.
Bridge lifts usually happen on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the Transportation Department said, though there are a couple of deviations from that schedule this year to accommodate ongoing rehabilitation work on the 110-year-old Lake Street Bridge.
Riders of the CTA’s Green and Pink lines, which operate on the top level of the bridge, will experience some disruption because of that work, CDOT warned last week.
Train service will be suspended between Clinton and Clark/Lake stations for almost two weeks between Oct. 13 and the morning of Oct. 26, the Transportation Department said.
More Top Picks Best Wheeled Duffel Bags For Women
“CTA will provide comprehensive rider information and directional signage to help riders navigate alternative service options, including dedicated shuttle buses,” CDOT said last week. “Additional details regarding CTA services will be announced soon.”
CDOT said bridge lifts are scheduled at the following times this fall:
- Wednesday, September 30 at 9:30 a.m.
- Saturday, October 3 at 9:00 a.m.
- Wednesday, October 7 at 9:30 a.m.
- Saturday, October 10 at 9:00 a.m.
- Saturday, October 17 at 9:00 a.m.
- Tuesday, October 27 at 9:30 a.m.
- Thursday, October 29 at 9:30 a.m.
- Saturday, October 31 at 9:00 a.m.
- Wednesday, November 4 at 9:30 a.m.
- Saturday, November 7 at 9:00 a.m.
- Saturday, November 14 at 9:00 a.m.
The regular bridge lifts come after a couple of Chicago bridges got stuck in “up” positions on a particularly hot day in early September, halting traffic.
A CDOT spokesperson said earlier this month that regularly scheduled seasonal bridge lifts in the spring and fall tend to occur “when temperatures are normally more mild.” High temperatures are expected to peak around 74 degrees in Chicago this week.