They happen every spring and fall, and are the beginning and conclusion to the boating season in our Midwestern town. Big John is not too keen on the idea of the traffic-causing bridge lifts over the Chicago River.
Because of this, morning show traffic reporter, Jen DeSalvo, with the help of A-Train Productions (Brandmeier Nation), created an ode to the Chicago River Bridge Lifts.
By Jen DeSalvo, WLS-AM Traffic & Transportation
More info on the Chicago River Bridge lifts:
Bridge lifts begin Saturday morning at the Boat Yard at 8:00 a.m., then at the Van Buren Street Bridge between 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
The lifts move to each bridge, consecutively, through downtown where 10-15 minute delays are expected through the boat run and lift.
Lifts take place every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. until roughly 1:00 p.m. and each Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through June 29, 2016.
“The springtime lifting of Chicago’s iconic movable river bridges marks the beginning of the boating season each year and is a welcome sight for Chicagoans,” said CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld, who also serves as Chicago’s Harbor Master and has jurisdiction over the city’s waterways. “CDOT works with local boat storage yards each year to create a schedule that accommodates boats while causing the least amount of impact on downtown street traffic.”
The complete bridge lift schedule is as follows:
· Saturday, April 16 at 8 a.m.
· Wednesday, April 20 at 9:30 a.m.
· Saturday, April 23 at 8 a.m.
· Wednesday, May 4 at 9:30 a.m.
· Saturday, May 7 at 8 a.m.
· Wednesday, May 11 at 9:30 a.m.
· Saturday, May 14 at 8 a.m.
· Wednesday, May 18 at 9:30 a.m.
· Saturday, May 21 at 8 a.m.
· Wednesday, May 25 at 9:30 a.m.
· Wednesday, June 1 at 9:30 a.m.
· Saturday, June 4 at 8 a.m.
· Wednesday, June 8 at 9:30 a.m.
· Saturday, June 11 at 8 a.m.
· Wednesday, June 15 at 9:30 a.m.
· Saturday, June 18 at 8 a.m.
· Wednesday, June 22 at 9:30 a.m.
· Saturday, June 25 at 8 a.m.
· Wednesday, June 29 at 9:30 a.m.
© WLS-AM 890 News, 2016
