Wacker Drive Marker

South Wacker Street: 1834
South Wacker Street: 1924

1909 Plan of Chicago, by Daniel Burnham and Edward H. Bennett, had a plan for the development of Wacker Drive into a two-level street along the Chicago River. In 1924, the construction of the east-west portion of the street started. The north-south portion was started only in the 1950s.

South Wacker Street: 1834

South Wacker Street: 1834

South Wacker Street: 1924

South Wacker Street: 1924

Inscription.
South Water Street 1834
South Water Street 1924

Wacker Drive
Begun 1924 Completed 1926

Built by the City of Chicago
Wm. E. Dever, Mayor

Chicago River Bridge Lifts

June 18, 2011..
Chicago is famous for its movable bridges. Each year in spring and fall seasons, these bridges lift, to accomodate the entry and exit of sailboats and other tall vessels, to and from Lake Michigan, for the summer months. And although I take frequent trips downtown, I often miss the bridge lifts. Today was an exception!

Here are some images taken today, as two sailboats Day Star and September Song, made their entry to Lake Michigan through Chicago River. I followed them from Lake Street bridge [South Branch], though all the ten bridges on the Main Branch of Chicago River. These bridges lift and close so effortlessly, it's an absolute pleasure to watch them..

Lake Street bridge, click here..

Franklin-Orleans Street bridge, click here..

Wells Street bridge, click here..

LaSalle Street bridge, click here.. [Only one side opened. The masts of sailboats crossing the bridge can be seen].

Clark Street bridge, click here..

Dearborn Street bridge, click here..

State Street bridge, click here..

Wabash Avenue bridge, click here..

Michigan Avenue bridge/ DuSable bridge, click here.

Columbus Avenue bridge, click here..

Lakeshore Drive bridge, click here..

Enjoy your summer Day Star and September Song!

Chicago Harbor Lock: Gateway to Chicago River..

Chicago Harbor Lock..
It seperates Lake Michigan from the Chicago River. Originally, the Chicago River used to flow into the Lake Michigan. With the reversal of the flow of Chicago River in 1900, the river now originates from Lake Michigan, and the water flows towards the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. So the Chicago Harbor Lock can be called the Gateway to Chicago River or the Mouth of Chicago River.

The locks separating the Chicago River from Lake Michigan did not reverse the river. Instead they prevent too much Lake water from entering the River. Constructed in 1938, the lock is 600-foot long, 80-foot wide and 22-foot deep. It is operated by the OMNI Corporation via contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A new control tower was built in 2006.




Breakwater and the Chicago Harbor Lock..

The above images are taken from the AeroBalloon - floating 40 stories / 350-feet, from above the Navy Pier.. View more images on my Facebook Album.. click here..


Navy Pier, Breakwater and the Chicago Harbor Lock..

RELATED LINKS..
# Navy Pier: Chicago Skyline from Aeroballoon ..
# Chicago Harbor Lighthouse..
# Chicago Harbor Lock...
# Chicago Marine Safety Station..

Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium..

Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium..
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago's "Wastewater System"; received this honor for being "One of the finest example of how civil engineering ingenuity shaped the development of society's quality of life in the 20th century ".. [ As inscribed on the monument]
Designated: Sep 19, 2001...
For much more detail, click here..

Notice the Y-Symbol..

Lakeshore Drive bridge

Lakeshore Drive bridge..
Opened: October 5, 1937
Width: 107 feet
Span between trunnions: 264 feet
Weight: 4200 tons..
Construction of this double-deck bridge began in 1929 but was halted by the Great Depression. After federal funding was secured to complete work, it opened in 1937. However, the lower level roadway was not used until Lake Shore Drive was rebuilt in 1986.

A perfect gateway to the city of Chicago. When completed it was the longest bascule bridge in the world, and was also the widest bascule bridge in the world!

Riverwalk Gateway - by Ellen Lanyon

Riverwalk Gateway ...
Artist: Ellen Lanyon
Architect: The trellised, cast-concrete walkway, is designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
Description: Ceramic mural tiles..
Location: Under Lakeshore Drive..
South bank of Chicago River

The ceramic murals offers pedestrians a pictorial history of Chicago entwined with the Chicago River. It begins with the arrival of Europeans by canoe at the portage between the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. The river remains the primary theme of the narrative because of its centrality to Chicago's development.
For much more detail, click here..

RELATED LINKS:
Riverwalk Gateway - by Ellen Lanyon..

Ruins-III, by Nita Sunderland

Ruins - III ..
By: Nita Sunderland ...
1981-2004
Description: Bronze and limestone ...
Location: East Riverwalk, between Columbus and Lake Shore Dr.
A part of Art-in-Architecture Program..
Ruins III, part of the Ruins series, was inspired by artist Nita Sunderland’s travels in Italy and England..
For more, click here..

Nicholas J Melas Centennial Plaza and Fountain

Nicholas J Melas Centennial Plaza and Fountain..
Location: Chicago River Esplanade
North bank of Chicago River..
The Nicholas J. Melas Centennial Fountain was built in 1989 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. It is is located at McClurg Court and the Chicago River

The Water Arc Every hour on the hour, from 10:00 to 14:00 and again from 17:00 to midnight, the esplanade's Centennial Fountain shoots a massive arc of water across the river for 10 minutes. The entire exercise is meant to commemorate the labor-intensive reversal of the Chicago River in 1900, which tidily began sending all of the city's wastes downriver rather than into the lake.
For more, click here..

RELATED LINKS:
Nicholas J Melas Centennial Plaza and Fountain ..

Joanne H. Alter Plaza

Joanne H. Alter Plaza..
Location: South bank of Chicago River..
The plaque reads..
Joanne H Alter was elected Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and served with distinction from 1972 to 1990. Commissioner Alter's vision for improvement in the Chicago River led to the revitalization of the entire river system..
For more, click here..

RELATED LINKS:
Joanne H. Alter Plaza..

Columbus Avenue bridge

Columbus Avenue bridge..
Opened: October 18, 1983
Width: 111 feet
Span between trunnion: 269 feet
The second largest trunnion bascule in the world..
Weight: 3400 tons..

Columbus Avenue underbridge..

Chicago Rising from the Lake - by Milton Horn

Chicago Rising from the Lake
Sculptor - Milton Horn..
Installed: 1954
Description: Bronze, H 7 ft. x W 12 ft.
City of Chicago Public Art Collection..
LOCATION:Columbus Drive Bridge Columbus Dr. at the Chicago River Esplanade
North bank of Chicago River..

Milton Horn’s bronze bas-relief is symbolic of the city of Chicago. The female figure represents Chicago emerging reborn from the bottom of Lake Michigan following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The sheaf of wheat, bull and eagle reference Chicago’s historic role as a center of commerce, the livestock market and air transportation, respectively. Floral forms evoke the city motto, “Urbs in Horto” or “City in a Garden.” Finally, the bronze ring arching across the relief represents Chicago’s central geography within the United States.
For more, click here..

RELATED LINKS:
Chicago Rising from the Lake - by Milton Horn..

Michigan Avenue bridge

Michigan Avenue bridge..
Opened: May 14, 1920..
Width: 92 feet
Span between trunnions: 256 feet
Weight: 4100 tons.
The Wacker Drive Esplanade completed in 1926..
The monumental relief sculptures completed in 1928..
Type: Double Bascule Trunnion or more like a double-deck, double-leaf trunnion bascule bridge. The first of it's kind ever built.
The Michigan Avenue bridge was conceived as part of Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago, the bridge and upper-level Wacker Drive were designed to improve transportation and to enhance Chicago's riverfront..

The lower level of the bridge..

Michigan Avenue underbridge..

May 14, 2010, the bridge turned 90!

On Friday, October 15, 2010, the Michigan Avenue bridge was officially renamed as DuSable bridge..

Points of interest on the bridge and it's vicinity..

• Chicago Landmark: Michigan Avenue bridge and the Wacker Drive Esplanade
• Chicago Landmark: Site of Fort Dearborn, click here..
• Sculptural Reliefs on the bridgehouses..
• Michigan Avenue bridge markers..
• Chicago Riverwalk
• Museum
• Wave Motif, click here..

Chicago Landmark
The Michigan Avenue bridge and the Wacker Drive Esplanade was designated as a Chicago Landmark in 1991 ...
The plaque reads:
"Chicago Landmark

Michigan Avenue Bridge and Wacker Drive Esplanade

Edward H Bennett, architect

1918-1928
Conceived as part of Daniel Burhnam's 1900 plan of Chicago the Michigan Avenue Bridge and the wacker Drive were designed to improve transportation and to enhance Chicago's riverfront. The opening of the bridge in 1920, followed by the esplanade in 1926 and the monumental sculptures in 1928 provided an impressive gateway to North Michigan Avenue and led to its development of city's premier throughfares.
Designated on Oct 2, 1991
Richard M Daley, Mayor
Commission of Chicago Landmarks".

Chicago Landmark: Site of Fort Dearborn..
The plaque reads..
Chicago Landmark ..
Site of Fort Dearborn
1803
Fort Dearborn served as a major western garrison of the United States until destroyed during an Indian unrising in August of 1812. A second fort erected on the same site in 1816, was demolished in 1856.
Designated a Chicago Landmark on Sepetember 15, 1971
by the City Council of Chicago
Richard J Daley, Mayor
Commission on Chicago Historical and Architectural Landmarks.
For more, click here..

Relief Sculptures on bridgehouses
The bas relief sculptures on the bridgehouses make it one of the most photographed of all the bridges. The sculptures depict important events in early Chicago history. It's called "Defense, Regeneration, The Pioneers, and The Discoverers"
by James Earle Fraser and Henry Hering..
For more, click here..

Markers on Michigan Avenue Bridge..
There are several plaques on the bridge marking historical events on this site, like..
- A plaque in honor of Louis Jolliet & Pere Jacques Marquette, the first white men to pass through the Chicago River in 1673..
- A plaque in honor of La Salle & Henry De Tonti, who passed through the Chicago River on their way to the Mississipp in 1681..
- A plaque celebrating the date of bridge opening on May 14th, 1920..
- A plaque that spells out the importance of Chicago River in the early development of the city..
- Markers/granite squares, engraved with the names of individuals and businesses who have sponsored the planting of a tree. The trees are planted as part of The Chicago Gateway Green Committee's efforts to a greener Chicago Metropolitan Area..
Michigan Avenue bridge markers..

The Museum..
In the summer of 2006, the McCormick Tribune Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum opened in the southwest tower of the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Here, visitors can learn about the history of the river and view the giant gears of the bridge. This bridgehouse also once housed the men who tended to the opening and closing of the bridge to make way for passing ships.

Chicago Riverwalk..

Wave motif on Michigan Avenue bridgehouse..
For more, click here..

Ram head atop the bridgehouses..

RELATED LINKS:
Chicago Landmark: Site of Fort Dearborn, click here..
Sculptural Reliefs on the bridgehouses..
Michigan Avenue bridge markers..
Wave Motif click here..