FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 4, 2012

Contact: Peter Scales CDOT Media Affairs 312-744-0707 peter.scales@cityofchicago.org

CHICAGO RIVER BRIDGE LIFTS TO RESUME THIS WEEKEND 27 bridges will be lifted in order from Ashland Avenue to Lake Shore Drive

The lifting of the movable bridges over the Chicago River for recreational boat traffic resumes this weekend, running until the end of June. Each year, in the spring and fall, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) raises the movable bridges along the Main and South Branches of the Chicago River to accommodate recreational boats traveling to and from their storage yards.

During these boat runs, the bridges are raised sequentially, typically one at a time. Each bridge lift takes an average of 8-12 minutes. This spring, 27 bridges will be lifted in order from Ashland Avenue Bridge on the South Branch to Lake Shore Drive. There will be no bridge lifts during the nine-day shutdown of the Wells Street Bridge from April 26th through May 5th, as the north leaf of the historic bridge is replaced. The Spring 2013 bridge lift schedule is as follows: Saturday, April 6th at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 20th at 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 24th at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 8th at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 11th at 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 15th at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 18th at 8 a.m. Sunday, May 19th at 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 22nd at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 29th at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 1st at 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 5th at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 8th at 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 12th at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 15th at 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 19th at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 22nd at 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 26th at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 29th at 8 a.m.

The lifting of Chicagos iconic movable river bridges is a local rite of spring, marking the beginning of the boating season, said CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein. The City coordinates with local boat storage yards each year to create a schedule that accommodates boats while creating the least amount of impact on downtown street traffic.