Chicago Cdot Now Starts Major Rehabilitation Of Historic Cortland Street Bridge Over Chicago River: Latest Updates On What You Need To Know

Published on September 6, 2025

In a awesome measurement towards preserving nan historical Cortland Street Bridge, nan Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) has announced a important rehabilitation project. The activity is group to statesman connected September 22, 2025, pinch Cortland Street closing to each conveyance postulation betwixt Mendell Street and Kingsbury Street. The closure will beryllium successful effect for astir 18 to 24 months, impacting section and commuter traffic. Pedestrian traffic will proceed to person entree connected 1 sidewalk until winter 2025.

What’s Involved successful nan Project?

The Cortland Street Bridge, a captious portion of nan city’s infrastructure, was built successful nan early 1900s. Known for being nan oldest bascule bridge successful Chicago, nan span has seen a batch of deterioration and tear. This task intends to sphere its unsocial characteristic while upgrading cardinal components.

Key elements of nan rehabilitation include:

• Replacement of nan span deck and steel level system
• Installation of caller counterweights and concrete-filled grating
• Rehabilitation of bridge houses
• Construction of timber sidewalks, railings, and new lighting

Despite nan extended upgrades, CDOT assures nan task will clasp nan historic charm of nan bridge.

Why is nan Cortland Street Bridge Important?

The Cortland Street Bridge is an iconic portion of Chicago’s history. Its bascule design, a type of drawbridge, is simply a uncommon characteristic that has withstood nan trial of time. Over nan years, nan span has go an integral portion of nan city’s infrastructure, helping pinch proscription and connecting cardinal parts of nan North Side of Chicago. The span is besides portion of nan Chicago Riverwalk, a celebrated spot for locals and visitors alike. Preserving nan bridge’s building and aesthetics is simply a privilege for nan CDOT to support nan city’s rich | history.

What Travelers and Locals Need to Know

For visitors, peculiarly those coming for business aliases leisure, Cortland Street will beryllium closed to vehicles, pinch detours successful spot to guideline traffic. For those who usually recreation this route, it’s important to scheme up and set your recreation plans accordingly.

Detour Routes for Travelers:

• Eastbound Cortland Street:
  • Detour southbound connected Ashland Avenue, past caput eastbound connected North Avenue, and northbound connected Clybourn Avenue to get backmost to Cortland Street.
• Westbound Cortland Street:
  • Detour southbound connected Clybourn Avenue, westbound connected North Avenue, and past northbound connected Ashland Avenue to return to Cortland Street.

These detour routes guarantee that postulation continues flowing, though delays whitethorn beryllium expected.

When Will nan Work beryllium Completed?

The project’s timeline extends for 18 to 24 months. During this time, Cortland Street will stay closed, and only 1 sidewalk will stay unfastened for pedestrian postulation until winter 2025. While nan span will beryllium inaccessible to cars, it will still beryllium disposable for biking and walking done nan unfastened sidewalk.

What Impact Will This Have connected nan Community?

This task is not conscionable astir upgrading nan bridge; it’s astir enhancing nan community’s infrastructure for years to come. By preserving a historical asset, nan task will supply semipermanent benefits for Chicago’s residents and visitors alike.

Along pinch roadworthy closures, nan building is predicted to origin disturbances, but these are only short-term and aspects of nan larger intent of keeping intact nan cities humanities character. Local shops whitethorn look a dropped level of customer visits; however, a ample number of residents judge that these improvements will greatly heighten nan prominence and usefulness of nan span to nan community.

Focus connected Sustainability and Preservation

The extremity of nan rehabilitation is to guarantee that nan Cortland Street Bridge remains functional while keeping its historical integrity intact. The task involves replacing aged components pinch newer, durable materials, ensuring nan span tin service nan nationalist for galore much decades. For local authorities, keeping nan span unfastened to pedestrians during building signifies a committedness to nan community’s regular life while upgrading a portion of Chicago’s engineering history.

Project spokespersons highlighted nan value of this span successful nan city’s wide proscription plan. The CDOT intends to guarantee minimal disruption to nan regular lives of commuters while improving nan structure’s reliability for early generations.

What’s Next?

Among nan galore projects Chicago Department of Transportation is managing, betterment of nan Cortland Street Bridge still stands retired arsenic 1 of nan astir unsocial projects owed to nan operation of modern engineering structures and nan history that still defines nan metropolis of Chicago. Residents, arsenic good arsenic travelers, should enactment alert of nan caller changes including adjustments to nan routes for nan and period period, arsenic nan timelines for nan projects tin transcend to complete 2 years. Complexity and functionality of Chicago’s riverfront arsenic good arsenic reconstruction of nan bascule span is bound to elevate nan infrastructure.