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Chicago River Bridge Gets Stuck After Lifting for Boat to Pass – WTOP News
Crews are working to cool the bridge and reopen DuSable Lake Shore Drive after a scheduled lift left it stuck open, snarling traffic.
On Wednesday, the DuSable Lake Shore Drive bridge over the Chicago River became stuck in the "up" position following a 10 a.m. scheduled lift, snarling traffic on the major highway.
Extreme heat caused steel bridge components to expand, preventing the two bridge leaves from fully closing, according to Erica Schroeder, a spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Transportation.
A Chicago Fire Department fireboat sprayed water across the 200-foot steel span to cool the metal, while police redirected Downtown traffic after the malfunction caused significant backups.
After crews completed adjustments, the bridge lowered and reopened to traffic shortly before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Schroeder.
Chicago remains under a heat advisory through Wednesday night, with the National Weather Service forecasting "feels like" temperatures as high as 105 degrees.