Chicago’s Cortland Street Bridge faces years-long closure for repairs

CHICAGO - The Cortland Street Bridge will remain closed for several years as the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) works to rehabilitate the aging structure.  

The bridge, which carries Cortland Street over the Chicago River between Lincoln Park and Bucktown, was originally closed to vehicular traffic last September. 

The extended closure is fueling frustration among residents and business owners forced to navigate around it.

Cortland Street Bridge closure

What we know:

According to CDOT, a recent structural assessment confirmed that the nearly 125-year-old bridge is "no longer capable of safely carrying vehicular traffic in its current condition."

The agency says restoring the bridge will require extensive coordination among city, state, and federal agencies.

Ald. Brian Hopkins, who represents the city's 2nd Ward, argues the bridge did not need to close as early as it did and says a lack of planning has created an unnecessary burden on motorists.

"There is no imminent danger of collapse; the bridge is structurally sound, if not somewhat deteriorated — you can see the girders are rusty. The bridge needs to be renovated. No one is disputing that. It's the manner in which this project has been planned — or not planned, actually — that's the real cause for concern," Hopkins said. "This issue has generated more angry emails and phone calls to my office than maybe any other issue since I’ve been alderman — and justifiably so. The level of inconvenience that this resulted in is far beyond any typical construction-related delay. It was obvious to people there was a complete lack of planning, and they closed the bridge almost on a whim."

Before its closure, Hopkins says, the bridge carried 18,000 vehicles per day.

He now estimates the bridge rehabilitation project will take at least three more years.

What they're saying:

CDOT officials say they are working as quickly as possible to determine the next steps and will release a more detailed schedule as the project moves forward, stating in part:

"Restoring the Cortland Street Bridge will be a multi-year effort, and it will remain closed to vehicular traffic as CDOT advances the required environmental review, engineering, and design work. The bridge will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists. CDOT will provide a more detailed schedule as the project moves forward.

"This project is more complex than a typical bridge rehabilitation because the Cortland Street Bridge is a first-generation trunnion bascule bridge, one of the earliest movable bridge designs developed by City of Chicago engineers in the early 1900s and is a designated Chicago landmark. These early bridges were designed in a way that makes critical structural components extremely difficult to access for inspection, maintenance, and repair.

"We recognize the impact this closure has on the community, and we are working as quickly as possible on next steps to restore this important crossing while maintaining public safety."

What's next:

The Cortland Street Bridge will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists.

CDOT says it will move forward with the project’s environmental review, engineering, and design work. The agency also plans to revisit long-term congestion mitigation options.

Meanwhile, the Division Street Bridge is slated to close next spring for rehabilitation.

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