Outer Drive Bridge
| Outer Drive Bridge | |
|---|---|
The double-decker Outer Drive Bridge across the Chicago River
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| Coordinates | 41°53′18.3″N 87°36′50.6″W / 41.888417°N 87.614056°WCoordinates: 41°53′18.3″N 87°36′50.6″W / 41.888417°N 87.614056°W |
| Carries | Motor vehicles, pedestrians |
| Crosses | Chicago River |
| Locale | Chicago |
| Official name | Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Double-leaf, double-deck, fixed counterweight, trunnion bascule bridge |
| No. of spans | 264-foot |
| History | |
| Designer | Joseph Strauss |
| Construction begin | 1931 |
| Construction end | 1937 |
The Outer Drive Bridge, also known as the Link Bridge, was started in 1929 and completed in 1937 as one of the Public Works Administration's infrastructure projects in Chicago. The bridge is officially named as Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Bridge to honor the centennial anniversary of the birth of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It was planned by the Chicago Plan Commission, using Hugh E. Young as the consulting engineer, was designed by the Strauss Engineering Company, built by the American Bridge Company, and erected by Ketler and Elliot Company. It crosses near the mouth of the Chicago River.
The building of this bridge was meant to create many jobs for Chicagoans and ease traffic flow on Michigan Avenue and in the Loop. In 1937 this structure was the longest, widest, and heaviest bascule bridge in the world. The Outer Drive itself, now known as Lake Shore Drive, links the south side to the north side of the city, running along the western shore of Lake Michigan. It extends from its origin in Jackson Park on the South Side of the city to the Loop, across this Outer Drive Bridge over the Chicago River, to its eventual terminus at Hollywood Avenue and Sheridan Road in the far northern end of Lincoln Park on the city's North Side.
While the completion of the Outer Drive was considered one of the most important projects in the PWA it took many years to complete. A main issue was funding. Due to a lack of provided security by Chicago Park Districts, the allotment for the bridge was revoked until the districts were all in position to comply. The total cost of the Outer Drive is estimated at $11,563,000.
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