St. Charles Air Line Bridge
The St. Charles Air Line Bridge is a Strauss Trunnion bascule bridge which spans the Chicago River in Chicago, Illinois.
St. Charles Air Line Bridge | |
|---|---|
St. Charles Air Line Bridge with an upright B&OCT Bascule Bridge just behind | |
| Coordinates | 41°51′39″N 87°38′04″W |
| Carries | 2 tracks of the Canadian National Railway |
| Crosses | Chicago River (south branch) |
| Locale | Chicago, Illinois |
| Official name | St. Charles Air Line Bridge |
| Maintained by | Canadian National Railway |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Strauss Trunnion bascule lift span |
| Longest span | Originally 260 feet (79 m), later shortened to 220 feet (67 m) in 1930 |
| History | |
| Designer | Joseph Strauss |
| Opened | 1919 |
| Location | |
Built as part of the St. Charles Air Line Railroad by the American Bridge Company in 1919, the bridge originally had a span of 260 feet (79 m). This bridge held the world record for longest bascule-type span until 1930, when it was shortened to 220 feet (67 m) during a relocation as a result of straightening the river channel. The chief design engineer of the original bridge was Leonard O. Hopkins.
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