Each year, CDOT raises the moveable bridges along the main and south branches of the Chicago River for boats traveling to and from the storage yards. The bridges are raised one of after the other, and take an average of eight to 12 minutes.
Twenty-seven bridges will be lifted from Ashland Avenue Bridge on the South Branch to Lake Shore Drive.
The Wells Street Bridge will not lift when crews are working to repair the historical bridge from April 26 to May 5.
"The lifting of Chicago's iconic movable river bridges is a local rite of spring, marking the beginning of the boating season," said CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein. "The city coordinates with local boat storage yards each year to create a schedule that accommodates boats while creating the least amount of impact on downtown street traffic."
The Spring 2013 bridge lift schedule is as follows:
- Saturday, April 6th at 8 a.m.
- Saturday, April 20th at 8 a.m.
- Wednesday, April 24th at 9:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, May 8th at 9:30 a.m.
- Saturday, May 11th at 8 a.m.
- Wednesday, May 15th at 9:30 a.m.
- Saturday, May 18th at 8 a.m.
- Sunday, May 19th at 8 a.m.
- Wednesday, May 22nd at 9:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, May 29th at 9:30 a.m.
- Saturday, June 1st at 8 a.m.
- Wednesday, June 5th at 9:30 a.m.
- Saturday, June 8th at 8 a.m.
- Wednesday, June 12th at 9:30 a.m.
- Saturday, June 15th at 8 a.m.
- Wednesday, June 19th at 9:30 a.m.
- Saturday, June 22nd at 8 a.m.
- Wednesday, June 26th at 9:30 a.m.
- Saturday, June 29th at 8 a.m.
