Bridge lifts along Chicago River begin Saturday, temporary traffic delays

CHICAGO (WLS) -- It's a clear sign summer in Chicago is coming to an end and a good reminder to watch out for those downtown bridges.

Starting Saturday, September 14, the Chicago Department of Transportation will begin raising bridge lifts along the Chicago River to allow sailboats and other recreational boats to make their way from Lake Michigan harbors to their winter storage facilities.

During these "boat runs," bridges are typically raised one at a time, with each lift taking an average of 8-12 minutes and will halt traffic on certain downtown streets.

A total of 27 bridges will be lifted in succession from Lake Shore Drive to Ashland Avenue Bridge on the south branch of the Chicago River.

The bridge lifts will happen twice a week for the next eight weeks.

For the full schedule and a comprehensive list of streets impacted by the autumn bridge lifts please visit www.chicagodot.org.