Fall bridge lifts along Chicago River begin
Sep 30, 2026
It's time for boaters to move their vessels into storage as fall bridge lifts along the Chicago River began Wednesday, the Chicago Department of Transportation announced. Each spring and fall, CDOT raises the bridges along the Chicago River on a scheduled basis to accommodate recreational boats bein
g moved to or from Lake Michigan and storage yards along the river.During the boat runs, bridges will be lifted in succession from DuSable Lake Shore Drive to the 18th Street Bridge on the South Branch of the Chicago River. They are typically raised one at a time, with each bridge lift taking an average of 8 to 12 minutes.The fall lifts began Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and typically take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with limited schedule changes this fall to accommodate ongoing work on the double-deck Lake Street Bridge, the department said in a press release.Motorists beware, delays were expected at bridges from DuSable Lake Shore Drive to 18th Street for the lifts, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications said in an alert. Here is the full lift schedule: Wednesday, September 30 at 9:30 a.m.Saturday, October 3 at 9:00 a.m.Wednesday, October 7 at 9:30 a.m.Saturday, October 10 at 9:00 a.m.Saturday, October 17 at 9:00 a.m.Tuesday, October 27 at 9:30 a.m.Thursday, October 29 at 9:30 a.m.Saturday, October 31 at 9:00 a.m.Wednesday, November 4 at 9:30 a.m.Saturday, November 7 at 9:00 a.m.Saturday, November 14 at 9:00 a.m.
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