Chicago's Cortland Street Bridge to stay closed for years for complex restoration

The Cortland Street Bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River will not be reopening anytime soon, the Chicago Department of Transportation said.

In May, CDOT said a full structural assessment of the 125-year-old drawbridge would be completed in June. This month, CDOT said the assessment found that the bridge is no longer able to carry vehicular traffic safely, and the rehabilitation approach must be reevaluated.

CDOT said the restoration of the Cortland Street Bridge will take years, and it will remain closed to vehicles as CDOT goes through environmental review, engineering, and design work.

The bridge will stay open for cyclists, and its north sidewalk will remain open for pedestrians.

The project is more complex than a typical bridge rehab effort because the Cortland Street Bridge is a first-generation trunnion bascule bridge, one of the earliest movable bridge designs developed in Chicago in the early 20th century.

The Cortland Street Bridge opened in 1902, and became a model for structures spanning waterways. The bridge was designated Chicago landmark in 1991.

The Cortland Street Bridge rehab project began in September of last year. At the time, the closure was expected to last only a year and a half to two years.

The closures of the Cortland Street bridge and two other bridges over the Chicago River at Lake Street and Chicago Avenue have put pressure elsewhere on the Near North Side, like busy North Avenue.