Hot weather in Chicago leads to stalled bridges, people seeking relief

As Chicago heads into the Labor Day weekend, which unofficially brings summer to an end, Tuesday's heatwave proved to the city and its residents that the weather is unpredictable.

With just a couple of days into September, summer refuses to step aside. Patios in Fulton Market were empty — not even shade from an umbrella was enough to convince folks to sit outside.

Some people like Stewart Peek and his pop-up retro 90's clothing store, Not from Chicago, braved the heat, dishing out hot deals in even hotter weather. 

"It's 102 degrees," he said. We're dying and melting, but people are still buying stuff, trying leather jackets and we're blessed."

Over on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, motorists did not feel as blessed, but more so sticky, after getting stuck in the heat as traffic was gridlocked for about four hours after a bridge got stuck on Wednesday.

The Chicago Department of Transportation blamed a heat-related issue for the DuSable Lake Shore Drive bridge near Navy Pier not being able to fully close. 

A routine bridge lift to allow boats to pass failed to lock back into place properly, leaving people stuck as crews sprayed the bridge with water at the peak of the scorcher.

"Yes, the purpose is to cool down the bridge. So when you cool down the bridge, it kind of contracts back and then they will be able to move into the right position," said University of Illinois at Chicago civil engineer Didem Ozevin. 

Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications also alerted drivers to seek alternative routes after the Torrence Avenue Bridge was also stuck in the up position due to the heat.

Ozevin says this bridge and many across Chicago are old. She adds that many only undergo inspections, but there are ways to make sure bridges don't get stuck through heat sensors

"So, what we need to consider, monitoring systems, like putting some sensors in the critical elements. Then we can make the right decision if this bridge is safe to open," she said.

While heat sensors can help monitor things 24/7, they can be very expensive. Bridges, however, are routinely inspected.