A major bridge in downtown Chicago remained stuck in an elevated position for more than four hours Wednesday after dangerously high temperatures caused its components to swell.
The DuSable Lake Shore Drive bridge, which spans the Chicago River at Grand Avenue, got stuck around 10 a.m. during a scheduled lift to allow boats to pass under the bridge, Chicago Department of Transportation spokesperson Erica Schroeder said. The bridge was finally lowered and reopened to traffic shortly before 2:30 p.m.
“The issue was related to Chicago’s high temperatures, which caused bridge components to expand enough to prevent the two bridge leaves from fully closing,” Schroeder said in an emailed statement.
Schroeder said city staff, with assistance from the Chicago Fire Department, “made the necessary adjustments” to cool the bridge.
A wave of extreme heat began to sweep through Chicago on Tuesday, prompting the National Weather Service to warn residents for two consecutive days to prepare for “dangerous heat.”
The stuck bridge caused traffic chaos in the city center and drivers were forced to take alternative routes.
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Meyers-Osterman is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. US report is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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