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Kinzie Street railroad bridge

Coordinates: 41°53′18.7″N 87°38′21″W / 41.888528°N 87.63917°W / 41.888528; -87.63917
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Kinzie Street railroad bridge
Photograph of the bridge lifted to an angle of about 60 degrees to the horizontal
Kinzie Street railroad bridge permanently locked in the raised position
Coordinates41°53′18.7″N 87°38′21″W / 41.888528°N 87.63917°W / 41.888528; -87.63917
CrossesChicago River
LocaleChicago
Official nameChicago & North Western Railway, Kinzie Street drawbridge
Other name(s)Carroll Avenue bridge
OwnerUnion Pacific Railroad
Heritage statusChicago Landmark
Characteristics
Designbascule bridge
Total length195.83 feet (59.69 m)[1]
Width41.7 feet (12.7 m)[1]
Longest span170 feet (52 m)[1]
History
Construction startDecember 1907
OpenedSeptember 19, 1908[1]
Location
Map

The Chicago and North Western Railway's Kinzie Street railroad bridge (also known as the Carroll Avenue bridge) is a bascule bridge across the north branch of the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, Illinois. When it opened in 1908, it was the world's longest and heaviest bascule bridge.[1]

The Chicago Sun-Times was the last railroad customer to the east of the bridge. They moved their printing plant out of downtown Chicago in 2000. The bridge has been unused since then. It was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2007.

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Spivey, Justin M. "Chicago & Northwestern Railway, Kinzie Street Bridge". Historic American Engineering Record. The Library of Congress. Retrieved February 19, 2008.

Other websites

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Media related to Kinzie Street railroad bridge at Wikimedia Commons