CDOT Announces Start of the Annual Fall Bridge Lifts Along the Chicago River Saturday, September 21

Chicago - The City of Chicago today announced it will begin the autumn bridge lifts on Saturday, September 21 at 9:00 a.m. Following the kickoff, bridges along the main and south branches of the Chicago River will be lifted sequentially on a twice weekly schedule, Saturdays and Wednesdays, to allow sailboats and other recreational boats to make their annual trip from the open waters of Lake Michigan to their winter storage facilities. The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) oversees these bridge lifts each year, in the spring and fall seasons.

During these boat runs, the bridges are typically raised one at a time, with each bridge lift taking an average of 8-12 minutes. While the bridge is in the upright position, traffic is halted, and drivers may use alternate streets or wait until the bridge is lowered. A list of affected streets, from DuSable Lake Shore Drive to the end of the South Branch is below.

A total of 27 bridges will be lifted in succession from Lake Shore Drive to Ashland Avenue Bridge on the south branch of the Chicago River. In the event that no boat owners have made arrangements to move their boats on a scheduled day, the bridges will not be lifted.

The streets affected by the bridge lifts are: DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Columbus Dr., Michigan Ave., Wabash Ave., State St., Dearborn St., Clark St., La Salle St., Wells St., Franklin St., Lake St., Randolph St., Washington St., Madison St., Monroe St., Adams St., Jackson Blvd., Van Buren St., Ida B. Wells Dr., Harrison St., Roosevelt Rd., 18th St., Canal St., Cermak Ave., Halsted St., Loomis Ave., and Ashland Ave.

The Fall 2024 bridge lift schedule is as follows:

• Saturday, September 21 at 9:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, September 25 at 9:30 a.m.
• Saturday, September 28 at 9:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, October 2 at 9:30 a.m.
• Saturday, October 5 at 9:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, October 9 at 9:30 a.m.
• Saturday, October 12 at 9:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, October 16 at 9:30 a.m.
• Saturday, October 19 at 9:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, October 23 at 9:30 a.m.
• Saturday, October 26 at 9:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, October 30 at 9:30 a.m.
• Saturday, November 2 at 9:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, November 6 at 9:30 a.m.
• Saturday, November 9 at 9:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, November 13 at 9:30 a.m.