Bridge to Michigan Avenue

The Michigan Avenue Bridge in Chicago is the world’s first two-level bridge. It was assumed that on its upper part will move more high-speed non-commercial transport, and the lower part will be an overpass for heavy trucks.

The bridge was opened to traffic in 1920, although finishing work was completed only eight years later. The length of the bridge is almost 122 measures, the width is 28 meters. When the bridge is not raised, only small vessels, no more than 5 meters high, can pass under it. The bridge consists of two parts, each weighing 3340 tons. The time to lift the bridge is only 8 minutes. At the same time, both of its spans can return to a horizontal position.

On each side of the bridge there are two stone turrets. Their facades are decorated with bas-relief compositions reflecting the stages of the history of Chicago and the images of the discoverers of these places. On the railings of the bridge there are 28 flagpoles designed for the flags of the United States, Illinois and Chicago. In 2006, the Southwest Tower was transformed into a thematic museum of the Chicago River and the history of the bridge itself. The museum’s premises are quite small – it can accommodate only 34 people at a time. Nevertheless, visitors can observe with their own eyes the process of lifting bridge spans, which arouses their constant interest.