Extreme summer heat caused the DuSable Lake Shore Drive bridge over the Chicago River to expand and get stuck in the raised position on Wednesday, triggering hours-long traffic jams in downtown Chicago, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation. The major span malfunctioned around 10 a.m. during a scheduled lift for a large passenger vessel, trapping the bridge leaves open until city crews completed emergency cooling measures and fully reopened the roadway shortly before 2:30 p.m.
DuSable Lake Shore Drive Bridge Malfunction and Thermal Expansion
The bridge failure occurred during a routine lift to allow the Spirit of Chicago dining yacht to pass underneath, according to city transit alerts. Erica Schroeder, a spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Transportation, stated that high ambient temperatures caused the steel and mechanical components of the bridge to expand. This thermal expansion prevented the two bridge leaves from fully closing once the vessel cleared the channel.
The incident snarled morning and early afternoon traffic along the heavily traveled corridor. Commuters on the nearby Lakefront Trail watched as emergency responders arrived at the scene to address the structural lockup.
Emergency Cooling Response by City Crews
To resolve the mechanical jam, Chicago Department of Transportation crews received assistance from the Chicago Fire Department. According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, firefighters deployed department boats to spray water directly onto the steel structure of the DuSable Lake Shore Drive bridge to cool down the overheated components.
The targeted cooling efforts allowed crews to make the necessary mechanical adjustments to safely lower the bridge leaves. Schroeder confirmed that the span was fully lowered and cleared for vehicular traffic shortly before 2:30 p.m., ending a disruption that lasted more than four hours.
Simultaneous Heat-Related Bridge Failures in Chicago
The Chicago heat wave strained city infrastructure beyond a single location on Wednesday. According to the Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, a second span—the Torrence Avenue Bridge located over the Calumet River on the city’s Far South Side—also became stuck in the raised position due to extreme temperatures.
The Torrence Avenue Bridge malfunction began at 4:30 p.m. and kept the span closed for more than an hour. Chicago Department of Transportation crews responded to that site and returned the bridge to its normal operating position by 5:30 p.m., after thermal expansion similarly affected its operations.
The National Weather Service had issued warnings for dangerous heat across the Chicago area starting Tuesday and continuing through Wednesday, as afternoon temperatures reached 90 degrees. City officials advised motorists to continue checking transit alerts for potential delays related to high temperatures affecting local infrastructure.
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