This thing scares me...it's just west of the North/Sheffield shopping madhouse and east of Home Depot.

Apparently they are redoing that drawbridge, but overnight when they opened it (a few months ago), it's basically an entire "temporary" bridge.

Bridges are not easy to build. Does anybody know the plan for that thing?

I have to admit, if I get stuck in traffic on it, I get a little nervous. Especially if a heavy truck or bus is accompanying me.

Perhaps the plan is that they will let progressively heavier loads drive across the bridge until it fails. And then they'll rebuild and post the weight limit.

You mean you didn't sign up to be a bridge beta tester?

Here's a photo album of construction of the temp bridge - http://tinyurl.com/2epry3. They did NOT use cardboard and chewing gum.

And Here's official word on the overall project = http://tinyurl.com/2dtl52

The old one would've been a century-old this year. The new one is supposed to be done before UA's 18-month expiration MP-balance massacre begins.

Worse would be fighting traffic on Division or Cortland without a temp bridge...

It's a bailey bridge; they are superb structures, designed to take extremely heavy loads, and the one on North Avenue is extra reinforced.

To quote from the wikipedia article, "It is considered one of the great examples of military engineering."

They also quote Field Marshall Montgomery: "Bailey Bridging made an immense contribution towards ending World War II. As far as my own operations were concerned, with the eighth Army in Italy and with the 21 Army Group in North West Europe, I could never have maintained the speed and tempo of forward movement without large supplies of Bailey Bridging."

I agree!

No. I beta tested united.com...go over to the UA forum and see how successful that project is.

So I crossed the new 'permanent' bridge today. The temporary one is still up, and it looks like they still have work to do on the new one...but hopefully nothing to keep it from falling into the river.

Finally the bridge is fully open; two lanes in both directions.

Strangely, I experienced the worst traffic jam today on North Ave between Sheffield and 94 -- much worse than when the temp bridge was in place.

I avoid that area, temporary bridge or otherwise. Is there ever a time when traffic isn't a nightmare on North Avenue? Of course, I live in the West Loop and the area south of me is has all the same stores - Home Depot, Target, Dominick's, Whole Paycheck. Everything but Stanley's!

And Victoria's Secret.

I generally take the Cortland Ave bridge when I need to get to 94 from Old Town.
IME, the traffic itself on 94 drives a great deal of the traffic jams that result on Cortland.
I'm guessing it may be the same on the "new" North Avenue bridge.
Dave

In general, crossing the river (on North, Cortland/Armitage, Division, etc.) is a headache. My favorite hidden gem is Webster, but don't spread the word too much.

Used to like that, but traffic build up at the movie theatre has made it just as bad as getting across at Cortland, IMO.

Good luck if it works for you.
Dave

I live south of Division, but have reverted to taking to Elston to Magnolia to North to Kingsbury to get around Sam's Wines and Trader Joes. If I am going farther north I use the Cortland bridge. I used to always use the Webster bridge when I lived in Lincoln Park but since 2005 it has almost always been a nightmare to get through anytime between 4pm and midnight.

A cable-stayed span seems a bit excessive for crossing the mighty... Chicago River. Ah well, the uplighting on the cables will look nice next time I go canoeing on the river.

Not to mention Green Dolphin Street on evenings, with cars triple-parked up and down the block, or the creeping strip malls marching down Elston. It's a shame to watch the last few less-trafficked bridges get choked with traffic. As a cyclist, I avoid heavy traffic not to save time, but to save my life. (I almost never ride on the four-lane parts of North, and I live on North.)

Then again, I don't pity drivers who complain about traffic congestion. Anyone driving in the city is part of the traffic problem: there are plenty of alternatives, and they're good enough for me.

Then again, I'm just a lowly 2P.