River crossing Chicago. Chicago bridges

The Cortland Street Lift Bridge was the first in the United States to use a trunnion design. This solution turned out to be so successful from a technical point of view that more than 50 bridges of this type subsequently appeared.

The Cortland Street Bridge opened in 1902. It consists of two spans, each of which is suspended on huge axles - axles. With the help of counterweights, the wings of the bridge rose to an almost vertical position, opening up space for steamships plying along the river. The authors of the project, engineers John Erickson and Edward Wilman, created such a perfect mechanism that the bridge could be opened in just one minute in calm weather and in three minutes in strong winds.

The total length of the bridge is about 39 meters. Today, its adjustable mechanism is not used, and the large steel structures on both sides have become simply decorative elements.

The bridge is used for two-way traffic of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. In 1991, the Cortland Street Lift Bridge was designated a Chicago Historic Landmark.

Kinzie Street Railroad Bridge

Railroad bridge across the Chicago River at Kinzie Street was once vital to the city. Built in 1908, it helped trains move seamlessly from one bank to the other for nearly a century, supporting the industrial development of Chicago's west side.

The bridge is a single-span lifting structure. At the time of its construction, it was the longest and heaviest drawbridge in the world. The technical discovery of the authors of the project was a huge counterweight, which made it possible to keep the bridge wing in a raised position. When there was a need for trains to pass, the bridge was lowered. Then they raised it again so as not to interfere with the movement of traffic along the river.

With the development of urban transport networks, the need to use the bridge has disappeared. In the 90s, only the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper delivered paper for its printing house along this line. But later she also abandoned this transportation scheme.

The bridge was lowered for the last time in 2001. Then his wing was raised, and in this position it remains to this day.

Michigan Avenue Bridge

The Michigan Avenue Bridge in Chicago was the first two-level bridge in world history. It was assumed that faster non-commercial vehicles would move along its upper part, and the lower part would become 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 meters, 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 bridge raising time is only 8 minutes. In the same time, both of its spans can return to a horizontal position.

There are two stone towers on each side of the bridge. Their facades are decorated with bas-relief compositions reflecting the stages of Chicago's history and the images of the pioneers of these places. There are 28 flagpoles on the bridge's railings, designed to hold the flags of the United States, Illinois and Chicago. The southwest tower was converted into a themed museum in 2006 of the Chicago River and the history of the bridge itself. The museum premises are very small - only 34 people can be in it at the same time. However, visitors can observe with their own eyes the process of raising the bridge spans, which arouses their constant interest.

The Chicago River is not long at all. The total length of the river is approximately 251 km. Serving as a link between the Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico, the river fundamentally influenced the development of Chicago.

In the past, the river had much greater economic importance. On its banks there were steel mills, lumber warehouses, elevators, tanneries, livestock depots and much more. With the onset of active industrialization and the growth of the city, problems related to water quality became increasingly noticeable. Sewage was poured into the river, industrial and other waste was thrown out.

By 1880 it had become terribly polluted. Floods that occurred after rainstorms led to flooding of areas and treatment systems. The population suffered from constant epidemics. Thousands of residents died every year from water-related diseases such as typhus and cholera. In some years, persistent waterborne diseases killed more than 5% of the population. This was a factor hindering the growth of the city.

By 1900, one of the signature engineering challenges of the early 20th century was accomplished when the Chicago River, which originally flowed into Lake Michigan, was diverted and flowed in the opposite direction. This event helped solve the water supply problem and prevent loss of life.

With the decline in industrial and commercial activities associated with the use of the river system, increased attention has been paid to ecology and aesthetics. Today the river has turned into a recreation area with pleasure boats and well-maintained embankments.

Water quality in last years is steadily increasing primarily due to more efficient cleaning systems. The water, however, is not yet clean enough for swimming. Fish appeared in the river, however, it is not recommended to eat it.

Many of Chicago's famous buildings are located near the river. In view of this, boat tours are ideal for a general acquaintance with the architecture of the city. There are several popular river routes, most of which start near Navy Pier or the Michigan Avenue Bridge.

In Chicago itself and its suburbs, there are 45 bridges across the river, some of which are widely known.

The Chicago River runs through the city of Chicago, including the city's business center (known as the Chicago Loop). The river was formed not so long ago - initially, the river flowed into Lake Michigan, on the shores of which the city is located (the river entered the lake approximately where Madison Street is located today). It was formed by 19th-century engineers who directed the flow south, away from Lake Michigan, where it had previously been deserted, to the Mississippi River basin. This was done for reasons of sanitation and to avoid flooding. Today the river flows west of Lake Michigan. From the city center, the river flows south along the South Branch and through the Illinois, Lake Michigan and Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. From there, the water flows into the Des Plaines rivers and eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico.

Ecology of the river

The Chicago River is most affected by industrial areas located in Illinois. The river is home to several species of freshwater fish and a lot of crayfish. The Illinois state government issued warnings that eating fish from the river was dangerous - it was contaminated with mercury, etc.

The first bridge over the Chicago River was built on the North Branch near today's Kinzie Street in 1832. A second bridge, over the south branch near Randolph Street, was added in 1833. At the end of the 19th century, tunnels were dug under bridges to ensure better bridge traffic and prevent traffic jams on them. The project for the construction of such tunnels is written in T. Dreiser’s novel “The Financier”. The first drawbridge was built over the main passage on Dearborn Street in 1834. The Chicago River currently has 38 swing bridges. These bridges come in a variety of types, including the trunnion bridge, the sherzer elevator bridge, the swing bridge, and the vertical elevator bridge.

St. Patrick's Day and Chicago

The river plays a huge role in St. Patrick's Day celebrations. As part of a more than 40-year tradition in the city of Chicago, it is painted entirely green. In fact, the event does not necessarily occur on St. Patrick's Day, but on the nearest Saturday - on the weekend (for example, in 2009, the river was painted on Saturday, March 14, while St. Patrick's Day was on Tuesday, March 17). Bill King, administrator of the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Committee, stated that "the idea to dye the Chicago River green originally came about by accident when a group of plumbers used fluorescein dye to track illegal substances that were polluting the rivers." The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prohibits the use of fluorescents for this purpose because they have been shown to harm the river. The secret ingredients used to dye the river green today (40 gallons of vegetable dye are used for this purpose) are said to be safe and not harmful to the thousands of living organisms that call the Chicago River their habitat. In 2009, in accordance with this tradition, at the request of First Lady Michelle Obama (who is a native of Chicago), in honor of the celebration of St. Patrick's Day...

Chicago is considered the birthplace of skyscrapers - it was here that the world's first high-rise building appeared in 1885. It is believed that this is the second most skyscraper city in the United States - only Manhattan has more. Chicago is located on the shores of Lake Michigan in Illinois. It is the third most populous city in the United States after New York and Los Angeles. More than 2.7 million people live within the city limits, and almost 10 million people live in the agglomeration.

1. The first Europeans appeared in the vicinity of modern Chicago back in 1673, but a permanent settlement was formed only 100 years later - it was a fort to protect against attacks by Indian tribes. Thanks to the successful geographical location Between the east and west of America, Chicago quickly became a key transportation hub for the country and began to grow rapidly.

2. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire occurred and lasted for two days. The city had to be rebuilt.

The construction boom, coupled with the high cost of land, led to the appearance of the first skyscraper in 1885. It was a 10-story Home Insurance Building that existed until 1931.

3. Now Chicago has 114 skyscrapers - it is one of the highest cities in the world.

4. Business center Chicago Loop (“Chicago Loop”).

The most concentrated here high skyscrapers city, as well as most of the architectural attractions.

5. Loop translated from English is a loop. The business district of Chicago was once given its quaint name by the ring line of the elevated metro.

6. Tribune Tower.

The headquarters of the most popular newspaper in Chicago and the entire Midwest - the Chicago Tribune. The 141-meter-high skyscraper was built in 1923–1925 in the neo-Gothic style. Built into its walls are stones from famous buildings around the world that Chicago Tribune correspondents brought back from their trips (for example, the Great Wall of China, the Parthenon and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome).

7. Wrigley Building.

William Wrigley Jr. Company Building - one of the leaders in the global chewing gum market. This is the first Chicago skyscraper to include air conditioning in offices.

8. A network of tunnels runs through the city, through which you can drive under the center without traffic jams. In addition, there are special entrances for special equipment, for example, for removing garbage from skyscrapers.

The photo shows the Michigan Avenue Bridge, which became the first two-level bridge in world history. It was assumed that faster non-commercial vehicles would move along its upper part, and the lower part would become an overpass for heavy trucks.

7. Marina City.

The complex of high-rise buildings was built in 1964 and immediately received the nickname “Corncobs” for its characteristic shape. It consists of two 65-story identical towers with a height of 179 meters. The lower 18 floors are reserved for parking, and on the river side there are berths for yachts.

8. The uniqueness of the apartments in Marina City is that here you will not find right angles. According to the architect's idea, on each floor the common corridor was made in the shape of a circle, which was framed in the form of wedges by 16 rooms (condominiums). The whole ensemble is completed by a semicircular balcony, separated from the rest of the living space by impact-resistant glass from floor to ceiling.

During the construction of the Marina City complex, tower cranes were used for the first time in America.

9. The Chicago River is the only river in the world that flows in the opposite direction.

In the 19th century, the city faced a problem of drinking water shortage. Water was then taken from Lake Michigan, and waste was dumped into the Chicago River, which flowed into the same lake. Then the municipality made a truly revolutionary decision - to turn the Chicago River so that it did not flow into Lake Michigan, but flowed out of it! This was done in 1900 - the problem with sewerage and drinking water for the city was solved.

By the way, for more than 40 years, on St. Patrick's Day (March 17), the Chicago River has been painted bright green.

10. Millenium Park.

The public park, located in the center of Chicago, is the northwest section of the enormous Grant Park and is adjacent to Chicago's skyscrapers. Such a favorable location made the park one of the main centers of attraction local residents and tourists.

11. Sculpture “Cloud Gate”.

Residents soon nicknamed the sculpture "The Bean" because of its bean-like shape.
This 100-ton structure was built between 2004 and 2006 and consists of 168 sheets of stainless steel, so polished that its outer surface has no visible seams. “Cloud Gate” reflects almost the entire surrounding landscape. In order for the Bob to always shine, you need to use 150 liters of detergent at a time.

The "Bob" design was created by British artist Anish Kapoor. It is believed that the image of the sculpture was inspired by the appearance of a drop of mercury.

12. Pritzker Pavilion.

A concert venue with 4,000 seats (including the adjacent lawn - 7,000), designed by the world famous architect Frank Gehry. The pavilion consists of curving steel surfaces reminiscent of a graceful flower or the unfurling sails of a ship. The stage is designed in such a way that the sound is equally audible to any listener, regardless of where he sits.

The road to the pavilion leads through a curved bridge that connects Millennium Park with the neighboring park. The bridge is named after British Petroleum (BP), which donated $5 million for its construction. The bridge is closed in the winter because the ice is not cleared from the wooden deck.

13. Willis Tower.

At the time of completion, this 110-story, 443-meter skyscraper was the tallest building in the world. He held this record for 25 years - until the construction of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.

14. Now the Willis Tower is the second tallest building in the United States (after the Freedom Tower) and the tenth tallest building in the world.

15. The skyscraper stands on 9 “stilts” of square cross-section, connected to each other. They rise to the 50th floor. Then the building begins to narrow. Another 7 “piles” go up to the 66th floor, 5 - up to the 90th, and only two “piles” form the remaining 20 floors. Each such “pile”, in fact, represents an entire building. Relatively speaking, the Willis Tower is 9 skyscrapers with different heights, which were connected into one building.

Willis Tower is the first building for which such a design was used. The design allows, if desired or necessary, to add more floors on top.

16. Co observation deck on the 103rd floor of the building, 4 states are visible at once: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. It opened on June 22, 1974 and was named Skydeck. More than 1.3 million tourists visit Skydeck every year.

17. The skyscraper was originally called the Sears Tower. But since July 16, 2009, the high-rise building bears the name of one of the tenants, who occupies several floors there, without paying any remuneration. After 2024, the skyscraper can change its name, since the right to the name is valid for 15 years.

18. Museum of Natural History. Field (The Field Museum of Natural History).

The main exhibit of the museum is the Tyrannosaurus Sue. It is the largest preserved Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in the world.

19. Chicago Temple Building.

The “religious” skyscraper was built in 1924. 30 years later, the so-called “Sky Chapel” was built on its roof. The top of its Gothic-style spire is located at an altitude of 173.3 meters.

Currently, only the first five floors are occupied by religious organizations, and the premises from the 5th to 23rd floors are rented out to various commercial organizations. Since the skyscraper is not used entirely for religious purposes, it is not included in the list of the tallest temples.

20. Chicago Picasso.

The 15-foot-tall Cubist sculpture is a popular meeting place in Chicago. Residents often call it Picasso's Horse or Fox, depending on who has what associations.

According to one version, the creation of the original 162-ton statue by Pablo Picasso was inspired by the image of Lydia Corbett, to whom the artist dedicated many of his works. Picasso himself was even offered a fee of $100,000, but refused, saying that he wanted to make his work a gift to the city.

22. Chicago Subway.

The Chicago metro consists of 8 lines with a total length of 170 km, with 92 km of lines running above ground (on overpasses). It is the third busiest metro system in the United States after New York and Washington.

23. Near North Side is an area adjacent to the Chicago Loop to the north.

24. "Magnificent Mile".

This is one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. Located on a section of Michigan Avenue, north of the Chicago River. The areas around the Magnificent Mile are considered some of the most expensive and prestigious in Chicago.

25. John Hancock Center.

The building is named after the statesman and hero of the struggle for American independence. Residents often call him "Big John".

The main feature of this 100-story skyscraper is its hollow structure, resembling a large quadrangular column. Thanks to the crossed steel struts, the structure of the building is stronger and more rigid. At a wind speed of about 100 km/h, the building deviates by only 15-20 cm.

26. Navy Pier is Chicago's largest tourist attraction.

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28. Merchandise Mart.

Shopping and office center opened in 1930. The area of ​​the premises is 370,000 sq.m., with 10 km of corridors inside. Today it is the second building in America in terms of internal area after the Pentagon.

30. Carbide&Carbon Building.

Now this building is called the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago. For Russians, this skyscraper is notable for the fact that it was on it that the hero of the film “Brother-2” Danila Bagrov climbed the fire escape, reciting the poem “I learned that I have a huge family...”. True, this external fire escape has now been dismantled.

31. Aqua.

There is a hotel on the first 18 floors of this 87-story skyscraper, and apartments and penthouses on the rest.

32. The architectural bureau Studio Gang Architects designed the balconies of the building in such a way that each level is offset from the one above and below by some distance. As a result, bizarre folds appeared on the façade, making it seem as if water was flowing from the roof of the building down its walls.

33. Trump International Hotel&Tower.

Built in 2009, the building became the second tallest in the United States after Chicago's Willis Tower. Now the 92-story skyscraper hotel is the second tallest building in Chicago and the third in the United States. The height to the top of the spire is 423 meters (to the roof - 360).

Each of the three parts of the skyscraper is located at the level of the neighboring building to ensure visual continuity with the surrounding landscape.

34. Chicago Board of Trade Building.

It was the tallest building in the city from 1930 to 1965. The top of the skyscraper is decorated with a sculpture of the ancient Roman goddess of fertility, Ceres. The choice of sculpture was not accidental. The largest grain trading exchange was located in the building of the Chicago Board of Trade.

Tallest building in the Art Deco style outside of New York.

35. Prudential Plaza 2 (Two Prudential Plaza).

36. Urban Opera theatre(Civic Opera House).

37. Smurfit-Stone Building.

38. Balconies.

39. Soldier Field.

Home football stadium NFL club Chicago Bears. The oldest stadium in the NFL.

40. Wrigley Field.

Home baseball stadium of the Major League Baseball club Chicago Cubs.

41. « the main street America" ​​- the legendary Route 66 - begins in Chicago.

Pictured is the turbine interchange of The Circle Interchange (Spaghetti Bowl). Every day it passes through 300 thousand cars.

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43. The Museum of Science and Industry.

Among the museum's exhibits is the German submarine U-505, captured during World War II, the first diesel passenger train The Pioneer Zephyr, as well as the spacecraft that took part in the Apollo 8 mission, which carried the first people to orbit the Moon.

44. Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine building.

45. The Chicago metropolitan area (with its various suburbs) is called "Greater Chicago" or "Chicago Country". Chicago itself is unofficially called the “Second City” and the “Windy City.”

46. When we were flying over Chicago in a helicopter, our route crossed with the security of US President Barack Obama. In the photo: the American tiltrotor Bell V-22 Osprey, which combines the individual advantages of an airplane and a helicopter. It is the only commercially produced tiltrotor aircraft in service with the US Marine Corps and US Navy.

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