CHICAGO () — Traffic is moving again on DuSable Lake Shore Drive after a bridge spanning the Chicago River was shut down for nearly 4.5 hours Wednesday due to what city officials described as a heat-related problem.
The closure came as a Heat Advisory remained in effect for the Chicago area from noon until 9 p.m. Wednesday.
ABC7 AccuWeather meteorologists said oppressive humidity would linger across the region through the day, with heat index readings expected to climb above 100 degrees by around midday.
The trouble on DLSD started during a scheduled bridge lift, stranding some motorists and prompting city crews to reroute traffic. The shutdown also created headaches for cyclists and pedestrians trying to cross the river.
Tom Renaud, who had left work for a lunchtime bike ride, said he ended up stuck on the south side of the bridge after crossing over from the North Side.
“They said it was gonna be 15 minutes, so I weasel my way into the city and down through Grant Park and have been riding for the last hour and a half,” Renaud said.
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Drivers on DuSable Lake Shore Drive faced even longer delays in some cases as crews worked to fix the issue. Cyclist Pete Conroy said the unexpected bridge closure threw off his morning plans.
“I had an appointment this morning and yeah, came up on this,” Conroy said.
The Chicago Fire Department deployed a boat to spray water on the bridge in an effort to cool the steel and help it contract.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Transportation said: “The issue during today’s scheduled bridge lift was heat-related. Thermal expansion caused by extreme heat is not uncommon, and crews are continuing to make the necessary adjustments to safely reopen the bridge to traffic.”
The closure also affected people traveling to Chicago’s lakefront. Jose Fox said he suspected the extreme temperatures were responsible when he arrived at the bridge.
“I just rolled up and I thought it was something with the heat. Being so hot the bridge locked up or what not. Turn out you were right. Yeah that’s what happens in Chicago when it gets cold it freezes and when it gets hot it burns,” Fox said.
The bridge lift was not part of the city’s regular seasonal bridge lift schedule, when boats leave and return to Chicago harbors in the spring and fall. According to the report, the lift was conducted as a special request that the Chicago Park District is required to honor.
The Chicago Department of Transportation said similar incidents have occurred occasionally in the past.
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