Crews cooled the span before traffic resumed Wednesday afternoon
The DuSable Lake Shore Drive bridge in downtown Chicago remained stuck in the raised position for more than four hours on Wednesday after dangerous heat caused its components to expand, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.
The bridge, which crosses the Chicago River at Grand Avenue, became stuck during a scheduled lift to allow a boat to pass underneath around 10 a.m., spokesperson Erica Schroeder said in an emailed statement. The span finally lowered and reopened to traffic shortly before 2:30 p.m.
“The issue was related to the high temperatures in Chicago, which caused bridge components to expand enough to prevent the two bridge leaves from fully closing,” Schroeder said.
City crews, assisted by the Chicago Fire Department, “made the necessary adjustments” to cool the bridge, according to Schroeder. The spokesperson did not specify what those adjustments involved or how long the cooling work took to complete.
A wave of extreme heat began sweeping across Chicago on Tuesday, prompting the National Weather Service to warn residents on two consecutive days to prepare for “dangerous heat.” The heat continued into Wednesday, the day the bridge became stuck during the scheduled lift.