Dear Bridge Diary,
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been grateful for the opportunity to work from home. My typical crossing of bridges has waned since I no longer commute to the office. Even so, bridges remain essential to society. Brave healthcare workers, for example, continue to use bridges to reach important destinations. Goods ordered online also reach my home due to dedicated delivery drivers and the connections a bridge provides. I started my structural engineering career inspecting and analyzing numerous bridges with a team throughout Chicago, Illinois. This included up to 44 movable bridges. Over the last few months, I noticed that many of these movable bridges were being used in a manner I had never considered before. This left me with questions. First, I would like to share my up-close experience with bridges with you.
My favorite bridges to inspect were the movable bridges spanning over the Chicago River. My team would make our way onto a barge in the middle of the river and take a ride inside of a cherry picker. Then, we ascended over the water to get close to the beams. What an experience! We used structural analysis to develop solutions to rehabilitate any issues uncovered afterwards. On other days, we ventured inside of robust bridge towers to peek at enclosed structural elements. Sometimes, I even accompanied mechanical engineers to make sure that systems functioned properly. Boat traffic on the Chicago River is not as avid as in years before. So, it was always special to see a double leaf bascule bridge lifting, with its leaves slowly tilting upward into the sky. While wearing goggles, I have even watched bridges lift from underneath. Every spring and fall, the Chicago Department of Transportation also coordinates bridge lifts. These lifts are necessary for boats with tall sails docked on Lake Michigan for the summer to travel to (or from) a boat storage yard. Chicago is known for its harsh winters, so boats must hunker down in colder months. These coordinated bridge lifts, with sounding bells, bridge tenders, and boats, are reminiscent of a symphony and a sight to behold.
Beyond these coordinated bi-annual lifts and occasional lifts for tall boats, the bridges do not move as often. However, in the Summer of 2020, I observed other reasons that the bridges were raised. Along with the pandemic, there were peaceful protests happening in a quest for social justice across America and looting in some cases. During these times, the movable bridges in Chicago’s Loop were intentionally put out of service. These lifted bridges prevented vehicular and pedestrian traffic from crossing into the business district of the city. A bridge may be closed for several reasons. Before now, I’d witnessed temporary closures due to a need for repair or replacement. Historically, I also learned of the intentional burning of the John Phillip Sousa Bridge in Washington, DC during the War of 1812. According to a pictorial report by the District of Columbia Highway Department in 1948, the John Phillip Sousa Bridge was burned to prevent invasion and from falling into the hands of the British. Lifting the bridges served as a deterrent for crime and a fortress for downtown businesses and residents. People’s voices and cries for equitable treatment also deserve to be heard. Building bridges through open dialogue is the way we we will meet in the middle.
Whenever a bridge is out of service, perhaps this is when we notice and appreciate them the most. Have you ever experienced a closed bridge and how did this make you feel? The next time you are able to travel successfully from point a to point b, these are questions for you to consider.
References:
District of Columbia Highway Department (1948). A Pictorial Report on Highway Bridges and Structures in the District of Columbia Prepared for the Commissioners of the District of Columbia. Washington, D.C.: Public Roads Administration.