Major traffic delays occurred Wednesday as a bridge carrying DuSable Lake Shore Drive over the Chicago River became stuck in the up position.
The Chicago Office of Emergency Management posted about incident just after 11 a.m., saying the Lake Shore Drive Bridge at Grand was stuck in the “up” position. About 30 minutes later, the Chicago Department of Transportation said the DSLD bridge experienced a “heat-related issue” during a scheduled lift, preventing it from fully closing.
“Crews are making the necessary adjustments to safely close the bridge and reopen the roadway as quickly as possible,” CDOT said.
The roadway was reopened just after 2:30 p.m. according to officials, though residual delays could potentially continue into the evening rush hour.
The incident came as a heat advisory continues for the entire Chicago area through Wednesday night, with heat index levels expected between 100 and 110 degrees.
Photos and video showed what the scene looked like from different angles.
According to CDOT, iron workers were dispatched to the bridge to try lowering it back down. Those efforts included firefighters hosing down the bridge in an attempt to cool it down, CDOT said.
Total Traffic & Weather Network reported DuSable Lake Shore Drive was closed in both directions, between Monroe Drive and Grand Avenue, and between Chicago Avenue and Wacker Drive.
