FilterHN

Great photos, many angles and views I haven’t seen myself. I used to have a desk in a corner overlooking the Congress expressway bridge (looking Southeast) and it was always fun to watch them halt traffic to open that one. I loved riding through the post office and over that bridge as a kid, usually on the way to the MSI.

I had a friend with a sailboat when I was young and though I did go sailing with his family sometimes, I wish I had the chance to ride with them while taking it past the bridges.

Another cool bridge to see is the disused rail bridge at the Northern tip of Goose Island. You can see it easily from North Ave. I passed by quite often as a kid and seeing the giant, concrete counterweight suspended up in the air always made me kind of nervous it would crash down as we were passing by.

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Wonnk13

1 hour ago

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I don't know what it is about Chicago, but I find I have an insatiable curiosity about everything. I've never thought much about bridges, but when I'm in the loop I just stare at them sometimes. I love the architecture, the parks, the bike lanes it's just too bad it's in Illinois ha!

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thangalin

3 hours ago

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Canada's largest single-leaf bascule bridge, on Vancouver Island, is a remarkable and stunning piece of engineering.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_Street_Bridge

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gwbas1c

5 hours ago

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I'm curious why the sailboats need to enter and leave once a year? Is it that they are drydocked over the winter?

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trillic

4 minutes ago

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These particular sailboats are stored in the winter at either Chicago Yacht Works or the Canal Street Boat Yard.

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davidjfelix

5 hours ago

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yes - the lake freezes.

I should also clarify. The sailboats in particular need the bridges raised which is why they have a scheduled time to exit. Ordinary boats can be removed closer to the water or navigate the river without the bridge being raised. Those boats are also removed for the winter.

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Wonnk13

1 hour ago

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Chicago in February is indistinguishable from Hoth.

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sophacles

42 minutes ago

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Its not that warm in Chicago.

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nkrisc

5 hours ago

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Yes. The lake and river will typically freeze over for most of the winter. Any boat in the water would be smashed to bits by wind-blown ice.

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alehlopeh

3 hours ago

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In my city we have bridges like this that go up and down dozens of times a day.

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LargoLasskhyfv

48 minutes ago

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Hamburg, .de:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kattwykbrücken

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rethe-Klappbrücke

Initially built as turnable, now stationary:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberhafenbrücke

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trhway

1 hour ago

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One of such bridges in St. Petersburg in Russia is very close to the KGB/FSB regional headquarters (it is 2nd building right from the bridge, totally dominating the surroundings) and 15 years ago, when times in Russia were still softer, prankers drew a large male organ on the bridge right before the bridge was raised https://plucer.livejournal.com/265584.html right into the face of the KGB/FSB building.

According to some sources https://www.drive2.ru/b/288230376151944232/ it was even shortlisted in the national modern art competition. That were the times. Today in Russia even just thinking about it would get you 5 to 10 years for discreditation of the state organs.