RIVER NORTH — Emergency crews have reopened the Michigan Avenue bridge after a suspicious package report briefly led to its closure Monday afternoon.
Someone spotted a plastic bottle that had the words "liquid fire" on it beneath the bridge about 11:20 a.m., police and fire officials said. The bottle was in a plastic bag, and Chicago Fire Department Battalion Chief Mitchell Crooker said he did not believe it was placed there intentionally.
"It has to be treated as an IED [improvised explosive device] … it's just the era that we are in right now," Crooker said. "If someone sees something, it might warrant an investigation."
Crooker said the liquid in the bottle was "acid-based" and that authorities were continuing to investigate it.
Police closed the bridge to all traffic as authorities investigated, but reopened as of 1:15 p.m.