BUCKTOWN — The Cortland Street Bridge — a popular route for Bucktown and Lincoln Park residents headed east or west of the Chicago River — will reopen at 10 a.m. Wednesday, according to an email update from Ald. Brian Hopkins.
"This is fantastic news for all 2nd Ward residents, and we thank all the engineers for their great work to keep this Bridge operational and safe," Hopkins said on Tuesday.
Closed to cars, truck and motorcycles since June 1, motorists have been getting stuck in "gridlocked" traffic across Lincoln Park and Bucktown, while many cyclists and pedestrians have enjoyed the car-free shortcut.
The bridge repair work is being covered by funds from the Tax Increment Financing district.
Designated as a Chicago Landmark in 1991, the Cortland Street Drawbridge runs through the former Finkl plant, which is undergoing a massive redevelopment where transportation issues are emerging as the most pressing focus.
Michael Claffey, spokesman for the Chicago Department of Transportation, previously said some of the work on the heavily-trafficked bridge's roadway steel beams included decking reconstruction, north movable sidewalk and fixed trusses.
Nearby water, sewer and resurfacing projects, like resurfacing on the 1800 block of North Sheffield Avenue, have been put on hold until after the bridge is completed to lessen the impact on an already congested area, he added.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
