Wells Street Bascule Bridge Rehabilitation

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

DB Sterlin provided construction management services for the Phase III work required for the rehabilitation of the Wells Street Bascule Bridge. As the Construction Manager for this project, DB Sterlin oversaw on-site inspection, monitored maintenance of traffic activities, reviewed plans, and specifications, verified the Contractor’s layout, prepared records, maintained documentation, submitted pay estimates and change orders, and performed all other duties that required the services of an engineer to successfully complete this project on a timely basis and in accordance with Chicago Department of Transportation specifications.

The project included rehabilitation of the roadway bridge, the steel structure, all mechanical and electrical systems, and painting of the structure. Some of the key aspects of this project included an all-new floor system, including the deck, select truss member repairs, modernizing both the electrical and mechanical systems, new bridge lighting, and modernizing the bridge house facilities.

The Wells Street Bascule Bridge carries North Wells Street and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Brown and Purple Lines over the main branch of the Chicago River in Chicago. It is an operable double leaf, double deck (vehicular and pedestrian traffic on the lower deck, CTA trains on the upper deck) trunnion style bascule bridge over the Chicago River. The bridge carries three lanes of vehicular traffic, along with sidewalks on each side. Two bridge houses are located along the northwest and southeast corners of the movable span. At the upper level, the CTA structure is supported by portals that are connected to the main truss members.