Chicago Contractor Rushes To Repair 100-Year-Old Lift Bridge

Photo by Tudor Van Hampton

The U.S. Coast Guard gave Illinois Constructors Corp. just five days to make critical repairs to a 1912-era railroad bridge on Chicago's South Side, but the $1-million job took seven.

The U.S. Coast Guard gave Illinois Constructors Corp. just five days to make critical repairs to a 1912-era railroad bridge on Chicago's South Side, but the $1-million job took seven. "The unknown is the biggest challenge," says Rusy Micheff, ICC's operations manager. Keeping the bridge open to rail traffic, workers replaced a fatigued shaft that rotates a 60,000-lb cable drum atop the 220-ft-tall movable bridge. The drum had to be bored out to accept a new shaft, causing delays.

After a short stint as a freelance contributor to ENR, Tudor joined the editorial staff in 2002 and was a managing editor. His areas of expertise included construction equipment, trucks, tools, materials and global construction. He was a certified crane operator and reported heavy construction news in the U.S. and outside—including Europe, Dubai, India and China.

Post a comment to this article

Join ENR's NY/NJ Infrastructure Forum on September 14 at Pier Sixty in NYC to hear from top public agency officials on capital plans and connect with MWBE contractors to uncover major partnership and bidding opportunities across the Northeast. Gain actionable insights to navigate regulatory uncertainty and position your firm for infrastructure success.

Join ENR’s Seattle Infrastructure Forum on October 14 at the Westin Seattle to connect with key decision-makers from Sound Transit, WSDOT, and the Port of Seattle. Gain early insight into billions in capital projects and strategic opportunities across the Puget Sound region’s booming infrastructure market.