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Spring 2013 bridge lifts start Saturday
(Above) Sailboats pass Merchandise Mart on April 28, 2007, on their way to summer moorings on Lake Michigan. 5-Apr-13 – The recreational boating season officially starts on Saturday with the year’s first lifting of bridges over the main and south branches of the Chicago River. Until the end of June, the 27 bridges from Ashland Avenue to Lake Shore Drive will be raised 19 times to let sailboats and other tall vessels navigate from winter storage to Lake Michigan, according to a schedule released on Thursday by the Chicago Department of Transportation. During a boat run, each bridge is raised sequentially, typically one at a time, taking about ten minutes per bridge. The process will be repeated in the fall. According to CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein, the city coordinates with local boat storage yards each year to create a schedule that accommodates boats while creating the least amount of impact on downtown street traffic. For nine days starting on April 26, there will be no bridge lifts while the north leaf of the Wells Street Bridge is replaced. Spring 2013 bridge lifts…
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