CDOT Announces First Spring Boat Run, Saturday, April 17

April 16, 2021

Annual lifting of 27 Bridges from Ashland Avenue to Lake Shore Drive, on a bi-weekly schedule on Saturdays and Wednesdays until June 30

Mike Claffey    312.744.0707 Michael.Claffey@cityofchicago.org

Susan Hofer    312.742-2006 Susan.Hofer@cityofchicago.org

CHICAGO – The City of Chicago has scheduled the first of its annual spring sail boat runs for tomorrow, Saturday, April 17, with the raising of 27 bridges from S. Ashland Ave. to Lake Shore Drive. The annual boat runs allow recreational sail boats to move from boat storage yards to harbors in Lake Michigan. Chicago’s harbors will open officially on May 1. 

  

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) has completed testing each bridge and will lift the movable bridges over the south and main branches of the Chicago River, allowing boats to safely and easily move into summer docking locations up and down the shoreline.  

  

During boat runs, the bridges are raised sequentially, typically one at a time. Each bridge lift takes an average of eight to 12 minutes. Because of construction work on the Lake Shore Drive Bridge, the lift could take up to 45 minutes.   

 

A total of 27 bridges will be lifted in succession starting with the Ashland Avenue Bridge, bi-weekly on Saturdays and Wednesdays, based on demand from boat yards. The first bridge is raised at about 8 a.m. on Saturdays and about 9:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. It typically takes about four hours for the boats to reach the lake.  

 

The spring 2021 bridge lift schedule is as follows: 

  • Saturday, April 17, 8 a.m.  
  • Wednesday, April 21, 9:30 a.m. 
  • Saturday, April 24, 8 a.m. 
  • Wednesday, April 28, 9:30 a.m. 
  • Saturday, May l, 8 a.m. 
  • Wednesday, May 5, 9:30 a.m. 
  • Saturday, May 8, 8 a.m. 
  • Wednesday, May 12, 9:30 a.m. 
  • Saturday, May 15, 8 a.m. 
  • Wednesday, May 19, 9:30 a.m. 
  • Saturday, May 22, 8 a.m  
  • Wednesday, May 26, 9:30 a.m. 

    ****** No Lift on May 29 ****** 
  • Wednesday, June 2, 9:30 a.m. 
  • Saturday, June 5, 8 a.m. 
  • Wednesday, June 9, 9:30 a.m. 
  • Saturday, June 12, 8 a.m. 
  • Wednesday, June 16, 9:30 a.m. 
  • Saturday, June 19, 8 a.m. 
  • Wednesday, June 23, 9:30 a.m. 
  • Saturday, June 26, 8 a.m. 
  • Wednesday, June 30, 9:30 a.m. 
      

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