Chicago Construction News staff writer
Construction is underway on a $138 million rehabilitation of the historic Lake Street Bascule Bridge, one of Chicago’s most recognizable pieces of infrastructure. The project, awarded by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and led by Granite Construction (NYSE: GVA), marks a major investment in the city’s century-old transportation network.
Built in 1916, the double-deck, double-leaf bascule bridge carries vehicles, pedestrians, and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses on its lower level, while CTA’s Green and Pink Line trains travel on the upper deck. The rehabilitation aims to preserve the bridge’s distinctive architecture while ensuring it meets modern transportation and safety standards.
Granite’s scope of work includes replacing the double-decked trunnion bascule bridge structure over the Chicago River, rehabilitating substructures, replacing upper-level CTA tracks, and upgrading the bridge’s mechanical and electrical systems. The project also includes restoration of the bridge houses to maintain their historic character.
“This collaboration with CDOT to rehabilitate one of Chicago’s century-old, iconic movable bridges underscores Granite’s strategic commitment to the Chicago market,” said Michael Punches, Granite’s vice president of regional operations. “By leveraging our specialized expertise in movable bridge rehabilitation, we continue to deliver lasting value to the City’s infrastructure.”
Construction of the new bridge leaves will take place off-site, with each section to be floated into place during separate 12-day outages scheduled for the CTA’s Green and Pink Lines in fall 2026 and spring 2027. Throughout construction, one bridge leaf will remain operational in compliance with federal and U.S. Coast Guard regulations.
The Lake Street Bridge rehabilitation began in October 2025 and is scheduled for completion in December 2027. Once finished, the project will extend the life of one of Chicago’s most iconic engineering landmarks while improving reliability for thousands of daily commuters.
[…] Granite begins $138M rehabilitation of historic Lake Street Bridge in Chicago […]