The Chicago Department of Transportation confirmed this week that the Cortland Street bridge will continue to allow pedestrian and cyclist access through the summer, despite ongoing rehabilitation work that has closed the structure to car traffic since September.
The 120-year-old bridge connects Lincoln Park and the lakefront with Bucktown and the Northwest Side. While vehicle lanes are shut for an extensive restoration project—including replacement of the deck, steel floor system, sidewalks, railings, and lighting—a walkway on the north side remains accessible. The department said construction was originally expected to last 18-24 months, but new issues discovered after closing have likely extended that timeline.
“Closing the bridge to vehicular traffic has allowed for a more thorough assessment of the bridge in areas that were not previously accessible. These inspections identified additional issues that were not included in the original scope of work,” according to a statement from the transportation department. “While this type of discovery is not uncommon in rehabilitation projects, the findings in this case are significant elements and require a more detailed engineering review and analysis before a revised project approach is determined.”
Department spokesperson Erica Schroeder said more details would be available following an additional assessment scheduled for June. She also said there is no exact date yet for when sidewalk access might end, but it will “remain through the summer.” The pathway continues to be used by pedestrians, cyclists, and scooter riders commuting between neighborhoods.
Simultaneous closures of several bridges along or near Downtown—including Halsted Street viaduct, Chicago Avenue bridge near a future casino site, and Lake Street bridge—have led to congestion on routes such as Grand Avenue and Division Street on Goose Island. In response to community concerns about traffic impacts from overlapping closures, Alderman Brian Hopkins passed an ordinance requiring detailed abatement plans before any long-term shutdowns begin.
Hopkins wrote in his weekly newsletter that keeping non-vehicular access open at Cortland provides “an important, if modest, consolation” for residents who walk or bike: “Preserving safe non-vehicular access helps reduce some of the disruption and ensures people still have a viable way to traverse the river during this extended closure.” Ongoing work at Cortland includes pier protection, house stabilization, painting, and seawall repairs. The current restoration follows another major repair completed in 2015 on what is both a designated city landmark and one of Chicago’s oldest industrial bridges.
