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Popular downtown Chicago bridge stuck in up position due to heat

City crews and firefighters cooled the span after expanding metal kept it open, snarling downtown traffic for more than four hours, officials said.

  • On Wednesday, the DuSable Lake Shore Drive bridge over the Chicago River became stuck in the "up" position following a 10 a.m. scheduled lift, snarling traffic on the major highway.
  • Extreme heat caused steel bridge components to expand, preventing the two bridge leaves from fully closing, according to Erica Schroeder, a spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Transportation.
  • A Chicago Fire Department fireboat sprayed water across the 200-foot steel span to cool the metal, while police redirected Downtown traffic after the malfunction caused significant backups.
  • After crews completed adjustments, the bridge lowered and reopened to traffic shortly before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Schroeder.
  • Chicago remains under a heat advisory through Wednesday night, with the National Weather Service forecasting "feels like" temperatures as high as 105 degrees.
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In Chicago, a continuing heat wave makes sure that an important road bridge no longer closes completely. The fire brigade tried in vain to cool the building with water. It came to miles of traffic jams.

·Berlin, Germany
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Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
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A major bridge in downtown Chicago remained stuck in high position for more than four hours on Wednesday, after heat caused the expansion of its components.

·El Segundo, United States
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A pedestrian bridge in Chicago, USA, remained suspended for over four hours after being opened to allow ships to pass through. However, extreme heat caused the steel to expand, preventing it from closing. Authorities had to use fireboats to spray water to help reduce the heat.

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NBC Chicago broke the news in Chicago, United States on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
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