Randolph Street Bridge to close for testing Friday

The Randolph Street Bridge over the Chicago River will be closed for testing Friday as the city continues to prepare for the spring boating season.

The bridge will close at 9:30 a.m. and reopen by 3:30 p.m., according to a statement from the Chicago Department of Transportation.

Westbound traffic will be rerouted via Wacker Drive, Madison Street and Canal Street, CDOT said.

CDOT began testing bridges along the length of the river last month to prepare for the bridge lifts that will be required once the spring boating season begins.

Every spring and fall, workers raise the movable bridges along the Main and South Branches of the river twice weekly — on Saturdays and Wednesdays — to accommodate recreational boats traveling to and from their storage yards.

During these “boat runs,” the bridges — all 27 between Ashland and Lake Shore Drive — are raised sequentially, typically one at a time. Each bridge lift takes an average of 8-12 minutes.