1st fall ‘boat run’ bridge lift planned for Saturday on Chicago River

Bridge lifts are planned for the first day of fall on the Chicago River to allow recreational boats to make the journey from Lake Michigan to winter storage yards.

The first lift will occur at 9 a.m. Saturday, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.

The city’s 27 moveable bridges on the river will be raised in sequence twice a week from Lake Shore Drive to Ashland Avenue through Nov. 11, CDOT said. Bridges will be lifted at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesdays and at 9 a.m. on Saturdays.

Each year in the spring and fall, the city raises bridges along the main and south branches of the river to allow the boats passage. During the “boat runs” the bridges will lift in sequence, typically one at a time. Drivers can take an alternate route during the lifts or wait the average 8-12 minutes it takes for lifts to occur.

CDOT works with local boat storage yards to create a schedule to accommodate the boats. If no boats are scheduled on a particular day, the lifts will not occur.