Wells Street Bridge (Chicago)

Wells Street Bridge
Wells Street Bridge raised to allow sailboats to pass
Coordinates	41°53′15″N 87°38′02″W / 41.88750°N 87.63389°W / 41.88750; -87.63389
Carries	Automobiles Elevated Trains Pedestrians
Crosses	Chicago River
Locale	Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Official name	Wells Street Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Double-deck, double-leaf bascule bridge
Total length	231 feet[1]
Width	72 feet[1]
Longest span	268 feet[1]
Clearance above	16 feet[1]
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks	2
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrified	Third rail, 600 V DC
History
Designer	E. H. Bennett
Opened	February 11, 1922
Rebuilt	2012-2013
Location

The Wells Street Bridge is a bascule bridge over the Chicago River, in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States, which was built in 1922. Standing east of the Franklin Street Bridge and southeast of the Merchandise Mart, the bridge connects the Near North Side with "The Loop". The bridge is double-decked, the lower deck carrying three lanes of traffic south over the river with sidewalks on both sides of the street. The upper deck serves as a bridge for the Chicago Transit Authority's Brown and Purple lines. Bridge tenders' houses for controlling the bridge are on the northwest and southeast corners of the bridge.