Sight And Sound Of Spring: Chicago's Bridges Go Up And Down
CHICAGO (CBS) - Chicago has more movable bridges than any other city in the world, including about 20 downtown.
Every Wednesday and Saturday until the end of June, the bridges will go up and down.
Drivers may hate the "ding, ding, ding" sound, as Chicago bridges open and close, but for boaters, it means a passage to paradise.
The orchestrated lifting of bridges allows taller boats to pass from the Chicago River to Lake Michigan.
Canal, Harrison, and Jackson are just three of the bridges in downtown Chicago that open to allow boats to pass.
Margaret Frisbie is the Executive Director of Friends of the River. The group runs the McCormick Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum, which spreads across five floors at the Southwest end of the Dusable bridge over Michigan Avenue.
"A highlight for museum visitors: seeing the bridge open and close, close up," said Frisbie. "If you're in this crazy space under Michigan Avenue, clanging noise, people looking down, [it's an] amazing thing. There's magic and pageantry to the way it happens."
The museum opens for the season Saturday, which is also "Chicago River Day."
A lot of activities are planned throughout the city and suburbs to help protect, enjoy, and learn about the Chicago River.
