BUCKTOWN, Chicago – After more than a year of vehicle shutdown on the 124‑year‑old Cortland Street bridge, Aldermen Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) and Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward) announced they will introduce a city‑council ordinance this month to rescind the bridge’s landmark status. The move is intended to speed the replacement of the bridge and restore a faster route for drivers traveling between Bucktown and Lincoln Park.
Why the landmark status matters
Designated a Chicago landmark for over three decades, the Cortland bridge is a classic fixed‑trunnion bascule structure – the “Chicago style” that city engineers pioneered in 1902 and that later inspired similar bridges worldwide. Preservationists argue that the landmark designation safeguards an important piece of the city’s engineering heritage.
Current delays and community impact
The Chicago Department of Transportation closed the bridge to cars in 2025 for a long‑term rehabilitation originally slated for 18‑24 months. New structural issues discovered this summer have pushed the timeline out to an indeterminate number of years, leaving no firm completion date. Pedestrians and cyclists can still cross, but drivers describe the shutdown as a “nightmare” that creates a cascading congestion pattern across the North Side, especially as nearby Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street crossings remain closed.
“The domino effect of cascading congestion that has fanned out from Cortland is just untenable,” Hopkins said. “It’s creating extreme congestion all over the North Side and impacts people’s quality of life.”
Aldermen’s proposal
Hopkins and Waguespack say removing the landmark protections – a step not taken in Chicago for 40 years – would give the city greater flexibility to design and construct a modern replacement bridge. “The time has come to replace that bridge,” Hopkins said. While they acknowledge state and federal historic‑preservation rules still apply, they argue the ordinance would prevent the landmark designation from becoming an additional obstacle.
Waguespack added that building a second bridge nearby would likely require acquiring private land, adding significant cost to an already expensive project that could run into the tens of millions of dollars.
Preservationists’ concerns and alternative ideas
Preservation Chicago, led by executive director Ward Miller, warns that rescinding the landmark could set a dangerous precedent for future historic structures. “Do we want to open the door to suddenly removing buildings or structures from landmarks? That could be a huge embarrassment,” Miller said, recalling the 1980s removal of the McCarthy Building.
Instead, Miller and other preservation advocates suggest either building a new bridge adjacent to the existing one – allowing cars to use the new span while pedestrians retain the historic bridge – or repurposing the old structure elsewhere, such as incorporating it into the planned extension of the 606’s Bloomingdale Trail.
Local voices weigh in
Long‑time Bucktown resident and board member of the Bucktown Community Organization, Steve Jensen, proposes a “three R’s” solution: remove, relocate, and replace. He envisions dismantling the bridge, moving it to another tributary or the Bloomingdale Trail, and constructing a larger, modern bridge at Cortland for vehicle traffic.
Jensen also raised concerns about first‑responder access and the impact on families picking up children, emphasizing the bridge’s role in everyday community life.
Future development context
The debate unfolds as the massive Foundry Park megadevelopment prepares to break ground next door, promising thousands of new apartments that could further strain traffic if the bridge remains closed.
City officials say that even without landmark removal, the Department of Transportation must still navigate state and federal preservation regulations, which could limit how quickly a replacement proceeds.
What’s next?
The proposed ordinance will be debated at the upcoming city‑council meeting. If passed, Chicago would be the first city in four decades to revoke a landmark designation, potentially reshaping how historic infrastructure is managed amid growing transportation demands.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
