The State Street Bridge Turns 65
By Chuck Sudo in News on May 28, 2014 4:15PM
DNAInfo Chicago reports the State Street Bridge turns 65 today. The bridge, spanning one of the oldest continuous river crossings in the city, opened May 28, 1949 as the Bataan-Corregidor Memorial Bridge and dedicated to World War II veterans who fought in the Philippines.
The dedication states:
”To the memory of those gallant heroes, from the Chicago Area who were members of the besieged garrison on the Bataan Peninsula and at Corregidor, Philippine Islands, in World War II. May the courage and fortitude displayed by this group in the face of adversity be a constant inspiration to our citizens.”
The website HistoricBridges.org states construction on the bridge began as early as 1942 but wasn’t completed for seven years due to steel shortages from World War II and ongoing construction of what is now known as the Red Line subway. The bridge’s main span is 245 feet in length and 307 feet long overall. It’s one of the widest Bascule bridges in Chicago and can accommodate eight lanes of traffic.