312 River Run is one of the newest parks and it has the city’s longest pedestrian riverfront bridge. The 1,000-foot winding pathway juts out over the river’s edge and connects to the Riverview Bridge. It’s much more than other linear public spaces like The 606 or the Riverwalk—this piece of infrastructure connects two large parks, Clark Park and Horner Park, on opposite sides of the North Branch.

In 2006, the North Avenue Bridge near Goose Island was deteriorating. At the time, steel was too expensive so welding another bascule bridge was out of the question. The length was too short for suspension bridge and a cable-stayed bridge would have had towers that blocked the skyline too much. So, engineers developed a hybrid suspension and cable bridge which was completed in 2008.

The original Chicago Avenue Bridge from 1914 is no longer. The historic ponty truss bascule bridge was in bad shape, and could not be saved or even given away for free. Currently, there’s a temporary concrete bridge bearing the old bridge’s sign—construction on a new bridge will begin in 2021.

This bridge was one of the most important Public Works Administration projects in Chicago—spanning over the mouth of the Chicago River it is the link between the North Side and South Side. The hulking, double-decker bascule bridge was finally completed in 1937. Some say it was the longest and widest bascule bridge in the world, which is an impressive feat for such a heavy style.

The bridges across the downtown stretch of the Chicago River, between Michigan Avenue and Orleans Street, are some of the most iconic. It’s what comes to mind when you think of Chicago bridges. Most of these bridges are more than 90 years old, except for the Dearborn Street bridge which was constructed in 1962. These are excellent examples of Chicago’s bascule bridges—essentially a moveable bridge that lifts up with the help of a counterweight. What’s especially noteworthy are the bridge-tender towers at each end which have designs that incorporate Art Deco, Beaux-Arts and Modernism styles.

This pedestrian bridge is striking—the silver, scaley squiggle reaches over six lanes of traffic. The playful structure allows people to cross from Millennium Park into Maggie Daley Park. It was designed by Frank Gehry, the same architect responsible for the Pritzker Pavilion, and completed in 2004.

This vertical-lift bridge is a designated Chicago landmark. Rather than lifting open from one side, like a bascule bridge, the entire center part of the bridge was raised to let ships through. At the time of operation, it could lift 111 feet in the air in 45 seconds. During the peak of Chicago manufacturing in the early 1900s, the bridge was crossed by about 300 trains and raised 45 times per day.

This blue, snake-like structure looks as if it was caught mid-slither. The innovative bridge is more than interesting design—it is a critical connector to the lakefront for South Side neighborhoods. On the North Side, there is a way to get to the lakefront every few streets. Until this bridge was built, residents would have to walk quite far to access the Lake Michigan on foot. The 1,500-foot bridge sweeps over multiple lanes of traffic, Metra Electric tracks, and a CN railroad track making more parks and beaches accessible.

There are a few notable bridges in Jackson Park including one that was originally constructed for the World’s Fair. However, we’d like to point out the charming wooden footbridges in the Japanese Gardens. Compared to the rest of the bridges on this list, they are much tinier and easy to miss. While they don’t do the heavy lifting of a bascule bridge, they are still significant. There’s something peaceful about their organization and how the silhouette hops over the lagoon.