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Fall Bridge Lifts On Chicago River Begin This Week

Boats pass under the Michigan Avenue bri

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The fall Chicago River bridge lift is the annual tradition on the Chicago River, a sign that summer is officially over in the Windy City.

Fall Bridge Lifts On Chicago River Begin This Week

"It usually marks the start of the end of the boating season," said Chicago Department of Transportation spokesman Pete Scales.

Scales says every spring and fall, it raises the movable bridges along the Main and South branches of the Chicago River for boats traveling to their winter homes.

"This fall there are 27 bridges that we lift in succession starting at Lake Shore Drive and going all the way to Ashland Avenue on the South Branch," said Scales.

During the so called boat runs, the bridges are raised sequentially, one at a time. Each bridge lift takes about 8-12 minutes.

They will be done every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and every Saturday at 9 a.m. through mid-November.

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