What bridge closure would cause the most chaos/disruption?

[kphoger]

So you wouldn't think of this right away as one but in the grand scheme of causing chaos traffic wise, the Lake Shore Dr bridge over the Chicago River. It's a double decker bridge that carries the quasi freeway of Lake Shore Dr AND the connection to Lower Wacker Dr (a hidden gem express route though the Loop). I magine if LSD was out of commission. All the traffic on LSD would be funneled onto Columbus Dr from Lower Wacker, Michigan Ave and the 90/94 Kennedy/Ryan Expy.

As I said, it would be a nightmare for Downtown Chicago traffic.

More of a problem than the Dan Ryan's bridge over the same river?

[NWI_Irish96]

So you wouldn't think of this right away as one but in the grand scheme of causing chaos traffic wise, the Lake Shore Dr bridge over the Chicago River. It's a double decker bridge that carries the quasi freeway of Lake Shore Dr AND the connection to Lower Wacker Dr (a hidden gem express route though the Loop). I magine if LSD was out of commission. All the traffic on LSD would be funneled onto Columbus Dr from Lower Wacker, Michigan Ave and the 90/94 Kennedy/Ryan Expy.

As I said, it would be a nightmare for Downtown Chicago traffic.

More of a problem than the Dan Ryan's bridge over the same river?

Both would be a nightmare, but the LSD bridge might be worse. With the DR bridge out, traffic can still take 55 to LSD to get downtown. LSD bridge out would dump all that traffic onto Michigan Ave. Ohio/Ontario may be the third worst Chicago River bridge to be out.

[kphoger]

Ohio/Ontario may be the third worst Chicago River bridge to be out.

I'm trying to figure out what rail bridge would be most disruptive to Chicago-based freight operations.

[NWI_Irish96]

Ohio/Ontario may be the third worst Chicago River bridge to be out.

I'm trying to figure out what rail bridge would be most disruptive to Chicago-based freight operations.

Not very familiar with freight operations but my very uneducated guess would be the one between 18th and Canal.

[kphoger]

I'm trying to figure out what rail bridge would be most disruptive to Chicago-based freight operations.

Not very familiar with freight operations but my very uneducated guess would be the one between 18th and Canal.

I'll suggest one of the ones at 75th & Greenwood (there's a bridge over each), as I believe that line connects Norfolk Southern's Park Manor and 47th Street yards—the latter of which is its busiest in the nation—to/from basically everywhere east of Chicago.