Be extra careful on bridges today, they're icing over

Like the title says, the metal grates are much worse than normal. I went down on Dearborn and the bridge was so slick I could barely stand up and walk off.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on January 13, 2013 at 8:26am

and remember the trails, like bridges, can have ice even when everything else is thawing.  

A family member had to have a hip replacement due to a fall on a trail friday morning  :((

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 13, 2013 at 9:35am

I'm glad your fall wasn't worse.

It's slick on the south side, too.  I hope that nobody has to go out in this slip-and-slide tonight.  

To anyone who must go out, I wishing you safe travels.

Permalink Reply by David P. on January 13, 2013 at 11:59am

Glad you're OK, Cameron. My honey had the same thing happen to her this afternoon on the Webster bridge. Fortunately there was no traffic around when she fell, and she's bruised but OK. The Cortland bridge is OK.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on January 13, 2013 at 1:10pm

With it getting so much colder and the little bits of whatever precipitation is going around, looks like we will need to be extra careful in the morning, too.

Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on January 13, 2013 at 3:40pm

I almost took a nasty spill with my fully loaded bicycle on the Dearborn bridge. It is one big sheet of icy metal, I had to carefully walk across it to the end near Wacker.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on January 14, 2013 at 1:23am

Thanks, Juan.  I think I will just walk across from the beginning this morning. ;-)  Let's hope that the bright sunshine melts it today.

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on January 14, 2013 at 4:10am

Yes - thanks for the warnings everyone! The grates on Loomis were in the same condition this AM. I walked over them. I'm not sure I would have looked as carefully if I hadn't read these reports on the Chainlink!

The much hoped for plates however, are not necessarily going to solve the problem during weather like we are having now. The plates on the 18th St bridge in both directions are more or less covered with solid sheets of ice this morning.

This is a shot of the north side, which was in the sun. The south side was even worse:

I'm not at all opposed to plates. They usually make for a much nicer riding experience, but bridges are gonna be vulnerable to icing up no matter what the surface - and the plates, at least as they are configured on 18th, being non-permeable(?) , seem to hold a layer of water pretty well.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on January 14, 2013 at 5:26am

FWIW--So far this year the plates on Kinzie have been very well salted and there has not been an ice problem.

Permalink Reply by blair on January 14, 2013 at 5:54am

Agreed - I think the Kinzie plates are already being salted better than they were all last winter.  Actually, the entire lane has been better this year.  Salt is being distributed evenly instead of piles every 20-30 feet.

Lisa Curcio 4.0 mi said:

FWIW--So far this year the plates on Kinzie have been very well salted and there has not been an ice problem.

Permalink Reply by Bill Savage on January 14, 2013 at 8:34am

If you do the North Shore Channel Trail south of Devon, be extra careful on all of the underpasses: like bridges, they tend to be icy even when the trail on either side is clear.  The spot under Foster is a death-trap: there's a drain that is open onto the path, and it's a sheet of ice.

And fun with physics: why do bridges ice over when other roadways are clear?  Because they're exposed to the air above and below, and so they are colder than regular road surfaces, where only the top is open to the air. 

Ride Safely!

Permalink Reply by Stephanie Combs on January 17, 2013 at 1:20pm

So glad I found this blog, and I just signed up :) too bad I didnt read this before saturday night. I was riding down division on the metal grated bridge right before Halsted when I fishtailed, and fell...

I dragged my bike to the side as if it were a dead body and sat down. after finding blood all over my hands i looked down to find a very busted knee. I locked my bike to the bridge and took a cab to the nearest hospital where I got 10 stitches to my knee and two to my elbow.

I'm glad i walked away with just a metal grate tearing my knee, and not a bone, and also glad there was no oncoming traffic to hit me while I went down since i fishtailed to the left. Be careful out there this winter I HATE THOSE BRIDGES!!!

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on January 17, 2013 at 2:10pm

Stephanie, welcome to the Chainlink and sorry to hear about your fall.  You will at least find useful information here and often entertainment, too.

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