A construction crane collapsed in Edgewater Beach Oct. 6, 2021. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Trains were initially stopped at the Bryn Mawr station about 3:30 p.m. because of an “obstruction,” the CTA said in an alert.
Purple and Red Line service was delayed Wednesday afternoon in Edgewater Beach on the North Side after a large construction crane collapsed.
A crane operated by a private contractor toppled over in the 1100 block of West Bryn Mawr Avenue, knocking down power lines and crushing part of a vehicle, Chicago Fire District Chief John Gies told reporters at the scene.
A nearby building was partially evacuated out of precaution, but no injuries have been reported, Gies said, adding that the crane operator was not hurt.
Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
A construction crane collapsed in Edgewater Beach Oct. 6, 2021
Gies said it wasn’t immediately clear what caused the crane to collapse, and the cleanup process might take some time. Occupants of the evacuated building won’t be able to return until the crane is cleared, he said.
“It’s gonna take a while to rectify the crane because it’s a big piece of equipment that’s got to be taken apart,” Gies said.
Power has been shut off near the area, leaving some homes and businesses without electricity. Red and Purple Line trains were running but not stopping at the nearby Bryn Mawr station because of the collapse, the CTA said in an alert.
Conor Sullivan, who lives in the building that was evacuated, was working at home when he heard a large boom and felt his apartment shake.
He looked out his window and saw the overturned crane. Sirens and fire department crews then flooded the construction site minutes later, he said.
Sullivan said he and other occupants of the building were offered to be put up at a hotel if the area isn’t cleared soon.
Sullivan said that though he’s “really happy that they’re fixing up the Red Line,” the crane collapse might make him “a little more worried” about all of the construction.
Chicago Fire Department
A construction crane collapsed in Edgewater Beach Oct. 6, 2021.
