 In addition, each swing span required a large clearance around the bridge, preventing the development of docking facilities near the bridge.As open land along the Chicago River grew scarce, real estate and shipping companies grew increasingly critical of the swing spans.No progress was made on the issue until 1890, when the United States Congress gave the United States War Department the authorization to build new bridges over waterways, and to force changes to existing bridges that posed a hazard to navigation.