The Wells Street Bridge over the Chicago River was built in 1922. Standing east of the Franklin Street Bridge and southeast of the Merchandise Mart, the bascule bridge connects the Near North Side with "The Loop." The bridge is double decked, the lower deck carrying 3 lanes of traffic south over the river with sidewalks on both sides of the street. The upper deck serves as a bridge for the Chicago Transit Authority's Brown and Purple lines. Control houses for controlling the bridge are on the northwest and southeast corners of the bridge.

The bridge was constructed during the first term of William Hale Thompson. The Chicago Plan Commission and Chicago Art Commission provided design input to architect E.H. Bennett.