Lower Wacker at night (click to embiggen)
Finally, some progress on this project. The signs have been up, announcing the river walk, for several years, but nothing ever has seemed to happen.
Construction is scheduled to begin in July to literally bridge the riverwalk beyond the Wabash Avenue bridge to State Street.
It's an intermediary step toward eventually extending the riverwalk promenade west to Lake Street along the south bank of the river, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.
About five outdoor cafes that appeared for the first time last summer on the riverwalk since the reconstruction of Wacker Drive in 2001 and 2002 will be back again this year, along with a bicycle rental vendor and arts and crafts offerings, officials said.
The Daley administration's long-term goal is to transform the venue into a major tourist attraction, similar to the riverwalk in San Antonio, where restaurants, bars and shops flourish.
Officials have abandoned plans to introduce floating river barges featuring roving musicians and other entertainers.
[From Chicago Riverwalk extension to begin in July -- chicagotribune.com]
Merchandise Mart and Wacker Drive (click to embiggen)
Too bad there won't be bike lanes too, that would be sweet. For now, here is a graphic and map, explaining the details
The work set for this summer will involve building pedestrian "under-bridges" that will run the width of the Michigan and Wabash bridges above.and the fine print: funding not secured. Hmmm, might be a few more years before completion after all
The under-bridges will jut out slightly from the riverbank to provide a continuous riverwalk path.
The Michigan under-bridge will be built first. The Wabash under-bridge will be three feet wider than the 17-foot-wide under-bridge at Michigan in order to extend the riverwalk beyond the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Wabash Plaza and continue the pathway to State Street, Woods said.
Year's end is the completion date for both under-bridges.
The under-bridges will be covered by stainless steel canopies to prevent trash, dirt or anything else from raining down on the people below street level.
The total cost of the two under-bridges is estimated at $8 million to $10 million, according to CDOT. The city will open the bids it has received this week, said CDOT spokesman Brian Steele.
The city has not yet secured the federal funding needed to complete the entire riverwalk. The current under-bridge project will be paid for out of the central Loop area tax-increment financing district, officials said.
Part of future financing might involve commercial naming rights.
A riverwalk development committee, a public-private partnership created by Mayor Richard Daley, is investigating options, officials said.
Chicago River where the pedestrian under-bridge will be located (click to embiggen)
