Construction has begun on a new pedestrian bridge connecting Bronzeville with Lake Michigan.
Rendering of the new 35th Street Pedestrian Bridge, courtesy of exp.
The current bridge is a rusted relic of the area’s past. The new design is sleek, modern, and very visible as an architectural landmark with its cable-stayed design. Its long approaches and span curve gently as they cross Metra and Canadian National railroad tracks as well as South Lake Shore Drive before arriving at the lakefront.
The long, languid design will allow people with disabilities to cross the transportation chasm for the first time. The current bridge is completely inaccessible to anyone who cannot climb several flights of stairs to mount its concrete deck.
The bridge was designed by the Canadian firm Exp. You may know Exp from such projects as the Keystone XL Pipeline project, or less controversially, the main post office in suburban Glenview.
Watch the video above to get a better idea of what 23 million of your tax dollars can build.
Drawing of the new 35th Street Pedestrian Bridge, courtesy of exp.
