CHICAGO, May 15, 2002 — With the first phase of the Animal Bridge renovation complete, the east-west waterway under the historic structure officially opens today for summer boat traffic, the Chicago Department of Transportation announced today.
The waterway had been closed since the end of the 2001 boating season to facilitate disassembly of the bridge's stone façade. At the same time, southbound Lake Shore Drive (Coast Guard Drive) over the bridge was closed to vehicle traffic.
South Lake Shore Drive, all routes through Jackson Park, and adjacent parking lots opened last Friday (May 10) for the summer. Next fall, crews will return to Jackson Park to demolish and eventually rebuild the bridge with a new interior structure and restored exterior.
Construction work on other parts of the Drive north of Jackson Park will begin later this month or in early June and continue throughout the summer.
The City of Chicago, Illinois Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration are investing $162 million in the South Lake Shore Drive Reconstruction Project, with much of the funding coming from the Illinois FIRST program.
For more project information, please call 311 in Chicago or visit the project website at www.cityofchicago.org/Transportation.
