The recently-re-opened section under “Block 37” of the City’s pedway system is a bright addition to the downtown area and another step toward keeping downtown economically vital, Mayor Richard M. Daley said today.

“While many other cities have seen their downtowns fade away over the last half century, Chicago’s keeps getting better and busier despite the recession,” Daley said in a news conference held in the new retail corridor that connects Dearborn and State Streets between Randolph and Washington Streets.

The new section of pedway includes retail shops and kiosks and provides a connection between the CTA’s Red and Blue lines for pedestrians. Since it opened in November, an estimated 90,000 pedestrians have used it each week.

“Those of you who remember what this passageway was like before know what a huge difference there is now. The old pedway was narrow and not well-lit,” Daley said.

“It has been replaced with a bright and roomy space that will attract pedestrians and once again make it possible to walk underground from City Hall and the Thompson Center all the way over to Columbus Drive,” he said.

He said the redevelopment agreement for Block 37 required the developer to re-open the pedway and even with the project’s recent difficulties, the City has worked to make sure that was done.

The new section replaces the oldest part – built in 1951 -- of the City’s five-mile long system of underground tunnels.