DOWNTOWN — The Chicago Avenue Bridge and the nearby Halsted Street viaduct will be replaced by the end of 2026.
Plans for the bridge replacement and improvements for the Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street intersection were revealed for the first time at a community meeting Tuesday night in River West. The bridge and intersection sit next to where Bally’s permanent casino will be constructed at 777 W. Chicago Ave.
The plans include fully replacing the temporary river bridge and its foundation along Chicago Avenue, which was installed as a short-term fix in 2018. Chicago Avenue and Halsted streets will also get a makeover, including new bus-only lanes.
But neighbors and public transportation advocates want the changes to prioritize bus routes and better safety initiatives.
Construction of the bridge is slated to take nine to 12 months, during which the bridge will be completely closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Once completed, the bridge will include four lanes of traffic, bridge lighting and an updated riverwalk connection underneath.
The bridge will have the ability to be raised to 40 feet if needed, a request that was made by the Coast Guard, said Soliman Khudeira, Chicago Department of Transportation project manager.
Street improvements will be made on Chicago Avenue from Green Street to Larrabee Street and along Halsted Street from Anacona Street north to the Chicago River. This includes replacing the road and all of the street lights within these areas.
Improvements include the addition of raised bike lanes on Halsted Street, a bus-only lane in the southbound portion of Halsted Street and a bus lane in the westbound portion of Chicago Avenue.
Neighbors and public transportation advocates were not enthusiastic about the plan, saying more needs to be done to prioritize public and bike transportation.
Top concerns were directed at the lack of physical separation between the elevated bike lane and the pedestrian part of the sidewalk. Although there would be painted lines and colors to visually separate the two, some neighbors worried pedestrians would overrun the sidewalk and take over the bike lane during busy times. Some residents also pushed for bike traffic signals for improved cyclist safety.
Others pushed for the inclusion of dedicated bus lanes throughout the entire project, not just in the west and southbound lanes of the project’s footprint.
Chicago Avenue is home to bus route 66, which spans Navy Pier to Austin. The 66 bus sees over 22,000 riders daily and has been graded an “F” by the Active Transportation Alliance for its slowness due to traffic congestion. While traveling through Downtown, the bus averages about 5.2 mph, according to the advocacy group.
Several meeting attendees pointed to these statistics while asking CDOT to incorporate updates that would favor and improve bus route efficiency.
“I like a lot of what you’re showing. … I don’t see any meaningful bus improvements really here,” said one resident.
“There should be full exclusive bus lanes on both streets made throughout this whole project. Anything less than that is kind of a shame,” said another resident.
Khudeira said he and his colleagues have consulted with the CTA and would consider the suggestions. He and another CDOT official said they are trying to incorporate what they can with the limited space allowed by the new bridge. The city is unable to widen the bridge due to the buildings on the east side of the river and the size of the retention walls on the west side.
“We are taking notes. … We are in the design stage and we will make changes as feasible,” Khudeira said to the group of about 30 residents.
Street improvements along Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street will happen in two stages so the entire intersection does not need to close. Car traffic across the Chicago Avenue bridge will be temporarily rerouted to Division Street and Grand Avenue.
Construction is slated to start in late 2024 and will be completed by the end of 2026. CDOT will coordinate with Bally’s Chicago to make sure there is no disruption to the timeline, Khudeira said.
Work on the permanent, $1.7 billion Bally’s casino is scheduled to begin this year and be completed by 2026.
Currently, $65 million has been secured for the project through the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and local TIF funding.
A second public meeting on the street and bridge project will be held virtually by city delegate agency North Branch Works at 10 a.m. Feb. 15. The meeting will be roughly 75 minutes and feature the latest updates on various projects in the area including the Chicago Avenue Bridge, Bally’s Casino and more.
Khudeira and his team will receive public comments and suggestions related to the project through Feb. 23. Those with feedback or questions should send them to soliman.khudeira@cityofchicago.org.
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