Navy Pier Flyover Lakefront Trail
TYLin provided professional construction engineering services for the Navy Pier Flyover Lakefront Trail Improvements project for the Chicago Department of Transportation in Illinois.
Project benefits include separating 25,000 daily lakefront trail users from vehicular traffic and street closings for the Navy Pier entertainment complex on Chicago’s Lake Michigan shoreline.
The project was constructed in three phases, with the first two phases extending from the north end of Jane Addams Park to the north end of the Chicago River Bridge. The third phase, which spans the Chicago River, connected the existing trail on the south side to the new “flyover” path on the north side.
Construction included a new, steel single-column structure and modifications to existing structures, along with new ramps, approaches, retaining walls, stairs, drainage systems, and Americans with Disabilities (ADA)-compliant connection points.
The project also included the rehabilitation of the Lake Shore Drive bascule bridge over the Chicago River. Scope included modifying the existing bridge houses to repair the 1930s-era limestone façade, replacing 1980s-era vintage electrical controls, and widening movable sidewalk segments to keep the trail from conflicting with the bridge houses during bridge openings.
Project Highlights:
- The project successfully constructed an elevated multiuse path through a heavily congested lakefront and urban area.
- Path improvements incorporated aesthetic landscaping and architectural elements.
- TYLin oversaw the removal and disposal of any special or radioactive waste in areas identified as having the potential for contamination.
- The project included extensive traffic maintenance, trail detours, and temporary pavements to allow full and complete open trail and roadway access for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles.
Image credit: Blueprint22 Photography