Chicago: East Wacker Drive How do you fix it?

[brett7three]

I walked on upper Wacker Drive to the East as far as I could to get a look at the Spire site and got so sick as to the POS that East Wacker Drive is, as far as an urban thouroughfare is. Disjointed, Disgusting, Dead Ending..... I spent the rest of the afternoon daydreaming how could you redesign and fix it?


So How?

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/d/d8/300px-Wacker_Drive,_3_levels.jpg

How about glass cladding on the sides of "Way Wacky Wacker Drive"?

Or better yet... emulate the bridge at Millenium Park with an undulating wall of mirrored glass made to look like stainless steel...

I don't know... just thoughts... and yes, it's pretty darn ugly the way it is today.:slob:

[Marcu]

How bout just a brick wall covered with ivy.

[harryc]

Ascetics aside ... the reason the upper deck dead ends is that it is meant for access to the Hilton. It was never planned to connect to the upper level of LSD.
Level 2 does connect with the lower deck of the LSD bridge.

Does anybody know if it will be extended to provide upper level access to the new towers being put in ?

And will the turn outs that were built with the new bridge be connected to the Chicago Spire ? ( you can see the curbs are set for access roads that have never existed ).

[Busy Bee]

Does anybody know if it will be extended to provide upper level access to the new towers being put in ?

I think that is what everyone would like to know.

[nomarandlee]

I am not sure what could be done but something needs to be. That is going to be glaring missing link to an amazing river in five years even more so then it is now. The site is too small I am guessing to put any kind of commercial or residential on it so I am not sure what could be done other then putting up a brick wall of some sort.

I posted another thread on SSC about the ramps on the south end leading up to the LSD bridge which are also a bit of a prominent eyesore though not as bad as this section of Wacker.

[SkokieSwift]

Line it with tall evergreens.

[Tom Servo]

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[Mr Man]

i vote tear the whole thing down and start over. and while we're at that let's do something about LSD!

Make no small plans. I like it! :cheers:

[Chicago3rd]

My idea is to create a landscaped terraced mutlilevel roadway. The upper level would be a considerably narrower three lane boulevard that would give access to all the building addresses. It would connect upper Michigan Avenue to South bound LSD. Then there would be a series of landscaped terraces, plazas, and fountains down to the next street level. This would be a 5 lane boulevard that would connect lower Michigan/Wacker to Columbus and tie into lower LSD. There would be a formal archway at the Columbus intersection, with a series of grand staircases ( one at Michigan and Wacker) and garden terraces that traverse down to a riverwalk promenade.

Actually like these great ideas! Just need to dead end Columbus at Randolph since I will be removing it from Grant Park.

[BaSa]

i vote tear the whole thing down and start over. and while we're at that let's do something about LSD!

I agree, the thing is an eyesore & something does need to be done about the LSD! ugghh!

It took me forever to get home going Northbound today. I know there was a Cubbies game today, but come on!

All right, I'll quit my complaining... At least I have the skyline & women to stare at while driving down it. :yes: