Quote:
Originally Posted by left of center
I don't think they are that old. I remember them being installed in the early to mid 2000's, when they did some work on that stretch of the Kennedy. They removed several left hand side on-ramps, as well as added the red railings with the stars from the Chicago flag in the metalwork.
I remember with some fondness the 300-500 feet given for cars to either merge or die when getting on 90/94. They were particularly rough during rush hour.
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The Madison overpass was done up for the '96 convention, since delegates had to go from downtown to the United Center, and Madison was still something of a Skid Row. That's also when Daley put in the median planters on Madison.
Later on, IDOT and CDOT renovated the other overpasses one by one using the same design.
The rust is a shame, it's a poor design that traps moisture and salt and can't be cleaned - but the faded colors are simply a result of inevitable UV damage. The Damen bridge over the North Branch, and the Puerto Rican flags on Division had the same problem, you can't really paint steelwork red unless you're prepared to repaint it constantly. The Golden Gate Bridge in SF is continuously being repainted.