A long-awaited pedestrian bridge connecting Bronzeville to the lakefront looks to be back on track, after higher-than-expected costs and the state's refusal to contribute extra funds prompted the city to put construction on hold earlier this month. On Monday, transportation commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld told the Chicago Tribune that the city would use alternative funding sources to account for the additional $2 million it was hoping to get from the state.
Construction of the the 41st Street bridge is expected to begin later this spring, according to the city, but no official start date has been set. The 1,472-foot structure is one of two new pedestrian bridges planned for the area. The other—a replacement for an existing bridge at 43rd Street—also has a 2017 construction date.
Together, both projects were designed to give Bronzeville-area residents greater access to Lake Michigan and other lakefront amenities. The structures will be ADA compliant and span Lake Shore Drive and several adjacent railroad tracks. The first of five projects to improve access between Bronzeville and the lakefront—a pedestrian bridge at 35th Street—was completed in November. At the time, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the new bridges will help improve the health of the South Side community and its residents. "It also brightens the future of Bronzeville and builds on the great momentum we’re seeing throughout the community,” the mayor added.
The project is further proof that, despite of the continuing Illinois budget battle in Springfield, Chicago remains that city that works.
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