North Avenue, In Suspense

By Margaret Lyons in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 21, 2007 6:20PM

After months of anticipation, the $21,400,000 suspension bridge that's gradually been taking form at North Avenue appears to be nearing completion. This morning, for the first time since construction began in mid-2006, traffic is actually passing over the bridge, instead of being diverted to the temporary bridge that sits just to the south.

For those that haven't been following the process, construction began in June of 2006 on the new hybrid suspension/cable-stayed bridge, which crosses the Chicago River at North Avenue. The bridge will be one of the first such hybrid systems in the country, and it was chosen due to space constraints, structural integrity, and because it's pretty sweet to look at. Traffic is still limited to two lanes, but when it's completed, the bridge will serve two luxurious lanes in each direction, in addition to two bike lanes and sidewalks. -- Mark Boyer

rpatrickmohrphotography captures the bridge in all its festive glory