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Riverwalk construction shifting to architectural elements

Photo by Steven Dahlman

(Above) Construction workers on Friday prepare an area of the Chicago Riverwalk between State and Dearborn for its main pathway and steps that will lead down to the river. (Click on images to view larger versions.)

7-Dec-14 – Most of the larger structural work on the Chicago Riverwalk between State and Clark Streets is finished, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation. Workers are now focused on installing smaller architectural elements.

Concrete work continues west of Clark Street – but east of Clark, they are installing parts such as walkways and the granite that will decorate vertical surfaces along the Riverwalk. Windows on the south edge will be installed over the next week.

Below the Clark Street Bridge, workers will install the surface on which visitors will travel when the Riverwalk opens in March from State to LaSalle, along with the canopy over the pathway. A guardrail will be installed under the Dearborn Street Bridge.

Other work includes installing concrete blocks, walls and interior finishes to the restrooms, and electrical conduits. More forms will be built to make concrete for the other walls, stairs, and ramps. And water still needs to be pumped out of spaces between old and new river walls.

Photo by Steven Dahlman (Left) Closer view of construction on west side of State Street Bridge. The blocks at lower left are pre-cast and lowered into place by crane.