Multilevel streets in Chicago

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Service level South Water Street; there are three levels here

Downtown Chicago, Illinois, both north and south of the Chicago River, has some double-decked and even a few triple-decked streets, the most famous and longest of which is Wacker Drive. The upper levels usually serve local traffic, while the lower levels serve through traffic and trucks serving businesses along the roads.

The first raising occurred from 1855 to 1858, when streets and buildings were raised between four and seven feet above their former elevation, just a few feet above lake level, where they were constantly muddy. The higher elevation allowed for sewers and proper drainage [1]. However, this did not produce any two-level streets; the first of those was Michigan Avenue in the late 1910s.

When the Illinois Center development was built on the east side of downtown, a new upper level was built, making most streets in that area three levels.

[edit] List of streets

The Michigan Avenue Bridge crossing the Chicago River.

A map of many of the streets

A map of the rest of the streets

The following streets have double- or triple-decker sections:

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Beaubien Court
Columbus Drive (triple decker)
Hubbard Street
Illinois Street
La Salle Street
Lake Street (triple decker)
Lake Shore Drive (including a double-decker bridge over the Chicago River)
Michigan Avenue (including a double-decker bridge over the Chicago River)
Randolph Street (triple decker)
North Harbor Drive
Stetson Avenue (triple decker)
Wabash Avenue
Wacker Drive (triple decker)
Wacker Place
North Water Street
South Water Street (triple decker)

[edit] History

The double-decker Wabash Avenue was built in 1930. On January 3, 2005, the upper and lower levels were closed at Kinzie Street for reconstruction (in conjunction with the Trump Tower Chicago development). Completion is planned for late November 2005.