Chicago Skyway at
106th Street Viaduct Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
Client: Chicago Department of Transportation
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Construction Completed: 2005
Construction Cost: $39 Million (106th Street Viaduct), $250 Million (Total Project Cost)
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The original Chicago Skyway, opened to traffic in 1958, was built to connect the Dan Ryan Expressway to the Indiana Toll Road. The two most complex of its eight miles are made up of continuous bridge and viaduct structures approaching the Indiana state line. By the late 1990’s, more than 45,000 vehicles were traveling the Skyway every day; inspections revealed deterioration of its structures and roadway, as well as the corrosion, warping, and cracking of its structural components. In response to these concerns—and to mitigate excessive maintenance costs—the Chicago Department of Transportation implemented a $250 million improvement plan to completely overhaul the Skyway by 2005.
Challenge
In 2000 the Chicago Department of Transportation retained Bowman, Barrett & Associates to assess the condition of the 106th Street Viaduct (a one-mile elevated portion of the Skyway stretching southeast from Ewing Avenue and 100th Street to the Indiana state line). BB&A was also contracted to study alternatives and prepare plans for its rehabilitation.
The project presented a number of challenges:
- Before the commencement of construction, the Skyway was collecting more than $100,000 in daily revenue. For this reason, CDOT sought to minimize impacts on the Skyway’s users by calling for the project’s prompt completion, as well as for a means to maintain uninterrupted traffic flow throughout the construction period.
- Rehabilitation of the viaduct’s existing structure required improvements to both its safety and aesthetics. The City also stipulated that the new design must ultimately reduce the cost of maintaining the Skyway.
- The complex configuration of the 106th Street Interchange provided ineffective and overburdened access points to and from the Skyway; an alternative to the existing layout was necessary to improve the efficiency and safety of traffic operations for the intersection.
Details
Bowman, Barrett & Associates Inc. provided overall management of the project, including the design of the following elements:
- Removal and replacement of the existing structure with embankment and PCC pavement
- Construction of a tunnel at 105th Street for westbound ramp access
- Relocation and reconstruction of the eastbound off-ramp at 104th Street
- Rehabilitation of the existing structure at the Indiana state line
- Reconstruction of Indianapolis Boulevard including lighting, signals, and landscaping with a timed sprinkler system
- Extension of the Burnham Greenway bicycle trail and new adjacent parking lot
Benefits
- Safety: Ramp relocation, the creation of cul-de-sacs, and a signalized interchange improve safe access to the Skyway from Indianapolis Boulevard. Widening of the Skyway mainline now provides full-width shoulders. Construction of tunnel at 105th Street provides clearer sight lines for westbound access to the Skyway.
- Cost: Removal of the existing structure between Ewing Avenue/100th Street and the state line and replacing it with embankment and PCC pavement significantly reduced future maintenance costs for the same initial construction cost. Staged construction allowed for the owner’s uninterrupted collection of toll revenue, as well as continued use by patrons traveling the Skyway.
- Aesthetics: Aesthetic quality plays a major role in the community environment. The embankments and intersections involved in the reconstruction have all been completely landscaped, improving the aesthetics of the surrounding area. The design also included an extension of the Burnham Greenway north to 100th Street.
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