A planned “flyover” aimed at unblocking a bottleneck on the lakefront path for cyclists, joggers and in-line skaters near Navy Pier was approved Thursday by the city’s plan commission.
Construction for the $40 to $45 million project could begin in spring 2012, said Brian Steele, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Transportation. The city has already secured $34 million of that pricetag in federal funds.
The idea is to separate lakefront recreational traffic from daily pedestrian traffic, which is currently all funneled along a narrow sidewalk on the lower level of the Lake Shore Drive Bridge across the Chicago River.
$34 million in federal money leaves around $6 - 11 million in city tax money located. Add in the regular 10% cost overruns for anything built in Chicago and there's $15 million Shortshanks just pulled out of his ass.