Editing Wacker Drive (section)

{{Short description|Major street in Chicago, Illinois}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox street
|name= Wacker Drive
|image=Chicago (ILL), Michigan-Wacker Historic District - " Wacker drive " (4824641365).jpg
|caption=Upper Wacker Drive, looking west from Michigan Avenue
|image_map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|type=line|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Wacker Drive}}}}
|map_caption=Wacker Drive highlighted in red
|former_names= Market Street<br>Water Street<br>River Street
|length_mi= 2.2
|length_ref= <ref name=google_maps>[https://maps.google.com Google Maps] estimate.</ref>
|inauguration_date= 1926
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a= '''Upper Wacker:''' Franklin Street/Harrison Street intersection (360 west at 424 south)<br/>
'''Lower Wacker:''' [[Ida B. Wells Drive]] near Wells Street (220 west at 400 south)
|direction_b=East
|terminus_b={{jct|state=IL|US|41|name1=[[Lake Shore Drive]]}} (340 north at 400 east)
}}

'''Wacker Drive''' is a major [[Multilevel streets in Chicago|multilevel street]] in [[Chicago]], Illinois, running along the south side of the main branch and the east side of the south branch of the [[Chicago River]] in the [[Loop, Chicago|Loop]].<ref name=SCWD>Hayner, Don and Tom McNamee, ''Streetwise Chicago'', "Wacker Drive", p. 129., [[Loyola University Press]], 1988, {{ISBN|0-8294-0597-6}}</ref>  The vast majority of the street is [[Multilevel streets in Chicago|double-decked]]; the upper level is intended for regular street-level traffic, and the lower level for service vehicles, deliveries, waste collection, utility access, and through traffic. It is sometimes cited as a precursor to the [[freeway]], though when it was built, the idea was that [[Cruising (driving)|pleasure vehicle]]s would use the upper level. Since it follows the curving path of the Chicago River, Lower Wacker Drive is the only street in the city that adopts both North–South and East–West designations.{{efn|The western portion of the street is called North Wacker Drive and South Wacker Drive, while the northern portion is called West Wacker Drive and East Wacker Drive.}}  In certain areas, there is a third level of Wacker Drive, often known as '''Lower Lower Wacker Drive''' or '''Sub-Lower Wacker Drive'''. This additional layer is primarily used for towing and impounding vehicles, utility infrastructure, and rail access in some areas. The street is named after early 20th-century Chicago businessman and city planner [[Charles H. Wacker]].