Editing Wacker Drive (section)

==History==
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 | footer    = Left: [[Navy Pier]]'s fireworks over [[Lake Michigan]] beyond the [[Chicago River]] and the [[Michigan Avenue Bridge|Michigan Avenue]] and [[Link Bridge]]s with East Wacker on right; Left center: [[Willis Tower]] at 233 South Wacker; Right center: [[333 West Wacker]] sits at the junction of east-west and north-south traffic; Right: [[360 North Michigan]] (Now the LondonHouse Hotel), [[Mather Tower]] and [[35 East Wacker]] on East Wacker west of [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]] and the [[Michigan Avenue Bridge]].
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 | image1    = 20090625 Fireworks from Sixteen at Trump Tower Chicago.jpg 
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 | alt2      = Skyward view from the foot of a skysraper that reads Willis Tower 233 South Wacker
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In 1909, [[architect]]s [[Daniel Burnham]] and [[Edward H. Bennett]] drew up a [[Burnham Plan|plan]] for the [[Commercial Club of Chicago]] to unify the city's urban design and increase its physical beautification. The improvement of traffic flow in [[Chicago]] was a major part of the plan. Among its many recommendations was a [[Multilevel streets in Chicago|double-decked roadway]] along the river, intended to relieve the congestion at River Street and [[Rush Street (Chicago)|Rush Street]], where 50% of the city's north&ndash;south traffic crossed the [[Chicago River]]. [[Charles H. Wacker]], chairman of the [[Chicago Plan Commission]], pushed the idea.

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 | image1    = Wacker Drive, 3 levels.jpg
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 | caption1  = All three levels of Wacker Drive, east of [[Columbus Drive (Chicago)|Columbus Drive]], including a ramp between the upper and lower (middle) levels
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 | caption2  = Wacker Drive to the south of the [[Chicago River]] looking east
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The original double-decker road, replacing South Water and River Streets, was completed in 1926 at a cost of $8 million and named after [[Charles Wacker]]. The 1926 section stretched from [[Lake Street (Chicago)|Lake Street]]<!--or was it Randolph Street? NY Times says Madison, but that was probably just the upper level--> to [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]], the latter of which was also rebuilt into a two-level road.

An extension south to [[Congress Parkway]] and Harrison Street was built between 1948 and 1954, replacing Market Street (after the [[Market Street stub (CTA)|Market Street stub]] of the [[Lake Street Elevated]] was removed).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://chicago-l.org/stations/market_term.html | title = Market Terminal | first = Graham | last = Garfield | publisher = Chicago-L.org | access-date=2008-01-04}}</ref> Extensions east were built in 1963 and 1975, with the latter taking it to [[Lake Shore Drive]], and a new lower level starting at Stetson Avenue. At the time, Lake Shore Drive had an [[reverse curve|S-curve]] at the river, running where Wacker now goes between Field Boulevard and current Lake Shore Drive. This S-curve was on a [[viaduct]] over the [[Illinois Central Railroad]]'s [[rail yard]], and was at the level of Upper Wacker; the middle and lower levels dead-ended at that point. The current alignment of Lake Shore Drive was finished in 1986, and in 1987 Middle Wacker was extended to meet the new alignment. The ramps to bring upper traffic down had already been built; upper has been dead-ended where it used to end at Lake Shore Drive.

[[Image:Revive Wacker Drive.png|frame|left|Logo for the 2001–2002 project]]In 2001–2002, Wacker Drive was redesigned and reconstructed between Michigan Avenue and Lake Street.  The original upper deck was crumbling, and the entire roadway did not meet modern standards for road widths and clearances.  Using a specially-developed [[post-tensioned concrete|post-tensioned]], [[reinforced concrete|reinforced]], high-performance concrete cast-in-place system, the new road deck was expected to have a lifespan of 75–100 years.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.roadsbridges.com/bridges/article/10582636/reviving-a-landmark | title=Reviving a Landmark | publisher=Roads and Bridges |date=October 2001| access-date=2022-01-13 }}</ref> Walkways along the river were meant to make the drive more pedestrian-friendly, while restoration of historic limestone elements and reproduction lighting evoked the drive's original 1926 appearance.  The 20-month, $200-million project was completed on time and within budget.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.eastlanddisaster.org/markerrededication.htm | title = Revive Wacker Drive project | year = 2003 | access-date=2008-01-04 }}</ref>

In spring of 2010, work commenced on rebuilding the north–south section of Wacker, from Randolph Street to Congress Parkway, including the upper and lower levels.  This is a continuation of the Revive Wacker Drive project started in 2001.

Wacker is the only street to intersect both [[State Street (Chicago)|State Street]] (the east&ndash;west center line) and [[Madison Street (Chicago)|Madison Street]] (the north&ndash;south center line), although Lake Shore Drive and LaSalle Street/Drive<ref>LaSalle Street is principally a north-south roadway. North of North Avenue however, LaSalle Drive runs generally east-west, intersecting with Clark Street, Stockton Drive, and Lake Shore Drive. Dearborn Parkway, State Parkway, and Astor Street do not exist north of North Avenue; LaSalle Drive crosses State Street/Parkway's 0-E/W meridian while transiting the southern edge of Lincoln Park.</ref> also each cross both dividing lines.

In April 2014, The [[American Council of Engineering Companies]] awarded the Wacker Drive and Congress Parkway Reconstruction project its Grand Conceptor Award. The project team was led by TranSystems and included roadway, bridge and tunnel improvement work. The project involved complex staging to keep 135,000 vehicles and 150,000 pedestrians moving through the construction zone each day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.transystems.com/Home/News-Press/In-The-Spotlight/Archive/TranSystems--Wacker-Drive-Reconstruction-Wins-Top.aspx|title=TranSystems - TranSystems' Wacker Drive Reconstruction Wins Top Honor from ACEC}}</ref>