CHICAGO — Residents celebrating the Fourth of July on the lakefront will once again be able to use the North Avenue pedestrian bridge, according to the city.
The popular people mover connecting the east side of Lincoln Park to the lakefront will reopen Thursday after being closed for more than two months for a rehabilitation of the bridge, said Mike Claffey, spokesman for the city's Department of Transportation.
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North Avenue bridge has been closed since April 11 so crews could redo the concrete floor as well as make structural enhancements to the bridge, Claffey said. The $1 million project is on schedule and on budget, he said.
"It was deteriorating and it needed to be rehabilitated," he said. "It's back in good shape."
Construction cause temporary, overnight lane closured on Lake Shore Drive.
Built in 1940, the bridge has become one of the most popular access points to the lakefront, according to the Tribune, citing transportation advocacy organization Active Transportation Alliance.
The bridge last received major work in 1991, according to Claffey.
Workers made sure to get the bridge open for the holiday weekend, when North Avenue Beach becomes an even more popular destination, Claffey said.
Until then, pedestrians are asked to use the underpass near LaSalle Drive.
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