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'It's a Mess': Runners, Cyclists Maneuver Badly Damaged Lakefront Path

By Josh McGhee | November 2, 2014 1:18pm
 The worst parts of the trail included huge holes, stacked chunks of concrete and a dislodged gate after waves damaged the lakefront path Friday.
Lakefront path damaged
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CHICAGO — Abby Sachs' Sunday morning run on the lakefront was part jogging, part calisthenics.

"There's pieces of concrete all over. It's up there. It's that way. It's everywhere. It's terrible," said Sachs, who ran 8 miles along the lakefront path, which was heavily damaged by waves Friday.

Sachs, 27, of Buena Park, started her workout at Irving Park Road, jogging south to meet her running mate, Amanda Collins, in Lakeview, then running to North Avenue Beach.

"It didn't get bad until about Fullerton," Sachs said.

Collins, 26, said maneuvering the path was problematic and dangerous.

"I almost broke my ankle," said Collins, 26, of Lakeview. "It made me sad. Over there, it's all sad."

Despite police barricades and signs warning that part of the trail was closed, cyclists, joggers and dog walkers confronted the worst parts of the trail, which included giant holes, stacked chunks of concrete and a dislodged gate that used to separate the trail from Lake Shore Drive.

"It's bad. It's a mess," said Cathleen Edwards, of Streeterville, as she walked her dog along the trail.

"[The concrete] is loose. Big chunks are loose. If you step on one end, the other will pop up," Edwards said.

The destruction was evident from Fullerton Beach all the way to around the bend at Oak Street Beach. A Chicago Park District spokeswoman said repairs would begin Monday.

UPDATE: Crews started repairing the path Monday morning. Photos and more here.

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