Lakefront Trail separation in Lincoln Park underway

The ambitious project to separate the popular Chicago Lakefront Trail continues into 2017 with construction crews shifting their efforts on the stretch of path that runs through Lincoln Park. Starting May 22, the stretch of Lakefront Trail between Diversey Parkway and North Avenue will be closed to allows crews to begin separating the path for pedestrians and bicyclists. The stretch of trail between Oak and Ohio streets will also be under construction, however, traffic will be temporarily narrowed to one lane.

Work on separating the trail began on the South Side last year with crews separating a 1.5 mile stretch of existing path between 31st and 40th streets. The construction cost for this segment was estimated to be $1.8 million and was financed Chicago Park District’s capital improvement fund, while this year’s construction is being financed though a $12 million donation from billionaire hedge fund manager and Citadel founder Ken Griffin.

According to the city, approximately seven of Chicago’s 18 miles of Lakefront Trail will eventually be repaved and see improvements to finally separate cyclists from groups casual strollers.

• Lakefront Trail Separation Construction Continues from Fullerton to North Avenues and from Oak to Ohio Streets [City of Chicago]
• Work begins on dedicated bike lanes along Chicago’s busy Lakefront Trail [Curbed Chicago]