Less than a year after Chicago transportation officials capped off a $200 million overhaul of Wacker Drive that was supposed to last a century, cracks have appeared in the limestone posts that hold up the rail.
Workers now will have to replace at least 132 stone balusters–which are vertical, urnlike pieces–that hold up the balustrades lining the sidewalk along the Chicago River near Michigan Avenue, said Brian Steele, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Transportation.
The cracks pose no danger to passersby, and they do not affect the structural integrity of the nearly milelong stretch of rebuilt roadway that extends along Wacker from Michigan to Randolph Street, Steele said. Cracks in the balusters, which, along with the balustrade, are designed to evoke the road’s original Beaux-Arts style, are the first report of damage at the project, Steele said.
“There are 132 balusters that have surface cracks–they’re not all the way through the stone,” Steele said. “There is no risk of these pieces cracking, or coming lose or falling off. I don’t want people to think that these are structural issues. These are purely decorative.”
The department is trying to find out from the contractor, which used newly cut limestone for the balusters, how they were damaged, Steele said. Representatives at Walsh Construction, the contractor, did not immediately respond Wednesday to messages seeking comment.
An architect with the department went to inspect the balusters Wednesday morning for damage, Steele said. The architect made yellow markings at the base of the balusters and at other damaged pieces for Walsh representatives. The contractor agreed to pay for the costs of replacing any new damaged limestone, Steele said
City officials said reconstruction of the double-deck road, launched in February 2001, was to permanently fix crumbling concrete and eliminate dangerous turns. New layers of high-performance concrete and a reinforcing bar supporting the road were supposed to withstand modern-day shocks and pressure and last 100 years.
The Wacker project also was touted as restoring the road to its past glory and bringing Chicagoans closer to their city’s history.
Completed in late 2003, the reconstruction is one of several ambitious projects aimed at transforming the riverfront between Michigan and State Street along Wacker.
At an estimated cost of $3.5 million, the city plans to build Wabash Plaza, a river-level plaza between Wabash Avenue and State Street, which will feature a Vietnam War veteran’s memorial. The Department of Transportation also will spend an estimated $40 million to $50 million to build a riverwalk from Michigan Avenue to Lake Street.
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Compiled from news services and edited by Lara Weber (lweber@tribune.com) and alBerto Trevino (atrevino@tribune.com)
