Pedway Under Randolph Street to Smurfit-Stone Building

The Chicago Pedway is a network of

tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...

s, ground-level concourses and

bridges A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whic ...

connecting skyscrapers, retail stores, hotels, and train stations throughout the central business district of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. With a length of more than 40 downtown blocks, it contains shops, restaurants, and public art and helps

pedestrians A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or Road surface, pavement, but this was not the case historically. The meaning of pedestrian is dis ...

in inclement weather. Most connections to the pedway are commercial or government buildings, including hotels. Columbus Plaza,

The Heritage at Millennium Park The Heritage at Millennium Park, located at 130 N. Garland Court in Chicago, Illinois is a mixed-use tower. Completed in 2005, with a height of and 57 floors, the building was designed by the architectural firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz (architects ...

, the Park Millennium, 200 North Dearborn Apartments, and

Aqua Aqua is the Latin word for water. It is used in many words which relate to water, such as aquatic life. In English, it may also refer to: Arts * Aqua (color), a greenish-blue color Business * Aqua (skyscraper), an 82-story residential skysc ...

are the only residential buildings connected to the pedway.

History

The oldest portions of the Pedway, aside from the interiors of some included buildings, are the corridors between

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

and Dearborn Streets, linking

Chicago Transit Authority The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of mass transit in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and some of its surrounding suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago 'L' and CTA bus service. In , the system had a ridership of , o ...

's Red Line and Blue Line stations at

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

and

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Streets and at Jackson Street. These were constructed with the subways; while the completion and outfitting of the Blue Line under Dearborn Street were interrupted by

rationing Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resources being distributed on a particular ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the two mezzanine connector tunnels were opened and linked the Red Line under State Street to the sidewalks of Dearborn Street. Construction on the pedway proper began in 1951 and has continued since then, especially after expansion was included in both 1968's '' Transit Planning Study: Chicago Central Area'' and the

Chicago 21 Plan The Chicago 21 Plan was a comprehensive development plan released in 1973 intended to revitalize the areas surrounding the Chicago Loop, Chicago's central business district. The 125-page document, subtitled "A Plan for the Central Area Communities ...

introduced in 1973. The smaller but more elaborate eastern section of the pedway, connecting the

Illinois Center Illinois Center is a mixed-use urban development in downtown Chicago, Illinois, USA, lying east of Michigan Avenue. It is notable in that the streets running through it have three levels. Elsewhere in Chicago, some streets have two levels, wit ...

buildings,

Hyatt Regency Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacat ...

, Fairmont Hotel, Swissôtel, and (later) Aqua, are indirectly accessible from the main (

Loop Loop or LOOP may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Loop (mobile), a Bulgarian virtual network operator and co-founder of Loop Live * Loop, clothing, a company founded by Carlos Vasquez in the 1990s and worn by Digable Planets * Loop Mobile, an ...

-centric) pedway network, as each is linked to one end of the

Metra Electric Line The Metra Electric District is an electrified commuter rail line owned and operated by Metra which connects Millennium Station (formerly Randolph Street Station), in downtown Chicago, with the city's southern suburbs. As of 2018, it is the fifth ...

rail platforms. Since the Regional Transportation Authority's removal of the turnstiles in November 2003, the two large pedway sections have been united by the platforms. The southern reach of the main network was reduced when the 2nd floor passage across Madison Street, linking

Three First National Plaza Three First National Plaza is a 57-story office tower in Chicago located at 70 West Madison Street. Completed in 1981, the building is one of the tallest in Chicago at . The building was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in a sawtooth shape ...

with Bank One Plaza (now Chase Tower), was removed after the two buildings restricted public access to upper levels. The tunnels between Chase Tower and Two First National Plaza remain but are closed to the general public. Chase Tower is still connected to the Blue Line subway and to the restaurant structure in the south-west corner of the adjoining Exelon Plaza, and public access is permitted during workday hours. In December 2013, 22 stained glass panels were installed on the wall opposite the entrance to

Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...

food court, in a collaboration with the

Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows was an exhibition that opened in February 2000 at Chicago’s Navy Pier entertainment complex. It permanently closed in October 2014. It was the first American museum dedicated solely to the art of stai ...

; these remain in place, although the museum has closed. The

Environmental Law and Policy Center The Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) is a Midwest-based non-profit environmental advocacy group, with offices in Chicago, Columbus (OH), Des Moines (IA), Duluth (MN), Jamestown (ND), Madison (WI), Sioux Falls (SD), and Washington, D.C. E ...

plans to install more art exhibits and a public library as part of a revitalization of the Pedway. Numerous smaller pedways throughout the central business district are not connected to the main network. These include the tunnel below Quincy Street and the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, connecting the Red and Blue Lines' Jackson Street stations; within and between the

Ogilvie Transportation Center The Richard B. Ogilvie Transportation Center (; formerly Chicago and North Western Terminal) is a commuter rail terminal in downtown Chicago, Illinois. It is the terminus for the three commuter rail lines of Metra's Union Pacific District to Chica ...

and 2 North Riverside Plaza; within and between the

Merchandise Mart The Merchandise Mart (or the Merch Mart, or the Mart) is a commercial building located in downtown Chicago, Illinois. When it was opened in 1930, it was the largest building in the world, with of floor space. The Art Deco structure is locate ...

and Apparel Center; and the passageways under Chase Tower's Exelon Plaza.

Entrances

Points of entry and exit for the Pedway include: * One North Dearborn Street * One North State Street * 2 North Riverside Plaza *

One Prudential Plaza One Prudential Plaza (formerly known as the Prudential Building) is a 41-story structure in Chicago completed in 1955 as the headquarters for Prudential's Mid-America company. It was the first skyscraper built in Chicago since the Great Depr ...

(130 East Randolph Street) * Two First National Plaza *

Two Prudential Plaza The Two Prudential Plaza is a 64-story skyscraper located in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. At tall, it is currently the sixth-tallest building in Chicago and the 28th-tallest in the U.S., being only five feet from 1,000 feet, making it t ...

(180 North Stetson Avenue) *

(70 West Madison Street) * 25 East Washington Street * 77 West Wacker Drive * 120 North LaSalle * 139 North Wabash Avenue * 200 North Dearborn Apartments * 201 North Clark Street * 203 North LaSalle Street * 303 East

Wacker Drive Wacker Drive is a major multilevel street in Chicago, Illinois, running along the south side of the main branch and the east side of the south branch of the Chicago River in the Loop.Hayner, Don and Tom McNamee, ''Streetwise Chicago'', "Wacker D ...

* Aon Center (200 East Randolph Street) *

* Block 37 shopping mall at

108 North State Street 108 North State Street, also known as Block 37, is a development located in the Loop community area of downtown Chicago, Illinois. It is located on the square block bounded clockwise from the North by West Randolph Street, North State Street ...

Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower The Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower (BCBS) is on the north end of Millennium Park along E. Randolph Street at the NE corner of Randolph and Columbus Drive, in Chicago, Illinois, United States of America. It is home to the headquarters of Health Care ...

(300 East Randolph Street) * Boulevard Towers * Chase Tower * City Hall/County Building *

Chicago Cultural Center The Chicago Cultural Center, opened in 1897, is a Chicago Landmark building operated by Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events that houses the city's official reception venue where the Mayor of Chicago has welcomed preside ...

(formerly main library &

GAR Gars are members of the family Lepisosteidae, which are the only surviving members of the Ginglymodi, an ancient holosteian group of ray-finned fish, which first appeared during the Triassic, over 240 million years ago. Gars comprise seven livin ...

memorial) *

Chicago Title and Trust Center Grant Thornton Tower (formerly Chicago Title & Trust Center, 161 North Clark and sometimes Chicago Title Tower) is an office tower located in Chicago designed by the firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. Before completion in 1990 the twin tower des ...

(181 North Clark Street)
Columbus Plaza
* Richard J. Daley Bicentennial Plaza *

Richard J. Daley Center The Richard J. Daley Center, also known by its open courtyard Daley Plaza and named after longtime mayor Richard J. Daley, is the premier civic center of the City of Chicago in Illinois. The Center's modernist skyscraper primarily houses of ...

(50 West Washington Street) * In front of the

Dirksen Federal Building The Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse, commonly referred to as the Dirksen Federal Building, is a skyscraper in the Chicago Loop at 219 South Dearborn Street. It was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and completed in 1964. The ...

(interior not connected) (219 South Dearborn Street) * George W. Dunne Cook County Administration Building (69 West Washington Street) * Fairmont Hotel Chicago * Grant Park underground parking garages *

(130 North Garland Court) *

Hyatt Regency Hotel Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vaca ...

* Lake CTA Red Line station *

Leo Burnett Building The Leo Burnett Building, located on 35 West Wacker Drive at North Dearborn Street in the Chicago Loop, is a 50-story, 635 foot (193 m) tall skyscraper above the Chicago River's Main Stem on the southern bank. When built in 1989, it was the 12th ...

(35 West Wacker Drive) *

in the

Marshall Field and Company Building The Marshall Field and Company Building, which now houses Macy's State Street in Chicago, Illinois, was built in two stages—north end in 1901–02 (including columned entrance) and south end in 1905–06, and was the flagship location of the ...

Millennium Park Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago, operated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. The park, opened in 2004 and intended to celebrate the third millennium, is a prominent civic center near ...

(500 West Madison Street) *

Millennium Station Millennium Station (formerly Randolph Street Terminal; sometimes called Randolph Street station or Randolph/South Water Street station) is a major commuter rail terminal in the Loop (downtown), Chicago. It is the northern terminus of the Metra ...

(formerly Randolph Street Terminal) * Park Millennium *

Jay Pritzker Pavilion Jay Pritzker Pavilion, also known as Pritzker Pavilion or Pritzker Music Pavilion, is a bandshell in Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located on the south side of Randolph Str ...

* Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel (formerly Stouffer Riviere) * 150 North Michigan Avenue * The Sporting Club at Illinois Center * Swissôtel Chicago *

James R. Thompson Center The James R. Thompson Center (JRTC), originally the State of Illinois Center, is a postmodern-style civic building designed by architect Helmut Jahn, located at 100 W. Randolph Street in the Loop district of Chicago. It houses offices of the Ill ...

(100 West Randolph Street) * Washington CTA Blue Line station

References

External links

Downtown Chicago pedway and cut-throughs (Chicago CartoGraphics) (2015)Chicago Detours: Current as of 2020, a user friendly, free downloadable pdf Pedway MapInside Chicago Walking Tours: Pedway Walking Tour & Secrets of the LoopChicago Pedway map and legend at City of Chicago as a PDF document (2013)
* ttp://www.spiegl.org/pedway/pedway.html Chicago Pedway online map and high quality printable (2008?) PDF map at spiegl.orgbr>Subterranean City: A Tour of Chicago's Pedway (2004)Chicago Pedway group on FlickrOpenStreetMap Chicago PedwayWaymarked Trails
{{coord, 41, 53, 03.2, N, 87, 37, 28.7, W, type:landmark_region:US-IL, display=title

Pedway Pedways (short for pedestrian walkways) are elevated or underground walkways, often connecting urban high-rises to each other, other buildings, or the street. They provide quick and comfortable movement from building to building, away from traffi ...

Skyways Underground cities Pedways in the United States Homelessness in the United States Pedestrian tunnels in the United States

History

Entrances

See also

References

External links