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. The vast majority of the street is double-decked; the upper level intended for local traffic, and the lower level for through-traffic and trucks serving buildings on the road. It is sometimes cited as a precursor to the freeway, though when it was built the idea was that pleasure vehicles would use the upper level. It is the only street in the city that is prefixed with all four cardinal directions, albeit on different parts of its route. The drive is named for early 20th century Chicago businessman and city planner Charles H. Wacker.
Upper Wacker Drive, looking west from Michigan Avenue
All three levels of Wacker Drive, east of Columbus Drive, including a ramp between the upper and lower (middle) levels
Wacker Drive to the south of the Chicago River looking east
Two aerial views in 1926
Multilevel streets in Chicago
Downtown Chicago, Illinois, has some double-decked and a few triple-decked streets immediately north and south of the Main Branch and immediately east of the South Branch of the Chicago River. The most famous and longest of these is Wacker Drive, which replaced the South Water Street Market upon its 1926 completion. The resulting bi-level street has an upper-level riverfront boulevard, a lower-level roadway for commercial and through traffic, and a recreational walkway at water level.
360 North Michigan, Mather Tower and 35 East Wacker stand on East Wacker Drive just west of Michigan Avenue and the Michigan Avenue Bridge.
The Michigan Avenue Bridge crossing the Chicago River