PROJECTS: Infrastructure

Village of Lincolnwood / Lincolnwood Pedestrian + Bicycle Bridge

Muller2 provided full architectural services, including contract documents and construction administration, for the design of the Lincolnwood Pedestrian & Bicycle Bridge over Touhy Avenue. The bridge provides a link to the Skokie Valley Trail and features dedicated lanes for both walking and cycling. The new bridge is a three-span truss made of Corten steel which gives the bridge its distinctive rust color. Design elements included signage and decorative lighting mounted above the roadway to serve as a village identifier, as well as pedestrian access via both stair and ramp. The bridge also features handrails and guardrails for the bridge and abutment areas, abutment precast finishes, and masonry details for bridge piers.

Chicago Department of Transportation / Navy Pier Flyover Lakefront Bike Path

Muller2 provided conceptual and detail design of all elements for the new Navy Pier Flyover elevated lakefront path. The new path is designed to provide safe passage for bikers, joggers, and the general public though a congested portion of Chicago’s heavily used lake front. The path is raised above the congestion on a distinctive spine like structure traversing approximately 1/2 mile. It weaves between and over many obstacles including buildings, roads and a canal.

City of East Chicago, Indiana / US 12 Pedestrian Bridge

M2 is providing conceptual and detail design for a new pedestrian bridge that will replace an aging and functionally obsolete pedestrian bridge. The new contemporary bridge will provide a safe and convenient passage over US Route 12 in the City of East Chicago, Indiana. The bridge uses a canted arch cable support structure to provide a dramatic new landmark presence in the center of town. It crosses diagonally over US Route 12 at an important juncture adjacent to the local library, City Hall, police headquarters and a nearby school. Gentle ramps weave through a raised park like landscape to provide easy access to the crossing. The bridge and landscape work together to create a memorable new gateway to the city.

Chicago Department of Transportation / Solidarity Drive Underpass

Muller2 provided architectural conceptual design, detail drawings, and construction services for a new underpass and modified turnaround at Chicago’s Museum Campus. Construction was completed in June of 2009. M2 began working with H.W. Lochner, Inc. and the City of Chicago Department of Transportation to investigate options for increased safety and accessibility for both Lakefront trail users and nearby museum patrons. M2 provided the client with numerous design options and guided all interested parties, including the Department of Transportation, the three museums at the nearby Museum Campus, and the Chicago Park District through aspects of each design. M2 facilitated participation and open communication between parties which resulted in an elegant and functional design.

Chicago Department of Transportation / Streets for Cycling Plan 2020

Muller2 worked as a consultant to Sam Schwartz Engineering (SSE) for the CDOT Streets for Cycling Plan 2020. The Plan identifies a 600-mile citywide bike network of existing and proposed bike routes that can be improved or constructed by 2020. M+M worked with SSE and Alta Planning to assemble a Facility Design Guide that will be used as a basis for selecting the appropriate bike route facilities and treatments to be used to implement the plan throughout the City. M2 worked with SSE and CDOT to develop impressionistic renderings of the bike route classifications as they may appear on Chicago’s streets and produced a series of presentation boards to be used for Public Outreach and Information.

Chicago Department of Transportation / Wells Street Bridge

Muller2 worked with the Chicago Department of Transportation to rehabilitate the architectural elements on the 1922 Wells Street Bridge over the main branch of the Chicago River. The double leaf trunnion bascule bridge is distinctive with its two double-decker trusses which are used to support CTA tracks above. Construction on the bridge, pedestrian railings, and bridge houses began in the Fall of 2012. Careful attention to the bridge houses included restoration of the granite cladding and historic architectural elements, including the terracotta tile roofs. Improvements also included replacing the pedestrian railing with a new decorative railing similar to the original historic details, and providing pedestrian light fixtures in keeping with the historic character of the bridge.

Metra / Museum Campus Station

The new Museum Campus Metra station is incorporated into the new 11th Street pedestrian bridge as part of a comprehensive redevelopment of south grant Park. Muller2 provided planning and full architectural design services for the new station and the new pedestrian access to the museum campus at 12th street. The massive project included a complete new station connecting the city and museum campus via a new bridge and underpass. The station work included stairs, elevator towers, new platforms and associated catenary work and was constructed without disruption to train schedules. Through careful planning this project has connected the city and a major transit resource with its popular lake front tourist destinations.

Chicago Department of Transportation / North Avenue Bridge

Muller2 provided conceptual and detail design, through construction administration for this new Chicago River crossing. In keeping with the City of Chicago’s desire for distinctive well designed bridges M+M collaborated closely with the engineering team to design a bridge uniquely suited to its site. The iconic bridge instantly became a new landmark on the Chicago River. Its structure, composed of a composite cable stay / suspension system, is the only one of its type in the city. The North Avenue bridge replaces an obsolete two lane structure at the same site. The busy crossing provides four lanes of traffic between two rapidly growing neighborhoods and creates a link from west to east with improved traffic flow.

Chicago Department of Transportation / Halsted Street Bridge

Muller2 worked in collaboration with H.W. Lochner, Inc. Structural Engineers to replace the 1908 Halsted Street Bridge over the Chicago Canal with a modern tied arch bridge. The design of the project allowed for future development of a river walk, with prefabricated Conspan tunnel units designed to be placed on top of the original bridge pits. The Halsted Street Bridge is the first of a three stage bridge replacement sequence in the area of which M2 is providing bridge design services.

Chicago Department of Transportation / Morgan Street Elevated Station CA

Muller2 provided architectural services for the construction phase of the new Morgan Street Green and Pink Line Station located along a mile and a half stretch of elevated track above Lake Street. The new station serves the rapidly growing commercial and residential districts between Clinton Street and Ashland Avenue. The facility is fully accessible to the handicapped, featuring elevators, enclosed stairways, and a weather protected bridge for transferring from one platform to another. High quality finishes such as granite and stainless steel are used throughout, along with energy-efficient light fixtures and translucent weather protecting canopies on each platform. Platforms also feature state of the art security monitoring and communication systems and heated shelters.