Randolph Street is a street in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It runs east-west through the Chicago Loop, carrying westbound traffic west from Michigan Avenue across the Chicago River on the Randolph Street Bridge, interchanging with the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/I-94), and continuing west. Chicago, Illinois — officially the City of Chicago and colloquially known as Chicago, the Second City and the Windy City — is the third largest city of the United States after New York City and Los Angeles and is the largest inland city of the nation. ... The Loop is what locals call the downtown neighborhood of Chicago. ... Michigan Avenues double-decker bridge over the Chicago River. ... Downtown buildings line the Chicago River The Chicago River is a 156 mile (251km) long river flowing through downtown Chicago. ... The Kennedy Expressway is a 26 mile (42 km) long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago loop to OHare Airport. ... Interstate 90 is the longest interstate highway in the United States. ... Interstate 94 is a long interstate highway connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain region of the United States. ...

East of Michigan Avenue, Randolph Street is a two-way street taking traffic to Lake Shore Drive. Just east of Michigan, Randolph crosses over the Metra Electric/South Shore Line and splits into two levels, an upper level (via the outer lanes) and a middle level (via the inner lanes). The upper level carries local traffic to the Illinois Center, Aon Center and Prudential Plaza developments, and was built in conjunction with them; it also takes traffic to the new Lakeshore East development. Intersections with the upper level are provided with Stetson Avenue (which only heads north, and only intersects westbound Randolph) and Columbus Drive (which only heads north). The middle level, which takes traffic to Lake Shore Drive, intersects the middle level of Columbus. A lower level also exists between Stetson and Columbus, intersecting lower Columbus (and ramps to middle Columbus). Lake Shore Drive is a mostly freeway-standard expressway running parallel with and next to Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the northernmost part, it is designated as part of U.S. Highway 41. ... Metra is Chicagolands commuter rail system, serving over 200 stations on eleven lines across the Regional Transportation Authoritys (RTAs) six-county service area. ... Illinois Center is a mixed-use urban development in downtown Chicago, Illinois, lying east of Michigan Avenue. ... There is also an Aon Center in Los Angeles, California, see Aon Center (Los Angeles). ... Looking east at Lakeshore East Lakeshore East is an urban development being built in the east part of the Chicago Loop, on land that was formerly used by Illinois Central Railroad rail yards. ... Looking west at the three-level Columbus Drive from Lakeshore East Looking southwest at the three-level Columbus Drive from Upper Wacker Drive Columbus Drive is a north-south street in Chicago, Illinois. ...

East of Columbus, Randolph continues as a triple-decker street. The lower level intersects with a short piece of Field Boulevard; at that point, the upper level narrows to lie only over the north side of the middle level. Field Boulevard was the original Lake Shore Drive, and crossed the upper level of Randolph (which was the only level at the time). Old Lake Shore Drive (Field Boulevard) south of Randolph is now the Cancer Survivors Plaza; north of Randolph it was a viaduct at the level of current Upper Randolph and has been demolished. A new Upper Field Boulevard was recently built as part of the Lakeshore East development; it ramps down to ground (lower) level. Lake Shore Drive is a mostly freeway-standard expressway running parallel with and next to Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the northernmost part, it is designated as part of U.S. Highway 41. ... Looking east at Lakeshore East Lakeshore East is an urban development being built in the east part of the Chicago Loop, on land that was formerly used by Illinois Central Railroad rail yards. ...

After Field Boulevard, the narrowed upper level and service level continue east to the double-decker Harbor Drive, where they end. Harbor Drive provides access to several buildings and then itself dead ends. The middle level then continues east to an interchange with Lake Shore Drive and a dead end just beyond. Lake Shore Drive is a mostly freeway-standard expressway running parallel with and next to Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the northernmost part, it is designated as part of U.S. Highway 41. ...

Metra's Randolph Street Terminal is located under Randolph Street. Metra is Chicagolands commuter rail system, serving over 200 stations on eleven lines across the Regional Transportation Authoritys (RTAs) six-county service area. ... The Randolph Street Terminal (sometimes called the Randolph Street Station) is a major commuter rail terminal in downtown Chicago that serves the Metra Electric Lines to University Park, Blue Island, and South Chicago; and the South Shore Line to South Bend, Indiana. ...

History

Randolph originally ended at Michigan Avenue. In 1937, in conjunction with the building of Lake Shore Drive, a double-decker viaduct was built over the Illinois Central Railroad's rail yard, connecting Michigan to Lake Shore (which was where Field Boulevard is now). This viaduct still exists west of Columbus Drive as the upper level; it intersected LSD (Field) at the current upper level. The lower level of the viaduct was never used. Michigan Avenues double-decker bridge over the Chicago River. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Lake Shore Drive is a mostly freeway-standard expressway running parallel with and next to Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the northernmost part, it is designated as part of U.S. Highway 41. ... Torontos Bloor Street Viaduct bridges the Don valley; road traffic uses the upper deck, rail traffic uses the lower deck. ... Categories: Rail stubs | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | Defunct companies | Illinois railroads | Iowa railroads | Louisiana railroads | Missouri railroads | South Dakota railroads | Wisconsin railroads ... Chicago and Northwestern Railways Proviso Yard in Chicago, Illinois, December 1942. ... Looking west at the three-level Columbus Drive from Lakeshore East Looking southwest at the three-level Columbus Drive from Upper Wacker Drive Columbus Drive is a north-south street in Chicago, Illinois. ...

In 1963, the upper level was built east of Field to serve the new Outer Drive East building. Between 1970 and 1980, the viaduct was demolished east of Columbus; this probably happened after the extension of Wacker Drive to Lake Shore opened in December 1975. By 1988, the new Randolph had been completed, including a new upper level west of Columbus. East of Columbus, this level was built to slope down to the old upper level, which was orphaned by the move of Lake Shore Drive in 1986. The old viaduct was kept west of Columbus, and it slopes down to a middle level east towards the new Lake Shore Drive. Thus access was kept between this level and Lake Shore. The service level may have been added at this time, or it may be older. 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... All three levels of Wacker Drive, east of Columbus Drive, including a ramp between the upper and lower (middle) levels Wacker Drive is a major street in Chicago, Illinois, running along the downtown side of the Chicago River. ... December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lake Shore Drive is a mostly freeway-standard expressway running parallel with and next to Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the northernmost part, it is designated as part of U.S. Highway 41. ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Buildings

Buildings on Randolph include the following:[1]

• City View Tower (720-726W)
• Randolph Place Lofts (~500W)
• Boeing World Headquarters (~400W)
• Franklin and Randolph Office Building (~300W)
• Randolph Tower (188W)
• Hotel Allegro (171W)
• Michael A. Bilandic Building (~150W)
• Chicago Title and Trust Building (~100W)
• Thompson Center (100W)
• Richard J. Daley Center (55W)
• Oriental Theater Building (32W)
• The Heritage at Millennium Park (~50E)
• Smurfit-Stone Building (~100E)
• One Prudential Plaza (130E)
• Two Prudential Plaza and Randolph Street Station (~150E)
• Aon Center (200E)
• Blue Cross-Blue Shield Tower (300E)
• 340 on the Park (340E)
• Buckingham Plaza (360E)
• Outer Drive East (400E)

Richard J. Daley Center is Chicagos premier civic center and features a massive sculpture by Pablo Picasso. ... Two Prudential Plaza is a skyscraper built in Chicago in 1990. ... The Randolph Street Terminal (sometimes called the Randolph Street Station or the Randolph-South Water Street Station) is a major commuter rail terminal in downtown Chicago that serves the Metra Electric Lines to University Park, Blue Island, and South Chicago; and the South Shore Line to South Bend, Indiana. ... There is also an Aon Center in Los Angeles, California, see Aon Center (Los Angeles). ...

See also

• Multilevel streets in Chicago

Service level South Water Street; there are three levels here Downtown Chicago, Illinois, both north and south of the Chicago River, has some double-decked and even a few triple-decked streets. ...

References

• 1938, 1970, 1980 and 1988 aerial photos
• National Bridge Inventory data