Located on a peninsula at the confluence of three branches of the Chicago River, crews on the 628,500-sq-ft Wolf Point East project faced significant challenges accessing an already dense urban site. The site only had one access point off Lower Orleans Avenue because Plaza Drive couldn’t be used for staging or materials delivery. Adding to the logistics, ongoing operations had to be maintained at the existing Wolf Point North Garage. Other future developments planned for the site needed to be taken into consideration.

To help improve access, the team designed an access tunnel to provide material delivery to the laydown area on the south parcel. The tunnel could also be used to accommodate future construction of an office tower on the site. 

Photos courtesy of Walsh Construction

To accommodate material delivery and heavy equipment staging while the access tunnel was under construction, Walsh Construction installed a trestle bridge cantilevered over the river.

Related link: Best Projects Rebuild Better