Evening star., 1924-09-04
$24,0)O,Qu) MOVE
TO AID BUSINESS
Chicago Will Have Double
DeCked Boulevard as New
Way to Speed Up Traffic.
by J. &. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. September At has
been no trick for many years to
change a physical complexion. as the
prosperity Of the beauty shops attest.
But as result of work which has
just been inaugurated. the busine ess
complexion of a section of one of the
greatest business CeEters of the coun
try will be altered The success or
failure of the experiment will affect
practically ever COngeSted city in
the United States, altering the trend
of traffic, the location of industries
and property values.
The experiment involves the double
decking of South Water street. Chi
cago. for SO years the terminal and
market for all fruit. poultry and dairy
products which have come to that
city for distribution. The problem to
be solved grows out of traffic conges-
ton. due to the speeding up of busi-
ness through use Of motor vehicles.
That same problem exists in practi-
cally every business center in the
country today.
Change to Cost $24.OO0.OOO. :
South Water street. one of the most
colorful and most antiquated parts of
the country, has been on its last legs
for years. The problem has been to
make it grow new legs. Engineers
hope that this problem will be solved
by an innovation-the first double
decked boulevard ever laid out in
America, the cost of which will be
approximately S24.000,000.
About October ] workers VIII COM
mence to wreck the first section of
this market district, which has be-
come almost impassab BILE as thor
oughfarc. and in which hundreds of
dealers do about S500.000,000 worth of
business annually. Out of the wreck
age will emerge a boulevard built on
81 new principle to meet modern traffic
problems. Its top deck will be a
broad highway for fast light passen-
ger automobile and foot passengers.
Its lower deck will consist of three
roadways for trucks and horse-drawn
vehicular traffic.
On the upper deck thousands of
cars now practically blocked by piled
produce and chaotic truck and wagon
traffic. will have a highway 80 feet
wide, giving easy access to the south
west side of the city. Below, beside
the three roadways, will be S-foot
loading platforms abutting on new
buildings and a 27-foot esplanade on
the river front to handle the traffic
coming in from Lake Michigan. This
thoroughfare will extend for over a
mile from Michigan avenue, the city's
main north and south traffic artery,
to Market street. Investigators ex-
pect that the change will save $5,-
100000 annually by eliminating con-
gestion
The entire district will be razed
and replaced by a modern business
section. The new roadway will have
it's upper deck on the same level as
Michigan avenue. while the lower
deck will consist of a vehicular sub
way below street level. In other
words. Water street will grow its
new legs downward instead of adopt
ing stills. Ramps will connect the
lower and upper decks and three
large ventilating plants will clear
the lower levels of dangerous gases
Funds to complete the project were
voted last June About $4,000, GOO
will be spent at once by the city and
the remainder of the needed funds
will be supplied by assessments on
property owners along the street
Court proceedings for condemnation
of .he buildings and property in
volved have practically been COM
pleted.