The BP Pedestrian Bridge in Chicago's Loop was designed by Frank Gehry. It spans Columbus Drive and links Millennium Park with Maggie Daley Park. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill served as structural engineer. The city commissioned it in 1999, and the final design was revealed on June 10, 2000. It opened on July 16, 2004, and BP paid $5 million for naming rights.
The bridge is 935 ft (285 m) long and 20 ft (6.1 m) wide, a hollow box girder of steel clad in stainless steel plates, with a Brazilian hardwood deck. Waist-high steel parapets replace standard handrails. Continuous 5 percent ramps provide barrier-free access, and the bridge also screens traffic noise and serves as a viewing platform.
It cost between $12.1 and $14.5 million. The article gives no hours, but it says the bridge closes in winter because of ice, and for occasional private events.
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