Another fascinating architectural wonder of Millennium Park is the BP Bridge, a 935 foot-long pedestrian bridge that snakes it way up from the Park, across Columbus Parkway, then down to Daley Bicentennial Plaza, Grant Park and Lake Michigan. And snakes is the operative word here as it winds its way up over and down.
It is difficult to photograph the bridge as a whole unless you are in an airplane or helicopter…so I can just show you parts of it here. I find it to be a photographers dreams because of its unusual construction and its twists and turns. Its fun to create images from different angles both on and off the bridge.
For a pedestrian bridge, I found it quite wide as you can see from the second photo. The walkway is covered with weather-resistant Brazilian hardwood boards. It has a gentle 5% grade which makes it easier on folks with handicap issues and there is no railing along the sides. The sides of the bridge are made of stainless steel.
Photo #3 shows the bridge crossing Columbus Parkway and how close it is to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion…and how the bridge and the pavilion designs blend together.
After the park opened, some of the bridge's foibles became apparent. The bridge has had to be closed during the winter because freezing conditions make it unsafe. Since the bridge is over an expressway-like trench of Columbus Drive, shoveling the snow onto passing cars is not an option and the Brazilian hardwood would be damaged by rock salt. The city not only mandates that the bridge be swept and washed daily, but also that the parapets be wiped free of fingerprints.
It is called BP Bridge as British Petroleum (of gulf oil spill fame) paid $5 million for the naming rights. Believe me, there was some controversy over that.
If you would like more in-depth information about the bridge, its design, construction, aerial photos, and controversies, check out the interesting article on Wikipedia.
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