Lower Wacker Drive

It took us over a year until we were willing to brave Lower Wacker, and even then it was a 2-​person job: one person gripping the steering wheel, dodging pillars and handling the sharp curves and sudden lane closures; the other person carefully consulting a smartphone to figure out how on earth to descend and emerge in the right places. But it’s gotten to the point where our most-​traveled destinations on Lower Wacker are almost routine and I can even handle it by myself from time to time. I felt like I’d just accessed a bonus level in a video game.
Of course now that I’ve accessed that level I find myself with new challenges, like learning all the entrances to Lower Wacker from the West Side, and maybe eventually the side passages too. Ah, the thrill of the chase. ..

Maybe at one time Lower Wacker use to be super efficient but now its like a parking lot, construction, traffic, very slow moving now days…

I first learned about lower wacker when I was around 12 or 13. That’s when my dad started working downtown on michigan and lake and I’d ride with him and my grandad on lower wacker ever day as my grandad almost always gave my dad a ride to and from work.
That was over 20 years ago. I have had jobs where I’ve worked downtown and during those times, I regularly took lower wacker to race through the city to get to I290 or I94. Truly a timesaver as you can race through the loop even during rush hour at a breakneck pace. I hated when it was closed. but it has been rebuilt and fully operational again for a while now. Whenever I drive downtown, I will try to take this route if I can.

SECRET SPY
I remember the first time I ever rode down here and I was scared to death. I must have been like 16 and I was riding with one of my parents employees. He was making a delivery to a client and I went with him so he wouldn’t have to pay for parking. He hit lower Waker at 75 miles an hour. I had to hold on for dear life because we were riding in a Jeep Wrangler with the top down. I thought I was going to die or fly out of the vehicle. I had no idea where we were at but I was amazed to learn Chicago had an underground road that bypassed the whole city. How cool was that?
Since then the underground road has been remodeled. It looks nothing like the dark seedy road to the underworld, it once resembled. There are actually lights down here now so you don’t hit something like a Yeti, Big Foot or a Giant Rat. The road has been improved and looks like it will be good for another 100 years.
Many people are confused as to where lower Wacker runs. Just imagine you are on upper Wacker but now driving below it with no traffic and hardly any stop lights. It follows along the same path.
So you might be asking yourself, «How did this double decker road come into existence?»
It all happen in 1909 when architects Daniel Burnham and Edward H. Bennett drew up a plan to unite Chicago’s urban design and increase its physical beauty. One area that needed help was traffic flow. This double decker roadway was one of their many recommendations to relieve the congestion at Rush and River Street. At that time more then 50% of the north — south traffic crossed the river there.
And you might be wondering why it’s called Wacker? Well Charles H. Wacker, who was the chairman of the Chicago Plan Commission loved this idea and pushed it to be constructed. The original road was completed in 1926 and at a cost of $ 8 million dollars and only went from Lake to Michigan Avenue. The road was extended between 1948 and 1954 all the way to Congress Parkway. Another extension was built in 1975 connecting the road to Lake Shore Drive.
So as you can see this road has grown over the years and it started with a vision to improve the beauty and quality of life in Chicago. We really need to remember David Burnham because we owe much of the beauty of our great city to him.
We also can not forget the Hollywood appeal of Lower Wacker, which has appeared in many films. Most recently in Batman Begins, who can forget Batman chasing the horrible Joker on these dark hidden streets. This scene is one of the most amazing action movie scenes in Hollywood history. I also can’t forget the hilarious Blues Brothers as the entered Lower Wacker at Van Buren in a high speed police chase. The sign that says, «turn on your headlights» is still there. Jake and Elwood at least followed some of the laws as they were chased across the city.
So as you can see this road has been a vital artery in making Chicago great. It was meant to keep Chicago moving and it keeps that dream alive every day. So don’t be afraid to go underground and take the quickest trek across the city. Make sure you throw your seat belt on and enjoy the ride because Lower Wacker rocks.

LWD is my connection from Streeterville to the Ike (Eisenhower/​290). Trip takes only about 5 minutes on average. A great timesaver.
LWD has been down to one lane several times of late… and there are some big bad potholes here and there, but for the most part it’s a great subterranean artery for those in the know.
Exits to Randolph, two exits to Lake St (Garvey Ct and Post Pl), exit to Harrison St in the South Loop. Get across the east branch of the Chicago River via Columbus, Stetson and Lower Wacker to upper (by Millennium Park).

Traffic in Chicago is sooo bad, I do not want anybody clogging up my shortcut…

ok i dont know why some one would care for this unless they are a big fan of driving, as for myself i ride my bike all over the place and i did one day down here did not care at all for it.

The remodeled improved Lower Wacker Drive is lovely and a terrific way to bypass Loop traffic to get from the Old Post Office on Harrison all the way to Lake Shore Drive in a flash.
It’s amazing how light and clean things look now!

I’ve waited a long time for this day. Lower Wacker Drive has finally reopened! It helps that TDK is on TV totally showcasing LWD in all its glory. I’m looking forward to revisiting and cutting my commute in half. I highly recommend this route, but only if you know how to drive — please do not slow meh down!

Lower Wacker Drive —
Transit heaven, my haven
from congestion and annoying tourists
Your younger retarded brother,
Boston’s Big Dig,
wishes it was like you
From Washington to lower Columbus
a mere 7 minutes
A local’s secret delight
My favorite race track at night

«Lower Wacker» sounds like something you don’t tell Mom about, and it looks like you’ve entered another world with all the sparkly lights and strange ramps going places untold, but it sure is a fast way around the Loop.

I love love love you lower wacker. Your fun to just crank the tunes up and start jamming as you make loops and turns. Except I hate the cab drivers all know you. Omg then the free parking by michigan ave is the greatest unless they changed it. Ohhh then the homeless people with their shit on the floor is just disgusting and the smell of urine is just eww and nasty. But they filmed such great movies on you like The Dark Night. And you also escape the traffic. How I love you lower wacker.

The only time I ever go on Lower Wacker Drive is when I’m drunk and in a taxi. I almost feel like it’s alternate universe. I remember having a conversation with my cab driver about the real estate market in California, and then thinking, «Where the hell am I? Is this guy kidnapping me?» I soon figured out he wasn’t.

I use it primarily to get to LSD and, in reverse, to Harrison and Franklin. Rarely use the ramps into downtown. Scenic in a weird way. Cool glimpses of the city at water level.
Can’t wait ’til they finally finish the bridge at Harrison near the post office. Featured in a few racing video games and you can see why… Also turns up in many movies filmed here. ‘The Dark Knight’, ‘Henry…Portrait of a Serial Killer’ and others. Sweet for ducking traffic most times of day. A little congested with delivery trucks during the morning rush.

How can you tell your CTA bus driver is new? If she gets lost on Lower Wacker. Freaking n00b.
After watching TDK I can no longer careen down it without thinking of the Batmobile getting the crap beat out of it, but I can still enjoy the drive. Lower Wacker connects the 290, ⁹⁰⁄₉₄ and Lake Shore Drive in a myriad of ways. Scores of people have already found out about this secret, so if you can’t figure it out — well now, the law of natural selection exists for a reason, honey.
I used to live at Wells and Harrison, so taking Lower Wacker was a thing of beauty. So is the secret parking on Lower Lower Wacker. Park FOR FREE, go up two flights of stairs and you’re on the Mile. Now that I live at Illinois and Lake Shore, I no longer need it. So go, try and find it. I’ve showed tens of my friends the spot and they’ve never been able to find it again.
Again — *natural selection*, I can’t emphasize it or take delight in it enough. Don’t try to rely on GPS, it has no depth perception so you’ll get even more confused trying to rely on your computer. (one of my girlfriends with absolutely no sense of direction tried this… she had my sympathies, she was from the burbs so she had enough problems to contend with)
Also, LW’s version of «know before you go»: You WILL be honked at. You WILL be laughed at. And you WILL be cursed at — if you fuck up Lower Wacker for the rest of us.

I strongly, strongly recommend (urge, strongly) taking Lower Wacker Drive, listening to the soundtrack from the James Caan 1981 film «Thief».
This is best done past sundown.
There are no words (well, aside from the recommendation).

If you ain’t from Lower Wacker, don’t go to the Lower Wacker. You can’t handle Lower Wacker.

The best shortcut in town. Go from the Opera house to Navy Pier and LSD in like 5 minutes even during rush hour. I kind of hate that Unilocal has a listing of it. But I use it a lot, so for honesty’s sake must confirm its existence.
If you decide to use this (or even drive anywhere in the Chicago area or highways), please do everyone a favor and drive fast, hard and close like a Chicagoan, not some nervous suburbanite. If you don’t tailgate and you create a huge gap (big enough for one car) in front of you, YOU ARE RUINING IT FOR EVERYONE. Sorry just had to get that off my chest.

If you don’t know about Lower Wacker Drive don’t be sad. Because THEY don’t want you to know about it. THEY are the cabbies, couriers, truck drivers and others who are making this the City That Works while you are up top sipping your mojitos and nibbling on your edamame. THEY know that you can get from Halsted and Jackson to LSD in about 6 minutes at prime rush hour time while you are sitting in your Jetta at Washington and State gnawing at your freshly manicured nails. THEY know. But now, thanks to me, so do you. Please… don’t tell THEM I told you. Thanks.
An aside: Damn, I was all thinking that I was gonna be a first in reviewing LWD but you scooped me Carrie and Vitas. I bow to you good madame and sir.

Normally, I hate all things traffic and transportation especially in Chicago, but I love Lower Wacker Drive. I’m not a big fan of its ugly cousin Upper Wacker Drive where cabs and cars only view pedestrians as target practice. Back to Lower Wacker Drive, this street is probably the coolest in Chicago. It’s been featured in various movies because it’s just that cool. I enjoy the twists and the turns of this awesome street. My bf also loves this street and given the opportunity will take it instead of other streets. If it isn’t a Chicago landmark, it should be.