The City of Chicago will soon start construction adding to the riverwalk along the main stem of the Chicago River.
Aside from short disconnected segments of sidewalk along the river, the riverwalk is a walking and biking trail connected to the lakefront path which ends abruptly at the Michigan Avenue Bridge. By the end of 2008 the city will construct under-bridge walkways around the bridge bases at Michigan and Wabash Avenues, bringing a continuous path farther west into the loop.
The riverwalk east of Michigan is a pretty path lined with small trees but often seems a bit forlorn and underutilized, a scrap of parkland screened off by iron walls from the netherworld of Lower Wacker Drive. The streets above don't have a lot of foot traffic, just cars and trucks racing past on multiple level roadways. So connecting the riverwalk to more pedestrian-friendly areas west of Michigan should bring more users down toward the lake, as well as allow cycling commuters easier access into downtown.