In 1963, Mayor
Richard J. Daley designated the LFT as the city's first official bike path. Over the years it grew in popularity. In 2017 and 2018 the Trail Separation Project sought to add capacity and increase safety by providing separation of bike and foot traffic lanes, utilizing both widened, dedicated lanes and in some areas newly constructed and separately dedicated path sections. An additional improvement was added with the construction of the Navy Pier Flyover, a dedicated bridge over the
Chicago River. From Wacker Drive to Illinois Street the Lakefront Trail shared the pedestrian sidewalk on lower-level
Lake Shore Drive. In order to reduce the conflicts between pedestrians and bicyclists, and avoid the very busy intersections at Illinois Street and Grand Avenue, the
Chicago Department of Transportation started designing the Navy Pier Flyover in 2000. This bridge runs alongside the upper level of Lake Shore Drive from north of the Ohio Street Beach to Illinois Street, and then alongside the lower level of Lake Shore Drive as it crosses the Chicago River, with an exit in the middle serving Navy Pier and
DuSable Park. Construction began in spring 2014 and was originally planned to be completed in 2018. The project experienced multiple delays, but was finished in May 2021. == Attractions ==