Someday, the Chicago Riverwalk will stretch from Lake Shore Drive to Lake Street. For now, it goes to the State Street bridge, just east of Marina City.

The river-level promenade opened on Memorial Day, leading pedestrians, hungry for food and exploration, to cafes, tour bouts, water taxis, and bicycle rentals.

There is no set schedule for completing the public walkway on the south bank of the Chicago River, just whenever money becomes available. It took $22 million, raised from property taxes in the Central Loop, to get it to Wabash Avenue. The original estimate was $8-10 million.

To build a Riverwalk, construction crews from Rausch Construction Company first hammer steel piles into the bottom of the river. Piles provide support for buildings and other structures. Water is then pumped out of the piles and replaced with stone and broken-up concrete. On top of that goes poured concrete, pavement, and landscaping.

(Above) Obrien’s Riverwalk Cafe (left) along Chicago River near Wabash Avenue bridge (11-Jul-09). (Left) Chicago Riverwalk with Wacker Drive at left and McCormick Bridgehouse at lower left (11-Jul-09).