Lake Shore Drive
 
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View of Lake Shore Drive at the edge of Lake Michigan crossing the Chicago River
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| Length | 15.83 mi (25.48 km) (as of 2006, does not include 2013 extension) |
| South end | Marquette Drive and Jeffery Drive (6600 South) |
| North end | Hollywood Avenue (5700 North) |
| Construction | |
| Completion | 1937 |
| Inauguration | 1946 |
Lake Shore Drive (colloquially referred to as the Outer Drive, but also sometimes as The Drive or LSD) is an expressway running parallel with and alongside the shoreline of Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the portion north of Foster Avenue (5200 North), Lake Shore Drive is designated as part of U.S. Highway 41.
From the Chicago River south to 57th Street was named Leif Ericson Drive in 1927, named for Norse explorer Leif Ericson. The roadway was nicknamed Field Boulevard. The entire road was named Lake Shore Drive in 1946.
Lake Shore Drive's origins date back to Potter Palmer, who coerced the city to build the street adjacent to his lakefront property to enhance its value. Palmer built his "castle" at 1350 N. Lake Shore Drive in 1882. The drive was originally intended for leisurely strolls for the wealthy in their carriages, but as the auto age dawned it took on a different role completely.
In 1937, the double-decker Link Bridge (officially the Outer Drive Bridge) over the Chicago River opened, along with viaducts over rail yards and other industrial areas connecting to both ends of it. The lower level was intended for a railroad connection, but it was never used until LSD was rebuilt in 1986. At the time the bridge was built, it was the longest and widest bascule bridge in the world. The Lake Shore Drive (Outer Drive) and Link Bridge Photograph Album, c1937, documents the bridge's construction. The album is held by the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries at the Art Institute of Chicago.
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