When viewed in Google Earth the shape of this remarkable 285 metres long bridge resembles a snake with its head in Maggie Daley Park, tail in Millennium Park and belly stretching over Columbus Drive. Designed by Frank Geary the reflective surface of stainless steel plates covering the sides of the bridge visually relates it to the curving metal surfaces of the Jay Ritzier Pavilion in Millennium Park, which was also designed by Gehry.
Walking across the bridge provides a constantly shifting sequence of views with the speed of change varying with the curvature of the bridge. At the eastern end of the bridge located within Maggie Daley Park a series of tight curves direct your view first to the south, then the east and then to the north where a row of high rise commercial buildings form the skyline. The bridge then curves to direct your view to the east and south across Maggie Daley Park to Lake Michigan on the horizon.
The wide sloping solid sides of the bridge create a sense of separation from the road corridor with vehicles passing below.
When viewed from adjoining parks the bridge appears a sinuous sculptural element sitting in the landscape. It is an exemplary demonstration of how an element of urban infrastructure can not only function effectively for the movement of pedestrians across a major road corridor but also to form aesthetically pleasing sculptural element within an urban context.
