Schaumburg selects design for Meacham Road pedestrian bridge serving entertainment district
Schaumburg officials Tuesday selected a design for a proposed pedestrian bridge over Meacham Road connecting a forthcoming entertainment district on the east with the Veridian Development on the west.
The chosen design, nicknamed "Bar," was described as the most pragmatic of four choices and would feature both internal lighting and the potential of an environmentally friendly "green" roof.
Nevertheless, all four options presented to the board aimed to be more than purely practical and to provide a sense of place just south of the intersection of Progress Parkway.
"We looked at what would make the bridge iconic," Schaumburg Transportation Director Karyn Robles explained.
Mayor Tom Dailly said he liked the lines of the "Bar" design.
"The ability to do something green with that would be great," Dailly said. "I appreciate the other options. I find them interesting."
"Bar" and the design called "Rings" were also the least expensive, with their estimated costs at $12 million to $17 million, Robles said. The option named "Helix" was estimated at $15 million to $20 million, while "Flow" would be $17 million to $22 million.
Bridge construction is eligible for funds generated by the tax increment finance district the village created to spur redevelopment along that area near Algonquin Road.
The presence of ramps would make the bridge both bike-friendly and handicap-accessible, while the inclusion of an elevator on one or both sides remains undecided.
A further refined design of the "Bar" option is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter. But years of additional work are required before the bridge would become a reality.
Preliminary design engineering and acquisition of property would begin in fiscal year 2025, with final design engineering to occur in 2026 and 2027, followed by construction in either the 2028 or 2029 budget years.