The Oak Street tunnel from Michigan Avenue to Northbound Lake Shore Drive Opened on October 5, 1964.

The junction of Michigan Avenue, Oak Street, and Lake Shore Drive before the tunnel was constructed. Circa 1920s.

The $5 million tunnel at Oak Street was designed to move northbound traffic on Michigan Avenue onto a ramp providing access to northbound Lake Shore Drive, which opened for its first rush hour. The tunnel eliminates a bottleneck that has plagued Lake Shore Drive at Oak Street for years.

The tunnel extends under new northbound and southbound strips of Lake Shore Drive. The 27-foot wide underground roadway will handle only northbound traffic, which has been using a detour over what will become the new southbound segment of the drive.

The area today with the tunnel peeking out in the lower-left corner of the photo.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.