Navy Pier to close 2 days for new Ferris wheel installation
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago's Navy Pier will be closed to the public two days next week to clear the way for the installation of a new 196-foot Ferris wheel.
Four huge construction cranes will lift the pieces of the new, taller wheel as they're assembled Tuesday. Navy Pier will be closed that day and also Wednesday for safety reasons.
The new wheel is being installed as part of Navy Pier's centennial celebration. Officials say it should be operating by this summer.
Chicago's ties to Ferris wheels go back to the first one, which was built for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in the city.
Navy Pier's previous wheel was installed in 1995 and provided more than 16.9 million rides during its 20-year history.