"I believe we'll come out better given the complexities of the case and the valuation issues involved," he said. The settlement money, if approved, will come from existing funds in the construction fund.

Ald. Larry Palm, who represents the district, supports the settlement although he knows it won't go over well with some people.

"The McDonald's Corporation, while large and well-funded, still has just as much right to be compensated for something the city does," he said. "We've built the bridge, we're not going to change that scenario, and we have to pay."

The proposal was unanimously approved at the Board of Estimates meeting Monday night and will go before the Board of Public Works on Wednesday before it comes up for vote at next Tuesday's City Council meeting.

The settlement needs to be approved before the Sept. 20 start of trial, Viste said.

The pedestrian bridge, opened in 2008, provides a crossing over busy East Washington Avenue for the Starkweather Creek bike path and was part of the $752 million upgrade of the street. But the bridge's position immediately to the west of the fast-food store means that motorists heading east can't see the McDonald's sign until they have passed the only turn that will give them access to it.