42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

Crane Lift: 40 E Cedar

On Tuesday, May 21, there will be a crane lift at 40 E Cedar Street. During the lift, vehicular access on Cedar, from Rush to 51 E Cedar will be prohibited.

Crane Lift 839 N Dearborn:

On Wednesday, May 22, there will be a crane lift at 839 N Dearborn. One lane of traffic will be open during the lift between Chicago and Dearborn. Cyclists should merge with vehicular traffic for this stretch of Dearborn.

Expansion Joint Repair - Wacker & Stetson

The City's Department of Transportation will be replacing the roadway and sidewalk expansion joints at the intersection of Wacker Drive and Stetson Avenue. 

The construction project is underway and will go through approximately June 24, 2024. 

All work will be performed during the day. Construction will occur in phases. Part of the roadway will be closed to traffic however once way traffic will be maintained through the duration of the project. At least one sidewalk will be open to pedestrian traffic during construction. Once the work is completed on one side of the roadway and sidewalk, the closures will switch over to the other side during the next phase.

Protected Bike Lane Installation: East Side of Clark, from Oak to Grand

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) is expanding its protected bike lane network throughout the City. They have decided to install a southbound protected bike lane on the east side of North Clark Street, between West Oak Street and West Grand Avenue. This bike lane will connect to the westbound bike lane on the north side of West Grand Avenue.

CDOT's Scope of Work:

• Swap the location of the existing bike lane and parking lane. The bike lane will be adjacent to the curb and the parking lane will be between a lane of traffic and the bike lane.
• Install bicycle signals (select intersections).
• Install pedestrian bump-outs/refuge space.

Please click here to review CDOT's site plans. Work is currently underway.

Filming

Photoshoot:

On Wednesday, May 22nd, a photoshoot will be filming exterior scenes at 222 N wells. During filming, parking will be prohibited at the following locations: 

• Wednesday, May 22^nd at 12PM through Thursday, May 23^rd at 5AM:
• Both Sides of Wells St from Wacker Dr to Haddock Pl

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Carly Katz, 847-651-9182

River North Filming:

Near Montgomery Ward Park

Bark Bark Productions will be filming a commercial in your River North.

Wednesday May 22 from 3 am – 9 pm

• Both Sides Of Sedgwick From Superior To Huron
• North Side Of Huron From 359 W Huron St To Hudson Ave
• South Side Of Superior St From Sedgwick To 419 W Superior St

Permits and traffic control, if required, are being coordinated by the Chicago Film Office and the Chicago Police Department. We will NOT block driveways, loading zones, fire hydrants, bus stops or disabled parking zones. If you have additional questions regarding this or other filming in Chicago, please contact the City of Chicago Film Office at 312-744-6415.

If you have any questions, concerns or special needs, PLEASE CONTACT:

Location Manager: Mono Wilborn (773) 525-2326 or Asst. Location Manager: Luis Perez (773) 938-3358

Windy City Law

On Thursday, May 23rd, a "Windy City Law" will be filming exterior scenes at 666 N Orleans. During prep, filming, and wrap up parking will be prohibited at the following locations: 

• Wednesday, May 22^nd from 5AM to 7PM
• West Side of Orleans from Huron St to Erie St
• South Side of Huron St from Sedgwick St to Franklin St
• Thursday, May 23^rd at 12PM through Friday, May 24^th at 1PM:
• South Side of Erie St from Orleans St to Sedgwick St
• North Side of Erie St from Orleans St to Franklin St
• West Side of Orleans St from Huron St to Erie St
• South Side of Huron St from Hudson St to Franklin St
• Both sides of Sedgwick St from Chicago Ave to Locust St
• North Side of Huron St from Orleans St to Franklin St

Please note that there will be a Sidewalk Closure on Thursday May 23, from 12PM until Friday May 24 at 1PM on the West Side of Orleans St from Huron St to Erie St and on the East Side of Orleans St from Huron St to Erie St. There will also be a closure of the alley west of Orleans from Huron to Sedgwick from Thursday May 23 from 12PM through Friday May 24 at 1PM. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Maria Roxas, 312-282-0783, or Gilbert Morales, 312-399-9401

Power Book Scene 1:

On Thursday, May 23rd, a "Power Book IV: Force" will be filming interior and exterior scenes at 66 W Kinzie. During prep, filming, and wrap up parking will be prohibited at the following locations: 

• Wednesday, May 22^nd at 5AM through Friday, May 24^th at 5PM (non-rush hours)
• East Side of LaSalle from Kinzie to Hubbard
• Thursday, May 23^rd at 5AM through 11PM:
• East Side of Dearborn from Kinzie to Hubbard
• Both Sides of Kinzie from Clark to Dearborn (except Bario outdoor dining)
• East Side of Clark St from Kinzie south to 353 N Clark (Clark St Bridge)
• Both Sides of Kinzie from State to Lower Wabash (separate leaflet)

Please note there will be a closure of the alley behind 408 N Clark St on Thursday May 23 from 4PM to 7PM. 

Power Book Scene 2

On Thursday, May 23rd, a "Power Book IV: Force" will be filming exterior scenes at 222 W Ontario St. During prep, filming, and wrap up parking will be prohibited at the following locations: 

• Wednesday, May 22^nd at 5AM through Friday, May 24^th at 5PM
• East Side of Franklin from Ontario to Erie
• Thursday, May 23^rd at 5AM through Friday, May 24^th at 5AM:
• South Side of Erie St from Franklin St to Orleans St
• Both Sides of Franklin St from Ontario to Erie
• Both Sides of Erie from Franklin to Wells

Please note there will be a closure of the alley north of 222 W Ontario from Thursday May 23 from 7:30PM through Friday May 24 at 2AM. 

Wendella Filming

On Thursday, May 23, a crew will be filming scenes on a Wendella boat. During the filming, parking will be prohibited at the following locations:

• Both sides of Lower Hubbard, from Wabash to Michigan (4am to 4pm)
• West side of Rush, from Illinois to Kinzie (4am to 4pm)

Crane Lift - 679 N Michigan

On Saturday, May 18, from 8am to 4pm, there will be a crane lift at 679 N Michigan Avenue. During the lift , the following will be closed:

• Sidewalk on the south side of Huron, from Michigan Avenue to a point 100' east thereof
• Curb and Traffic lane on Huron, from Michigan to a point 100' east thereof

Crane Lift - 474 N Lake Shore Drive

Stevenson Crane was hired to set a cell antenna on the roof at 474 N LSD. They will conduct the lift on Tuesday, May 22, from 8am to 5pm. 

During the lift, the following will be closed:

• Sidewalk on the south side of of Illinois, from LSD to a point 200' west thereof
• Curb and traffic lane on the south side of Illinois, from LSD to a point 200' west thereof

The curb lane on the northside of Illinois will become a drive lane and the bike lane will be shifted north but remain open. 

Demolition Project: 720 North Wells Street / 207 West Superior Street

Milburn Demolition will began demolition of 720 North Wells Street and 207 West Superior Street this week. Work hours will be Monday - Friday, from 8am to 5pm. 

The following will be closed throughout the project:

• 40 feet of the north/south alley on the south side of West Superior Street, between North Franklin Street and North Wells Street
• Sidewalk and curb lane on the south side of West Superior Street, between North Wells Street and North Franklin Street
• Sidewalk and curb lane on the west side of North Wells Street, from West Superior Street to a point 48 feet south thereof. 

The bike lane on the west side of North Wells Street will remain open throughout the project. Demolition is expected to be completed by August 1, 2024 (weather dependent).

400 N LSD Construction Update

Below is an update on the construction activity at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive.

Current Week

• Pouring of cofferdam walls and tower crane foundation
• Forming of wall cap at Ogden slip and under existing ramp
• Installation of dewatering wells
• Installation of power feed for tower crane

Week of 5/13

• Begin backfill of cofferdam
• Installation of sheeting at east and west ends of the site
• Continue forming and rebar of wall cap at Ogden slip and under existing ramp
• Continue pouring of tower crane foundation

Week of 5/20

• Installation of Tower Crane
• This will require Water St. for access due to equipment sizes
• Continue backfilling of cofferdam
• Continue pouring of wall cap at Ogden slip and under existing ramp
• Begin removal of wooden fence at west end of site and replace with construction fence

Week of 5/27

• Work will begin on the rebuilding of the southbound LSD ramp
• Note this will result in the closure of the ramp and require use of Water St for access to site
• Forming walls inside cofferdam
• Begin excavation of cap beam at west end of site

Thompson Center Redevelopment Mobilization

Clark Construction began mobilizing for the Thompson Center Redevelopment project on Thursday, March 28. The following is what you can expect:

Clark Street - Clark Construction has installed jersey barriers and fencing along the west side of Clark Street, between Randolph Street and Lake Street. This stretch of Clark Street is reduced to one lane of southbound traffic. Pedestrians are being directed to the east side of the street - due to the sidewalk closure on the west side of Clark Street.

Randolph Street - On Monday, April 1, Clark Construction will begin building a pedestrian canopy on the north side of Randolph Street (sidewalk), between Clark Street and LaSalle Street. This work will occur during the overnight hours and take 4 days to complete.

LaSalle Street - At the end of next week, Clark Construction will begin erecting a pedestrian canopy on the east side of LaSalle Street (curb lane), between Randolph Street and Lake Street. The sidewalk on the east side of LaSalle will remain open until the canopy is built.

Lake Street - No changes through Wednesday, April 24.

Franklin Street Bridge Project

CDOT crews began sidewalk replacement and selective roadway grating replacement at the Franklin Avenue Bascule Bridge over the Main Branch of the Chicago River.

Scope of Work:

The project consists of performing the following repairs: replacement of bridge sidewalk with fiberglass sidewalk panels, selective roadway grating panels replacement.

Construction Schedule:

7:00 am - 3:00 pm, Monday thru Friday, from Monday, March 18^th  until Friday, August 30^th. End date is tentative, contingent upon expected Central Business District Moratoriums.

Traffic Impact during Construction:

• Full closure of one sidewalk at all times.
• A single vehicular lane closure adjacent to the sidewalk being worked on at all times.
• One northbound though lane and northbound bike lane will remain open throughout during sidewalk repairs.

Lake Shore Drive Bridge Repairs

Bridge Repairs have began on the Upper level of DuSable Lake Shore Drive Bascule Bridge over the Main Branch of the Chicago River.

This work is separate from the ongoing Pin & Link work at the bridge and will not impact that construction, or require additional roadway closures. Details of the temporary sidewalk restrictions are below:

Scope of Work:

The work consists of upper level stringer repairs at the SE and NE bridge houses.

Construction Schedule:

• 8:00 pm - 6:00 am Sunday, March 10^th 2024 until Thursday, April 25^th 2024.
• Work will occur on Sunday nights - Thursday nights only. No work to occur on Friday nights or Saturday nights.

Traffic Impact during Construction: 

• The east sidewalk and bike path will be reduced to a shared travel lane in both directions during working hours.
• The east sidewalk and bike path will be completely open to pedestrians and bicyclists during non-working hours.
• This work will not impact the ongoing Pin & Link construction or cause additional road closures.
• The west sidewalk will remain completely open to pedestrian traffic at all times.

CDOT Construction: Pin & Link Plate Assembly and Expansion Joints

The Department of Transportation will begin a project to replace pin and link plate assemblies and expansion joints associated with the bridge structures of upper and intermediate Columbus Dr., Randolph St., and Stetson Ave. Pin and link plate assembly work will be performed from the underside of the bridge decks while expansion joint replacements will occur from above.  The work began in November 2023 and will progress to completion (anticipated Fall 2024).  

Work is to start along upper, intermediate, and lower levels of the following roadways: 

• N. Columbus Drive between E. Wacker Drive and E. Randolph Street
• E. Randolph Street between N. Michigan Avenue and N. Field Boulevard
• N. Stetson Avenue between E. Wacker Drive and E. Lake Street

During construction, portions of these bridge structures will be barricaded off to prohibit vehicles and pedestrians directly over the active work. 

• Vehicles will be shifted and/or detoured to allow the work to progress. 
• The sidewalk on at least one side of the roadway and crosswalks at roadway intersections will remain open for pedestrians. 
• Coordination of temporary access restriction may be required with private properties directly adjacent to the project.  



LSD Bridge & Viaduct Project - September 25 to Summer 2024

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) began working on the Lake Shore Drive Bridge and Viaduct Network between Monroe and Ontario. This work will include removing and replacing link plates, stainless steel pins, and Teflon bushings and expansion joint rehabilitation.  

Upper Level Lake Shore Drive will have one permanent lane closure in each direction and an additional lane closure during off-peak hours.

Intermediate Level Lake Shore Drive will have two permanent lane closures in each direction.

This project is expected to be completed summer of 2024.



State & Lake Utility Relocations

Utility companies began relocating utilities in advance of the State and Lake CTA project. Train services will not be disrupted during utility relocations. 

At least 1 lane of traffic will remain open (1 lane each direction on State St) at all times, but other driving and parking lanes may be closed. 

Construction equipment and materials will be stored on the street, including during time periods between active work. Work will primarily occur 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on weekdays and 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturdays, but there will be limited work during nights. Utility companies are aware of and required to abide by the Chicago noise ordinance, which limits noisy work during overnight hours.

Kennedy Expressway Bridge Rehabilitation

In 2023, IDOT began rehabilitating the Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90/94), from the Edens Expressway (I-94) junction to Ohio Street.

The estimated $150 million project consists of rehabilitating 36 bridges and the Reversible Lane Access Control system, replacing overhead sign structures, installing new signage and modernized LED lights, pavement patching, and structural painting. Additionally, Hubbard’s Cave, from Grand Avenue to Wayman Street, will be painted and new LED lighting installed.

The work will take place over three consecutive construction seasons, broken down into the following stages:

• 2023 – Inbound Kennedy: Click here for stage 1 fact sheet.
• 2024 – Reversible Express Lanes: Click here for stage 2 fact sheet.
• 2025 – Outbound Kennedy: Click here for stage 3 fact sheet.

The Kennedy Expressway officially opened in November 1960, with the last major rehabilitation completed in 1994. The project will improve safety, traffic flow and reliability for the more than 275,000 motorists who use the expressway each day.

Click here for a project overview.

Click here for a FAQ

Click here to see photos and videos of the project.