42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

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 tentatively scheduled to start the week of May 13, 2024 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.

Filming

Commercial

On Sunday, May 12th, through Tuesday, May 14th, a commercial will be filming exterior scenes at various locations in the area. During filming, parking will be prohibited at the following locations: 

• Sunday, May 12th, through Monday, May 13th, from 5AM through Midnight:
• North side of Hubbard St from Wabash Ave to Michigan Ave
• South side of Hubbard St from Wabash Ave to Rush St
• Tuesday, May 14th, from 5AM through 5PM
• Both Sides of Wells St from Wacker Dr to Lake St

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Camille Crittle, 708-315-1738

Power Book

On Monday, May 13th, the TV Show "Power Book IV: Force" will be filming interior scenes at GT Prime, 707 N Wells. During filming, parking will be prohibited at the following locations: 

• Monday, May 13 from 3AM through 11PM:
• East Side of Wells St from Chicago Ave to Erie St
• West Side of Wells St from Superior St to Huron St
• South Side of Superior St from Wells St to LaSalle St
• North Side of Huron St from Wells St to LaSalle St
• 
  

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Agron Karameti, 224-999-1085, or Paolo Lopez, 773-558-0745.

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.