42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

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.

Crane Lift: 366 W Superior Street

Stevenson Crane was hired to replace cell equipment on the roof of 366 W Superior. The lift will occur on Thursday, April 4 (April 5 back-up day). from 8am to 4pm. During the lift, the following will be closed:

• Sidewalk on the northside side of Superior, from Sedgwick to a point 100' east thereof
• Curb / two traffic lanes on Superior, from Sedgwick to a point 100' east thereof

Westbound traffic will be prohibited and barricades placed at Superior/Orleans. The curb lane on the southside of Superior, from Sedgwick to Orleans will become a eastbound traffic lane.

CTA Structural Maintenance

The CTA will be performing structural maintenance on the elevated tracks over Wells Street, between Lake Street and Wacker Drive. Work is scheduled to occur on March 30 and April 6-7, from 7am to 7pm. Throughout the project, residents can expect the following:

• Curb lane closures
• Rolling traffic lane closures

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.

Crane Lift: 400 W Ontario

On Friday, April 5th at 9am to Sunday, April 7 at 8pm, there will be a crane lift at 400 West Ontario Street. Throughout the lift, westbound traffic on West Ontario, from North Orleans to North Kingsbury will be prohibited.

Filming

Windy City Law

On Thursday and Friday, April 4^th through 5th, "Windy City Law" will be filming exterior scenes at Mr. Beef, 666 N Orleans. During prep, filming, & wrap parking will be prohibited at the following locations: 

• Thursday, April 4: From 4:00AM to 3:00PM
• West Side of Orleans St from Huron St to Erie St
• South Side of Huron St from Sedgwick St to Franklin St
• Thursday, April 4 at 3:00PM through Friday, April 5 at 11:45PM
• South Side of Erie St from Orleans St to Sedgwick St
• Both Sides 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

The sidewalk on Orleans between Huron and Erie will be closed to pedestrian access from 6AM to 11:45PM on Friday, April 5th. Additionally, there will be intermittent traffic control in the alley bordered by Erie, Huron, & Sedgwick from 7AM to 7PM. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Locations Department, 847.612.9669. 

Indie Film

On Friday, March 29th, an independent film titled “Christmas in Chicago” will be filming interior dialogue scenes inside Trump Tower (401 N Wabash). During filming, prep and wrap, parking will be prohibited at the following locations:

Friday, March 29: From 3:00PM to 11:30PM



• Both sides of E Kinzie St from State to Lower Wabash

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Alexi Sanchez, Location Manager/On-Site Coordinator, at 847.601.9813

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.  

Murphy Auditorium Renovation

Driehaus Museum purchased the Murphy Auditorium (50 E Erie) in June 2023, and began the following interior renovations:

• Offices are going to be renovated
• Stage has sunken – leveled out; fix accessibility issue
• New elevator to go all the way to the top floor

Throughout the project, the following will be in-place:

• Pedestrian canopy over the sidewalk in front of 50 E Erie
• 100' of curb lane will be closed in front of 50 E Erie for material deliveries and small crane

They will need to use a small crane periodically throughout the project to lift materials onto the roof that can't fit through the doorway. 

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.