March 13, 2026

Alderman Reilly Reports

Chicago River Dyeing and St. Patrick's Day Parade This Saturday

The annual Chicago River dyeing and downtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade is this Saturday, March 14. The Chicago River dyeing will occur between 10am - 12pm. Bystanders are encouraged to watch the festivities along the Chicago River between Ontario Street (along the north branch of the river) and Columbus Drive (along the main branch of the river). The Riverwalk will be closed from 11pm on Friday, March 13 to 6am on Sunday, March 15. Please note that all nearby bridges will be closed to spectators during the dyeing, but the Columbus, LaSalle, and Orleans bridges will remain open for vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at 12:15pm at the corner of Columbus Drive and East Balbo Drive. The parade will travel north on Columbus Drive to Monroe Street. Street closures for the parade will be in effect as early as 8am and will be lifted by 4pm on Saturday afternoon at the following locations:

Columbus Drive, from Roosevelt Road to Wacker Drive
All side streets off of Columbus Drive, between Roosevelt Road and Wacker Drive
All streets bounded by Randolph Street, Monroe Street, Michigan Avenue, and Lake Shore Drive

You are invited to join Alderman Reilly to march in the parade. Alderman Reilly’s float will be in slot #46 on Balbo Drive, west of Columbus Drive. Please click here to RSVP to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade with Alderman Reilly and his team. Due to street closures for the parade, we encourage you to arrive at the float line on North Columbus Drive at 11am to ensure access. We hope to see you at the parade!

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, March 17

Early voting for the March 17, 2026 Primary Election continues at the new Election Supersite (137 South State Street) and the Board of Elections Office (69 West Washington Street, 6th Floor).

Additionally, early voting is active in all 50 wards. The 42nd Ward early voting location is Lawson House (803 North Dearborn Street), but any voter in Chicago can vote at any of the active early voting sites (listed here with hours of operation). Voters can also drop off mail-in ballots at any of the three early voting sites downtown. Please visit chicagoelections.gov for information to vote by mail. The hours of operation for early voting at the Election Supersite and BOE Office are as follows:

Weekdays: 9:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday: 10:00am - 4:00pm

42nd Ward Community Blood Drive on Saturday, March 21

On Saturday, March 21, Alderman Reilly will host a community blood drive at Fourth Presbyterian Church (126 East Chestnut Street). The drive is from 10am - 2pm, and participants must reserve an available timeslot using the link here or by scanning the QR code below. Those who would like to give blood are encouraged to eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water before donating blood. Please remember to bring a form of ID.

Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday, March 22

Race weekend for the Shamrock Shuffle is set to take place from Friday, March 20 to Sunday, March 22. The mile run/walk will take place on Saturday, March 21 from 11am - 1pm and the 8K and 2-mile walk will be held on Sunday, March 22 from 7am - noon.

Balbo Dr, from Columbus Dr to Lake Shore Dr, will be closed from Monday, March 16 to Wednesday, March 25, and Grant Park will be closed to vehicular traffic from 6am on Saturday, March 21 to 2pm on Sunday, March 22.

Street closures during the race on Sunday, March 22 will last from 7:30 - 11:30am. Vehicles violating these closures will be towed starting at 1am on Sunday, March 22. For a full list of traffic closures and parking restrictions, please click here. A list of closures in Grant Park can be found here.

CAPS Meetings

18th District: (312-742-5778 / CAPS.018District@chicagopolice.org)

Beat 1831 CAPS meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 17 at 5pm at 510 N LaSalle Dr.
Beat 1832 CAPS meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 17 at 6pm at 510 N LaSalle Dr.
Beat 1833 CAPS meeting will be held on Thursday, March 19 at 5pm at 303 E Superior St.
Beat 1834 CAPS meeting will be held on Thursday, March 19 at 6pm at 303 E Superior St.

1st District: (312-745-4381 / CAPS.001District@chicagopolice.org)

There are no remaining CAPS meetings in this district for the month of March.

To find your appropriate beat to attend your CAPS meeting, please click here.

42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

Crane Lift:

15 E Oak (overnight)

On Wednesday, March 18, a crane lift will take place near 15 E Oak St. The lift will occur between 11pm - 5am on the morning of March 19. During the lift, Rush St, between Oak and Walton, will be closed. Traffic control aides, barricades, and detour signage will be in place to assist drivers safely.

600 N Michigan (overnight)

Overnight on Wednesday, March 18 and Thursday, March 26, a crane lift will take place on the Rush St side of the 600 N Michigan building. During the lift, Rush St, from Ontario St to Ohio St, will be closed from 8pm on 3/18 - 6am on 3/19, and again from 8pm on 3/26 - 6am on 3/27. During these times, the east sidewalk on Rush St will be closed to pedestrians. Flaggers will be in place to redirect motorists.

840 N Michigan

On Saturday, March 21, a crane lift will take place at 840 N Michigan to replace rooftop units. During the lift, the following streets and sidewalks will be closed from 8am - 4pm on 3/21:

Pearson St, from Rush St to Tower Ct
North sidewalk on Pearson St. from Tower Ct to Michigan Ave

Flaggers and signage will be in place at the corner of Rush St and Pearson St, and at the corner of Chicago Ave and Tower Ct to notify motorists and pedestrians of the closures ahead. In the event of inclement weather on Saturday, March 21, this lift will be rescheduled to a future date.

Public Assembly:

806 N Michigan

On Saturday, March 14, a public assembly will take place near 806 N Michigan Ave. The group will begin assembling at 11am and will disband from the area at approximately 3pm. The City estimates an attendance of 100 people. The group may use speakers and sound amplifiers. No street or sidewalk closures will be required for this assembly.

Bridge Closures:

The following bridges will be closed next week from 9:30am to 2:30pm to conduct testing in advance of the summer boating season. Motorists and pedestrians will be redirected while the bridge is closed. The following bridges will be closed during the listed days (please note the overnight closure for the Lake Shore Drive Bridge):

Adams St Bridge - Tuesday, March 17
Columbus St Bridge - Wednesday, March 18
Madison St Bridge - Thursday, March 19
Lake Shore Drive Bridge (overnight)
Thursday, March 19 at 10pm - Friday, March 20 at 5am

River North St. Patrick's Day

From Friday, March 13 - Sunday, March 15, a section of Hubbard Street will be closed for a River North St. Patrick's Day street festival. Hubbard St, between LaSalle Dr and Clark St, will be closed from 12pm on March 13 - 5am on March 15. Event hours will be 4-10pm on March 13 and 8am - 10pm on March 14. The event is free to attend and will consist of traditional Irish-inspired food, drink, and activities.

Bally's Utility Work - Grand Avenue

To prepare for the new permanent Bally's Casino, utility work will be completed on Grand Ave in River North. As a result of this construction, Grand Ave, between Union Ave and Kingsbury St, will be reduced to one lane in each direction. These closures will be in place until May 2026.

Lake Street Bascule Bridge Construction Update

Work continues on the Lake Street Bascule Bridge. The sidewalk on the southwest corner of the bridge will remain closed until summer 2026.The Lake Street Bascule Bridge is expected to re-open by spring 2028. For the detour map, click here (note: the Canal St detour listed is no longer in effect).

Canal St Reconstruction

Canal St is currently undergoing reconstruction. During the work, the east half of Canal St, between Adams and Madison, will be blocked, and parking on Canal between Adams and Madison will be prohibited. Two lanes on the west side of Canal St will be maintained for northbound traffic. These closures will last until late 2026. Pedestrian traffic will be maintained on the west side of Canal St. Access to driveways and commercial loading zones will be maintained. CTA bus reroutes will be minimal as a result of the work.

Ohio / Ontario Feeder Ramp

As reported in a previous Reilly Report, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is completing phase 3 of its work on the Ohio / Ontario Street Feeder Ramps. The project is anticipated to be completed in summer 2026. IDOT's press release on these closures can be found here.

Bridge Construction Updates

As reported in a past Reilly Report, construction continues on several downtown bridges, and Alderman Reilly has expressed his frustration with CDOT for a lack of coordination and planning. The State Street Bridge will re-open temporarily for the Shamrock Shuffle on March 22 and will re-open permanently in spring 2026. The approximate completion date for the Chicago Avenue Bridge is January 2027, and the Lake Street Bridge will be completed by spring 2028.

600 N Michigan Façade Work

Traffic lane closures are in effect on Ohio St between Michigan Ave and Rush St. All closures are scheduled to end by April 2026. Currently, two lanes of traffic are closed on Ohio St. In addition, the west sidewalk and curb lane near the storefront on Michigan Ave will be closed and pedestrians will be rerouted until April 2026. Signage and barriers are in place to alert drivers and pedestrians.