December 1, 2023

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Alderman Reilly Reports

Chicago's Winter Overnight Parking Ban Begins Today

The Chicago winter overnight parking ban begins on Friday, December 1, 2023 (overnight Thursday to Friday), and is in effect through April 1, 2024. The parking ban is enforced regardless of snow on 107 miles of main streets throughout the City during the hours of 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.


During a snowfall, a build-up of snow and ice next to parked vehicles on these routes can further reduce traffic flow and cause unsafe conditions. The Department of Streets & Sanitation (DSS) works to clear the City’s main streets and DuSable Lake Shore Drive first to ensure that roads are safe and passable for motorists, buses, and emergency vehicles. 


Signage is permanently posted along the affected routes. DSS also posts flyers on cars parked on the streets affected by the parking ban as an additional reminder before restrictions begin. 


Cars left parked on these designated roadways obstruct the path of snowplows and prevent routes from being fully plowed and salted when it snows. Violators of the parking ban will be towed and face a minimum $150 towing fee, a $60 ticket, and a storage fee of $25 per day. 


Vehicles in violation of the ban will be towed to Pounds 2 (10301 S. Doty Ave.) or 6 (701 N. Sacramento). Chicagoans can visit chicagoshovels.org for a map of streets impacted by the ban and to view the City’s snow plows in real-time during a storm. Motorists can also visit chicagoshovels.org or call 311 to find out if their vehicle was towed due to the ban.

Northbound Lower Lake Shore Drive from Wacker to Illinois - Full Shutdown Begins Monday, December 4

Beginning Monday, December 4th at 9 AM, northbound Lower Level Lake Shore Drive (LSD) will be completely closed from Wacker Drive to Illinois Street.  


The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) will be performing this shut down as a continuance of the Lake Shore Drive Bridge and Viaduct Network between Randolph St. to Grand Ave. This closure will involve expansion joint rehabilitation and pin and link plate replacement.  


This northbound closure will have a duration of three weeks, weather permitting. Cars will be redirected to Wacker Drive to Columbus Ave. to Illinois St., then return to northbound LSD.

Election Judges Needed

Alderman Reilly is looking for qualified applicants to serve as Election Judges in the 42nd Ward for the upcoming March 19, 2024 Presidential Primary Election, and the subsequent November 5, 2024 Presidential Election.


Election Judges are assigned to local polling places in the 42nd Ward and are responsible for ensuring polling places open and close on time, and that voting operations run smoothly.


Election judges earn $230 for their services, provided they complete a brief training session prior to Election Day.


To apply online to become a Judge of Election, in the 42nd Ward, with the Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners, visit pollworker.chicagoelections.gov. A paper mail-in application is also available for download here.


Should you have additional questions, please contact Robert at office@ward42chicago.com or 312-744-3062.

CAPS Meetings

18th District: (312-742-5778 / CAPS018District@chicagopolice.org)

  • No 18th District CAPS meetings are scheduled in the month of December.

1st District: (312-745-4381 / CAPS001District@chicagopolice.org)

  • Beat 114 CAPS Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 6th, at 3PM.
  • Beat 112 CAPS Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 6th, at 5:30 PM.
  • Beat 122 CAPS Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 13th, at 5:30PM.

42nd Ward Traffic Closures & Construction Projects

Crane Lift / Street Closure


Imperial Crane


On Saturday, December 2nd there will be a full closure of Wells Street between Illinois Street and Hubbard Street. The street would be closed from roughly 8am-6pm this Saturday in order to perform upgrades on cellular equipment on the rooftop of 440 N Wells. Signage will be posted to reroute traffic.


Filming


Flyover Chicago


On Saturday, December 2 (12/3 back-up day), Flyover Chicago plans to film a River scene using a drone. During the filming, there will be a full closure of the Clark Street Bridge (5am-6pm). 


Additionally, there will be intermittent traffic closures (15 minutes at a time) at the following locations:


  • Orleans, from Merchandise Mart Plaza to Wacker
  • Wells, from Merchandise Mart Plaza to Wacker
  • Merchandise Mart Plaza, from Orleans to Wells
  • Wacker, from LaSalle to Clark
  • LaSalle, from Wacker to Kinzie
  • Clark, from Wacker to Kinzie
  • Dearborn, from Wacker to Kinzie
  • State, from Wacker to Kinzie
  • Wolf Point Plaza, from Orleans, west to dead end
  • South, side of Riverwalk from Clark to LaSalle  


If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jeff Crider (location manager) at (734) 478-1881.


Helicopter Lift: 225 N Wabash


On Saturday, December 9, there will be a helicopter lift at 225 N Wabash Avenue. During the lift, pedestrian and vehicular access will be prohibited at the following locations:


  • North Wabash, from Wacker Drive to Lake Street.
  • Wacker Place, form Garland to State


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 is anticipated to begin on Monday, November 13th, 2023 and 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.  


Street Resurfacing


The following resurfacing projects will begin at the beginning of November 2023:


  • New Street, between East North Water and East Illinois
  • New Street, between East North Water and River Drive
  • River Drive, between North New Street and North McClurg Court
  • McClurg Court, between River Drive and East North Water
  • Huron, between Hudson and Sedgwick
  • Erie, between Hudson and Sedgwick


Crews will grind away the top layer of asphalt first and return within two weeks to install new asphalt. The entire process can take 3 weeks to complete (weather dependent).


Canal Street Viaduct Project:


Beginning the week of December 4, 2024, there will be night work for the preliminary stage in advance of the viaduct demolition on Canal between Jackson and Adams. This night work will involve activities that cannot be performed when the Chicago Union Station is open to the public.

 

During this preliminary night work, access to the east sidewalk of Canal Street between Adams and Jackson and the entrance to Union Station/222 South Riverside will be limited but maintained. Please note that this will only be for night work during this stage of work. Full access, similar to the current daytime configuration, will be restored each morning.

 

This preliminary work is anticipated to take approximately four weeks with the night work taking approximately two weeks.


PGL River North Project


Peoples Gas began a gas main project in River North. PGL will be working at the following locations:


  • Franklin, from Huron to Chicago
  • Superior, from Wells to Orleans
  • Chicago, from Orleans to LaSalle


The project will be completed at the end of 2023.


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. 


Water Main project: Superior, from Orleans to Kingsbury


In Mid-October 2023, the Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM) began a water main project on West Superior Street, between North Orleans Street and North Kingsbury Street. This project will be completed in three phases. 


Phase 1 will include prep work, utility locating, tree trimming, and infrastructure trenching. The trenching will begin at West Superior and North Kingsbury and move eastward.


DWM is coordinating all water shut offs with each affected building property managers. Work hours will be 7:30am to 7:00pm, Monday through Friday. All work is expected to be completed by the end of February 2024 (weather dependent).  If you have any questions related to this project, please contact Bobby Lyons (project manager) at 773-724-1594 or John Bania (site foreman) at 773-663-8648.


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.



Temporary Bus Stop Elimination


Until March 2024, the westbound bus stop at Grand and St. Clair will be temporarily removed.


  • Stop ID Number: 761
  • Route Stopping: #29 – State, #65 – Grand, #120 – Ogilvie/Streeterville Express, #121 – Union/Streeterville Express


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.


150 E Ontario Construction


W.E. O'Neil began construction of a 23-story building at 150 East Ontario Street. Work hours will be Monday-Friday, from 9am-5pm (8pm during caisson pours). Some weekend work will occur.  


Throughout the project, the following will be closed:


  • 150' of sidewalk in front of 150 East Ontario
  • 150' of curb lane in front of 150 East Ontario 


Pedestrians will be directed to the sidewalk on the south side of the street at Ontario/Michigan and Ontario/St. Clair. The entire project is expected to take 23 months to complete. 


Street Sweeping


During street sweeping season (April 1 to mid-November) the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation uses mechanical street sweepers to remove debris and litter from streets, weather permitting. Throughout the season, DSS deploys mechanical street sweepers at regularly scheduled times to clear debris from Chicago streets. Starting this week, dozens of street sweepers have begun clearing the debris and leaves that have accumulated during winter months on both residential and arterial streets. 


On weekdays, from 9am to 2pm, this Sweeper Tracker map will show real-time locations of city street sweepers. For more information, please review the 42nd Ward Map and street sweeping schedule. Residents can also call 311 to find the dates and locations of street sweeping in their area.


Please check for the bright orange signs announcing temporary parking restrictions. These signs are posted two days prior to scheduled street sweeping events. Some streets also have permanently posted signs that specify a once-per-week period when parking is prohibited for street sweeping.


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.