CDOT Announces Overnight Closures Of Lake Shore Drive Between Randolph And Michigan Avenues For Four Nights Next Week

November 5, 2015

Full Closures for Two Nights Northbound and Two Nights Southbound to Allow for Safe Resurfacing of the Oak Street S-Curve; Motorists Urged to Take Alternate Routes to Avoid Delays

Mike Claffey     312.744.0707 Michael.claffey@cityofchicago.org

Susan Hofer    312.742.2006 Susan.Hofer@cityofchicago.org

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced that Lake Shore Drive will be fully closed to traffic during overnight hours next week, between the hours of 8:15 p.m. and 5:45 a.m., weather permitting, for two nights in the northbound direction and two nights in the southbound direction, so that resurfacing of the Oak Street S-curve can be done safely for both motorists and work crews. Motorists are advised to avoid Lake Shore Drive unless absolutely necessary on the nights full closures are in effect, and to use I-90/94, the Dan Ryan and Kennedy Expressways, as alternate routes.

CDOT has made steady progress on the project to resurface N. Lake Shore Drive from Grand Avenue to North Avenue. One more night of mainline resurfacing remains to complete the sections north and south of the Oak Street curve. To date, no full closures of Lake Shore Drive have been required for this project, but due to the geometry of the curved section, the full closure is required for the safety of workers and motorists.

While this segment of Lake Shore Drive handles a daily average of 140,000 motorists per day in both directions, and approximately half that volume in each direction, the traffic volume is reduced during the overnight hours to between 12,000 and 13,500 vehicles in each direction.

Weather permitting, next Monday and Tuesday, November 9th and 10th, northbound traffic will be detoured off Lake Shore Drive at Randolph, westbound to Michigan Ave., and then northbound onto Lake Shore Drive via the entrance ramp at Oak Street. Ramps from Randolph Street, Wacker Drive and Grand Avenue to northbound Lake Shore Drive will be closed. Local access only will be maintained to the Grand Avenue ramp and Navy Pier. Southbound Lake Shore Drive will remain open.

Weather permitting, next Wednesday and Thursday, November 11th and 12th, southbound Lake Shore Drive traffic will be detoured off at Michigan Avenue. The detour route is south on Michigan to Randolph and east on Randolph back to southbound Lake Shore Drive. Chicago Avenue access to and from Lake Shore Drive will be maintained. The exit ramp at Chestnut will be closed. Northbound Lake Shore Drive will remain open on these nights.

Also, during the next several weeks, motorists can expect periodic single lane closures between North and Grand Avenues between 9:30 A.M. and 3:30 P.M. to allow for restriping, curb, shoulder and other repairs that cannot be done at night.

The timing of these full road and lane closures is dependent on weather and other factors and advisories will be issued if the schedule changes.

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