NASCAR’s two-day Chicago Street Race and music festival isn’t scheduled to take place until early July. But road closures for the event are set to come long before then, and even last for several weeks after the festivities have concluded, officials said Monday. Sandra Torres has more.
NASCAR's two-day Chicago Street Race and music festival will take over Chicago streets this summer in a highly-anticipated event, but that will also come with a number of streets closures in the city.
While road closures are expected in the lead-up and tear-down of the event, the main event - and subsequent closures - will come at the start of July.
The NASCAR Cup Series street course race is scheduled for July 2, and will be preceded by an IMSA-sanctioned series race, which will run on July 1. Closures will include highly-trafficked roadways like Columbus Drive, Michigan Avenue and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
The biggest interruptions are slated to begin on June 25, the traffic plan shows. Additionally, construction breakdown is expected to last well into mid-July, close to Lollapalooza, which is scheduled for Aug. 3-6 in Grant Park.
On top of the closures, officials said they expect roughly 50,000 people to attend each day of the two-day event.
According to NASCAR officials, "additional information, including plans to ensure local access, rerouting information, and specific reopening timelines, will be shared through the NASCAR Chicago Street Race community information website launching later this month."
"It's going to be a difficult summer for Grant Park. No question about it," Ald. Brian Hopkins told NBC 5 Monday. “Our job is to make sure as many people who are impacted by this as possible find out about it as far in advance as we can, so they can make plans accordingly and try to minimize the disruption to their lives."
The proposed 12-turn, 2.2-mile course will take drivers along Lake Michigan and around the city's iconic Grant Park.
A virtual community meeting hosted by NASCAR officials, the city of Chicago and the Chicago Park District where the public can learn more and ask questions is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday.
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Here's a look at what to expect during race weekend and where:
Race Weekend Closures
July 1
Northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive will close between McFetridge Drive and Randolph Street.
Other race weekend closures include full shut downs of:
- SB DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Randolph Street to McFetridge Drive
- NB DuSable Lake Shore Drive from McFetridge to Randolph Street
- NB Michigan Avenue from Roosevelt Road to Jackson Drive
- SB Michigan Avenue from Jackson Drive and Balbo Drive
- Monroe Avenue from Columbus Drive to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
- Columbus Drive from Roosevelt Rad to Monroe Drive
- Roosevelt Road from DuSable Lake Shore Drive to Columbus Drive
- Jackson Drive from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
- Balbo Drive from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
- Ida B. Wells from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive
- Congress Circle
Here's a list of remaining road closures before and after the event:
JUNE
June 2
Parking restrictions begin at 6 a.m. on June 2 along southbound Columbus Drive, between Jackson Drive and Balbo drive. Part of the sidewalk along Columbus Drive will also close at this time, but city officials noted that corners will remain accessible to allow visitors to still reach Buckingham Fountain.
June 5
At 6 a.m. on June 5, northbound parking will be restricted between Jackson and Balbo, with east side sidewalks being blocked.
June 10
Beginning June 10, Ida B. Wells between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive will close down, but eastbound lanes between Congress Circle and Michigan Avenue will remain open.
June 18
Starting on June 18, Jackson Drive between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive will close. This closure is expected to begin at 7 p.m. and continue through 6 a.m. the following morning.
June 19
On June 19, Balbo will close between Michigan Avenue and DuSable Lake Shore Drive, but the intersection along Columbus will remain open.
June 20
Starting at 6 a.m. on June 20, one lane will be blocked on northbound Columbus Drive between Roosevelt and Balbo Drive. Chicago Transit Authority busses that run along this strip will also be rerouted, officials said.
June 21
Curb lane closures begin on June 21 for northbound Columbus Drive between Balbo and Jackson Drive.
June 22
Beginning at 6 a.m. on June 22, one lane of southbound Columbus Drive will be closed between Roosevelt and Balbo. The Columbus Drive underpass, however, will remain open.
June 23
Beginning at 6 a.m., a lane closure will continue on southbound Columbus Drive, this time from Balbo to Jackson.
June 24
Lane closures will begin on June 24 along Congress Circle in both directions.
June 25 – Beginning at 12:01 a.m.
Jackson Drive will close between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive and Columbus Drive will close between Jackson Drive and Roosevelt Road.
June 26 – Beginning at 6 a.m.
Congress Plaza Drive will close and lane closures begin on eastbound Roosevelt Road between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
June 27 – Beginning at 6 a.m.
Curb lane closure begins on southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Balbo Drive and Roosevelt Road for track barrier installation.
June 28 – Beginning at 10 p.m.
A curb lane closure is slated to start on southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Balbo Drive and Roosevelt Road for track barrier installation.
June 29 – Beginning at 8 p.m.
Northbound Michigan Avenue will close between Balbo Drive and Jackson Drive and a traffic lane closure will begin on southbound Michigan Avenue between Balbo and Jackson.
Then at 10 p.m., southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive will close between Monroe Drive and McFetridge Road and Roosevelt Road will shut down between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
June 30 – Beginning at 5 p.m.
Southbound Michigan Avenue will close between Balbo Drive and Jackson Drive.
JULY
July 2 - beginning at end of event
Officials said the priority will be centered on opening up DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Columbus Drive and Michigan Avenue "as soon as possible."
Northbound Lake Shore Drive is scheduled to reopen between McFetridge and Monroe and southbound Michigan Avenue will reopen between Roosevelt and Monroe sometime before 7 a.m. on July 3, officials said.
July 3
At least one lane of traffic is expected to reopen on southbound Lake Shore Drive by midnight on July 3. Northbound Michigan Avenue and eastbound Roosevelt Road will also see one lane reopen, while all of westbound Roosevelt Road is expected to reopen.
July 4-5
Beginning at midnight and continuing through 4 p.m., officials are expected to continue to remove track wall from the event on southbound Lake Shore Drive, fully reopening the road after 4 p.m., officials said.
Then, beginning at 4 p.m. and continuing through the morning hours of July 5, the remaining walls on northbound Michigan Avenue will be removed, "allowing for three lanes" to reopen.
July 5-6
Between July 5 and July 6 Congress Circle is expected to fully reopen.
July 6-7
Columbus Drive between Roosevelt and Balbo is expected to remain closed in both directions. Balbo Drive will also remain closed to traffic between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.
July 8-9
Jackson Drive will remain closed between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive in both directions. Closures will also continue on Columbus Drive.
July 10
- Columbus Drive reopens in both directions between Roosevelt Road and Jakcson Boulevard, but one lane remains closed between Balbo Drive and Jackson Boulevard in both directions.
- Ida B. Wells between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive fully reopens.
- Jackson Boulevard and Columbus Drive intersection reopens.
July 11
Northbound Columbus Drive reopens fully between Balbo Drive and Jackson Boulevard.
July 12-13
Balbo Drive reopens between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
July 14-15
All streets, parking and sidewalks are reopened.
Alternate Routes
For those needing to travel north or south, officials recommend:
• State St.
• Dearborn St. (NB)
• LaSalle St. (NB and SB)
• Wells St. (SB)
• Franklin St. (NB)
• Upper Wacker Dr. (NB and SB)
For west or east:
• Upper Wacker. (EB and WB)
• Randolph St. (WB)
• Washington. (EB)
• Madison Ave. (WB)
• Roosevelt Rd. (EB and WB)
• 18th St. (EB and WB)
• 22nd St / Cermak (EB and WB)
Lower Wacker Drive will be promoted for through traffic to avoid the Loop.
