With more than a dozen streets and sidewalks closed, navigating around Chicago leading up to and during NASCAR's Chicago Street Race, scheduled for July 1 and July 2 may prove challenging. But don't be intimidated -- these five tips can help you get around the closures like a (pit) boss.
MAP: Day-by-day road closures for 2023 NASCAR Chicago Street Race
No. 1: Learn to love Lower Wacker Drive
The number one tip I have for those hoping to get around downtown Chicago between June 30 and July 3 is: get familiar with Lower Wacker Drive.
Utilizing Lower Wacker Drive is fantastic way to avoid surface streets. But there aren't many exits between Harrison St. and Lake Shore Drive, so getting a practice commute in is a good idea. Also, if you're heading southbound and trying to exit Lower Wacker by going west at Harrison -- to the West Loop -- you'll run into a full closure of Harrison as part of a Viaduct Reconstruction Project, for which you'll need a time-consuming detour. According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, the construction cannot be paused, even for NASCAR.
No. 2: Take Public Transportation
My second tip, especially if you normally commute by car on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, is to take Public Transportation to work or events downtown. The CTA and Metra say they will both have additional service during race weekend. The rates are affordable, there’s no shelling out for downtown parking rates.
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No. 3: Beware Lake Shore Drive
On July 1, DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed in both directions between the Field Museum to just south of the Chicago River -- but lanes will be tapered and merged down to one lane well before drivers get to those closures.
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That means from Chicago Avenue, all the way down to 31st Street, drivers can expect heavy traffic and delays even before the full closure of part of the Drive (from Randolph to McFetridge).
Alternates to DuSable Lake Shore Drive include the CTA, north and south arterials like State Street, and...the expressways.
No. 4: Beware the Kennedy Expressway Construction
Remember: there's lane closures on the Kennedy Expressway, too, as part of a three year bridge rehabilitation project from the Illinois Department of Transportation. Currently, the work has closed two inbound lanes from the Edens to the Kennedy Junction, all the way to Ohio Street, as well as the outbound express lanes.
An IDOT spokesperson tells NBC Chicago that the nature of that work means crews and equipment stays put -- even for large events like NASCAR.
No. 5: These closures are bigger than the ones for Lollapalooza
Chicago residents and Loop workers are used to crowds (think Lollapalooza, the Taste of Chicago, the Dyeing of the River Green), but NASCAR's street closures have a larger footprint than those that take place in and around Grant Park for Lollapalooza. And, street closures for NASCAR's Chicago Street Race ramp up earlier, with a longer take down period.
Make sure to keep the NBC Chicago app handy all summer, as we navigate NASCAR together.
