NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race is scheduled to take over the city for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, but the effects for drivers will be felt most before and after the race.
Officials detailed a traffic plan Monday, the first to feature more than a month of rolling closures around the city in the lead-up to the event and tear-down.
The closures will include major roads such as DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Columbus Drive, Jackson Drive, Balbo Drive and Michigan Avenue and are expected to begin June 2 and continue through July 15, adding to a long list of traffic disruptions for city drivers. Kennedy is battling major construction projects on the expressway and elsewhere.
The biggest disruptions are expected to begin on June 25.
On top of the closure, officials said they expected about 50,000 people to attend each day of the two-day event.
“The City of Chicago is working with NASCAR to plan and execute the race, creating a safe event for everyone and minimizing disruptions to residents and visitors,” said Rich Guidis, executive director of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications. In a statement. “Safety is our top priority, and we will help monitor all race activity through race weekend, and after the event to help coordinate city resources and expectations.”
The agreement between NASCAR and the city of Chicago, which was announced last summer, gives NASCAR access to Grant Park from June 22 to July 5.
The expected travel disruptions have caused some concerns from area businesses and officials.
“This NASCAR race is going to have a huge impact on the neighborhood,” said Jim Wells, vice president of the Grant Park Advisory Council. “We know parts of the park can be closed for 40 days, and that’s unacceptable when you look at the money generated by NASCAR, at least on paper.”
Additionally, an official for the Shedd Aquarium said the famous Chicago landmark could lose up to $3 million in NASCAR street races — which happen around the aquarium’s busiest time of year.
The NASCAR Cup Series street course race will take place on July 2 and will precede the IMSA-sanctioned series race, which will run on July 1, officials announced.
The proposed 12-turn, 2.2-mile course will take drivers along major city streets such as Columbus Drive, Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, taking them around Lake Michigan and the city’s iconic Grant Park.
The start and finish line and pit road will be located directly in front of Buckingham Fountain along South Columbus Drive. The course will pass through famous Grant Park, the north edge of Soldier Field and more.
The event marks the first Cup Series road race in NASCAR’s 75-year history.
Here’s what we know so far about the planned closures:
Early closing
June 2
Parking restrictions begin at 6 a.m. June 2 on southbound Columbus Drive between Jackson Drive and Balbo Drive. Part of the sidewalk along Columbus Drive will also be closed during this time, but city officials said the corners will remain accessible to allow visitors to still get to Buckingham Fountain.
June 5
Beginning at 6 a.m. on June 5, northbound parking will be restricted between Jackson and Balboa due to blocked eastbound sidewalks.
June 10
Beginning June 10, Ida B. Wells between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive will be closed, but the eastbound lanes between Congress Circle and Michigan Avenue will remain open.
June 18
Beginning June 18, Jackson Drive between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive will be closed. The shutdown is expected to start at 7pm and continue till 6am the next day.
June 19
On June 19, Balboa will be closed between Michigan Avenue and DuSable Lake Shore Drive, but the Columbus intersection will remain open.
June 20
Starting at 6 a.m. on June 20, one lane will be closed on northbound Columbus Drive between Roosevelt and Balbo drives. Chicago Transit Authority buses that operate on this strip will also be rerouted, officials said.
June 21
Curb lane closures for northbound Columbus Drive between Balboa and Jackson Drive begin June 21.
June 22
Beginning at 6 a.m. June 22, one lane of southbound Columbus Drive will be closed between Roosevelt and Balboa. The Columbus Drive underpass, however, will remain open.
June 23
Beginning at 6 a.m., lane closures will continue on southbound Columbus Drive, this time from Balboa to Jackson.
June 24
Lane closures will begin June 24 in both directions at Congress Circle.
Main closures
June 25 – Starts at 12:01 p.m
Jackson Drive will be closed between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive and Columbus Drive will be closed between Jackson Drive and Roosevelt Road.
June 26 – Starts at 6am
Congress Plaza Drive will be closed and lanes will be closed on eastbound Roosevelt Road between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
June 27 – 6 a.m. start
A curb lane closure begins at southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive for track barrier installation between Balbo Drive and Roosevelt Road.
June 28 – Starts at 10 p.m
A curb lane closure is planned on southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Balbo Drive and Roosevelt Road for track barrier installation.
June 29 – Starts at 8 p.m
Northbound Michigan Avenue will be closed between Balbo Drive and Jackson Drive and southbound Michigan Avenue will be closed to traffic between Balbo and Jackson.
Then at 10 a.m., southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed between Monroe Drive and McFetridge Road and Roosevelt Road will be closed between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
June 30 – Starts at 5 p.m
Southbound Michigan Avenue will be closed between Balbo Drive and Jackson Drive.
Race weekend off
July 1
Northbound Ducable Lake Shore Drive will be closed between McFetridge Drive and Randolph Street.
Other race weekend closures include complete closures:
- 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 Ducable Lake Shore Drive
- Columbus Drive from Roosevelt Rd to Monroe Drive
- Roosevelt Road from Ducable 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
After the race stops
July 2 – Beginning at the end of the event
Officials said the priority will focus on opening 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 between Roosevelt and Monroe will reopen shortly before 7 a.m. Monday, officials said.
July 3
At least one lane is expected to open on southbound Lake Shore Drive by midnight on July 3. Northbound Michigan Avenue and eastbound Roosevelt Road will also have one lane reopened, while all westbound Roosevelt Road is expected to reopen.
July 4-5
Officials are expected to continue removing the track wall from the incident on southbound Lake Shore Drive starting at midnight and continuing until 4 p.m., with the road fully reopening after 4 p.m., officials said.
Then, beginning at 4 p.m. and continuing into the early morning hours of July 5, the remaining walls on northbound Michigan Avenue will be removed, “allowing for three lanes” to reopen.
July 5-6
Congress Circle is expected to fully reopen between July 5 and July 6.
July 6-7
Columbus Drive between Roosevelt and Balboa is expected to remain closed in both directions. Balbo Drive will also be closed to traffic between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.
July 8-9
Jackson Drive will be closed in both directions between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive. Closures will also continue on Columbus Drive.
July 10
- Columbus Drive reopens in both directions between Roosevelt Road and Jackson Boulevard, but one lane is closed in both directions between Balbo Drive and Jackson Boulevard.
- Ida B. Wells between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive is fully reopened.
- Jackson Boulevard and Columbus Drive intersection reopens.
July 11
Northbound Columbus Drive is fully open between Balbo Drive and Jackson Boulevard.
July 12-13
Balbo Drive reopens between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
July 14-15
All roads, parking lots and sidewalks have reopened.