The NASCAR Chicago Street Race is set to return for a second year, drawing thousands to Grant Park on July 6 and 7, and prompting extensive street closures and rerouting downtown.
The closures began Monday, nearly a month before the event, to allow for setup. Motorists should be prepared for heavy traffic and reroutes throughout the event, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications. Both the CTA and Metra will provide additional service.
More than half of Grant Park will remain open to the public throughout the event, including popular features such as Buckingham Fountain, Butler Field and Lower Hutchinson Field.
All of NASCAR demobilization activities are expected to conclude July 18, the city said.
Last year’s race drew criticism for traffic and limited lakefront accessibility, prompting officials to say setup and takedown time this year would be reduced from 25 days to 19 days. When asked in April to clarify the timeline, city officials said building and taking down the main parts of the course, and the closure of major roads needed to do so, would be reduced by six days.
The city said at the time it did this partly by moving some deliveries of equipment off busy Columbus Drive to Ida B. Wells Drive. That means eight fewer days of lane closures on Columbus, NASCAR said.
Here’s a complete list of street closures throughout the event.
Pre-race activity in Grant Park
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June 10: Ida B. Wells Drive will close from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive starting at 12:01 a.m. to allow for construction of the main viewing areas; and limited parking restrictions will be put in place along southbound Columbus Drive between Jackson Drive and Balbo Drive
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June 19 to June 20: Temporary road closure from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on northbound Michigan Avenue from Congress Circle to Jackson Drive to allow for a pedestrian walkway to be installed while viewing structures are being assembled
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June 26 – Beginning at 8 p.m.: Northbound traffic lane closure on Congress Circle
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June 27 – Beginning at 7 p.m.: Curb lane closure of Columbus Drive between Jackson Drive and Roosevelt Road
Significant street closures
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June 27 – Beginning at 7 p.m.: Closure of Jackson Drive between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive
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June 28 – Beginning at 8 a.m.: Closure of Balbo Drive from Columbus Drive to DuSable Lake Shore Drive (intersection will remain open)
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June 28 – Beginning at 7 p.m.: Full closure of Balbo Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive
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June 29 – Beginning at 7 p.m.: Southbound lane closure on Columbus Drive from Balbo Drive to Roosevelt Road
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July 1 – Beginning at 1 a.m.: Closure of Columbus Drive between Jackson Drive and Roosevelt Road. Closure of Jackson Drive between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive
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July 1 – Beginning at 9 p.m.: Closure of southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Randolph Street and McFetridge Drive. Reopening at 6 a.m. on July 2
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July 2 – Beginning at 6 a.m.: Closure of Congress Circle and entrances at Michigan Avenue, Van Buren Street and Harrison Street
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July 4 – Beginning at 9 p.m.: Closure of westbound and eastbound Roosevelt Road between Michigan Avenue and DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Closure of northbound Michigan Avenue between Roosevelt Road and Jackson Drive
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July 5 – Beginning at 12:01 a.m.: Closure of northbound and southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Randolph Street and McFetridge Drive. Closure of southbound Michigan Avenue between Roosevelt Road and Jackson Drive. Closure of the northbound lane of Indiana Avenue at 13th Street. Closure on Monroe Street between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive
Race weekend street closures – July 6 and July 7
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Southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Randolph Street to McFetridge Drive
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Northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive from McFetridge Drive to Randolph Street
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Northbound Michigan Avenue from Roosevelt Road to Jackson Drive
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Southbound Michigan Avenue from Jackson Drive to 8th Street
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Monroe Street from Columbus Drive to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
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Columbus Drive from Roosevelt Road to Monroe Street
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Roosevelt Road from DuSable Lake Shore Drive to Michigan Avenue
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Jackson Drive from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
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Balbo Drive from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
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Ida B. Wells Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive
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Congress Circle from Harrison Street to Van Buren Street
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Northbound Indiana Avenue from Roosevelt Road to 13th Street
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Post Place: Entrance and exit of Lower Wacker Drive
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Garvey Court: Entrance and exit of Lower Wacker Drive
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Reopening Schedule: The northbound section of DuSable Lake Shore Drive is set to reopen on July 8 at 6 a.m. After the event, select streets will gradually reopen
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Priority Streets: The priority streets for reopening are DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive. Other street closures will remain in place until the demobilization of the track wall, fence and viewing structures is completed. All NASCAR-related demobilization activities are expected to conclude by the end of the day on July 18
Streets with local access only for residents, businesses and their employees
Sidewalks will remain open throughout the setup and teardown (June 10 – July 18).
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Southbound Michigan Avenue from Monroe Street to Jackson Drive
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Southbound Michigan Avenue from 8th to Roosevelt Road
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8th Street from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue
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9th Street from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue
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11th Street from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue
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Balbo Drive from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue
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Harrison Street from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue
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Ida B. Wells from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue
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Jackson Blvd. from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue
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Van Buren Street from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue
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Monroe Street from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive
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Southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Randolph Street to Monroe Street
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Northbound Michigan Avenue from 13th to 16th Street
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Northbound Indiana Avenue from 14th to 16th Street
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Columbus underpass and the Chicago Lakefront Bicycle Path will remain open throughout the event (this includes Monroe Street and Roosevelt Road)
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Pedestrians traveling west must utilize and access sidewalk on the north side of Monroe Street, Roosevelt Road or Columbus Drive underpass only
Alternative routes available – streets may be closed by the city of Chicago, if deemed necessary
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DuSable Lake Shore Drive northbound will remain open from South Shore Drive to I-55 merger
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To visit the Museum Campus from the South: Exit DuSable Lake Shore Drive at 31st Street and utilize Fort Dearborn Drive to proceed north and access 18th Drive
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To visit the Museum Campus from the North: Access Stevenson Expressway (I-55N), and merge onto DuSable Lake Shore Drive Exit at 18th Street
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DuSable Lake Shore Drive Southbound will remain open from Hollywood Boulevard to Randolph Street
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Inner DuSable Lake Shore Drive will remain open in both directions
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Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) will remain open in both directions
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Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) will remain open in both directions. Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) will remain open in both directions
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Stevenson Expressway (I-55) will remain open in both directions
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In the Loop, the following streets will remain open: State Street, Dearborn Street, Clark Street, LaSalle Street, Wells Street, Franklin Street, Upper Wacker Drive, Lower Wacker Drive, Randolph Street, Washington Street, Madison Street, Roosevelt Road – West of Michigan Avenue, 18th Street
