The City of Chicago will temporarily restrict access to the downtown area overnight  and continue through the weekend.  Restricted access will be in place from 9 p.m. – 6 a.m. (Note: some streets will begin to reopen as early as 5 a.m. with access restored by 6 a.m.). The Office of Emergency Management and Communications is coordinating efforts with various city departments and sister agencies on the response.  

 

Following the looting and civil unrest experienced in the early hours of Monday morning, the City will continue to implement its Neighborhood Protection Plan across all of Chicago’s communities. As part of an all-hands-on-deck safety plan, OEMC will deploy more than 100 infrastructure assets from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Streets and Sanitation and the Water Department, who are working in concert with the Chicago Police Department to keep residents safe citywide. These resources have been deployed throughout the city — particularly along our neighborhood commercial corridors — to further protect our communities’ residents and critical businesses, such as grocery stores and pharmacies. 

 

The Chicago Police Department citywide teams will be used to supplement staffing for the districts, including the downtown area. Additionally, district-assigned officers whose shifts have been extended and days off canceled will be dedicated to neighborhoods across the city. 

 

This evening through Monday, August 17 at 6 a.m., access to the downtown area will be temporarily restricted from 9 p.m.–6 a.m. The restricted access to the downtown area is NOT a curfew. All residents, workers and employers whose businesses are located downtown will have access at all times. As part of the restricted access, the following measures will be in place until further notice:  

 

Lake Shore Drive will be closed between: 

• Fullerton Avenue (in-bound/out-bound ramps) on the North and I-55 on the South 

Also - Belmont (in-bound ramp only)  

 

Downtown Bridges: 

All Bridges will be up by 9 p.m. with the exception of the following: 

• LaSalle Street 
• Harrison Street 
• Ida B. Wells / Congress Bridge (West Bound Open Only) 
• Lake Shore Drive 
• Columbus Avenue 
• Kinzie Street 
• Grand Avenue 

Access Points for residents and employees of area businesses: 

• Harrison Street 
• Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street 
• Roosevelt Road and Canal Street 
• Kinzie Street and Halsted Street 
• LaSalle Street 

Expressway Closures: 

• All entrance and exit expressway ramps leading to I-90/94 between Roosevelt Road and Division Street will be closed in both directions, including the I-55 Chinatown Feeder northbound at Cermak and I-290 eastbound at Halsted. 

 CTA: 

• Rail Service will be impacted at the following locations, with trains not entering the area surrounding downtown: Fullerton Avenue to 47^th and east of Halsted Street 
• Bus Service will remain open at this time. Some buses will see reroutes due to bridge and street closures. 

 

CDOT 

• Divvy Service will not be available from North Avenue to Ashland Avenue and Cermak Road between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. 

 

Access points are designated for residents, all workers and employers whose businesses are located within the designated boundaries, individuals who reside in the surrounding area and residents engaged in essential activities.  

 

Entrance into the perimeter will be manned by officers with the Chicago Police Department. When arriving at the access points, residents and employees should show identification or proof that they live in the area and/or work in the area.  

 

To receive emergency alerts for updates on street closures and public transportation, subscribe to Chicago’s text or email alert system at NotifyChicago.org or follow the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) on Facebook and Twitter @ChicagoOEMC. 

 

# # #