Massive bridge project to shut down Halsted Street at Chicago Avenue
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The site of the new Bally's casino in West Town. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios
The summer of traffic nightmares is set to jump into overdrive early next month as the city works to replace the Chicago Avenue bridge over the river.
Why it matters: The massive project will divert traffic at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street, putting even more pressure on nearby neighborhoods already reeling from the last phase of the Kennedy Expressway construction.
The big picture: Construction will close Halsted Street in both directions from Ancona Street to the river, while reducing busy Chicago Avenue to one lane this summer before it closes completely this fall from Larrabee to Peoria streets.
- This means that starting soon, a major north-south thoroughfare will force drivers to take a detour on Orleans Street and Division Street. The #8 bus will be rerouted.
- Chicago Avenue, which serves traffic to and from the Mag Mile, will be closed at the bridge for close to a year.
What to watch for: The project includes a new bridge and riverwalk, plus permanent bike lanes and better traffic signals around the bridge, which has been a pain point for drivers.
The full construction scope includes:
- Replacement of the Chicago Avenue bridge
- Construction of a new riverwalk connection beneath the bridge
- Full replacement of the viaduct near Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street
- Traffic signal modernization, plus a new signal at Chicago Avenue and Jefferson Street, east of the bridge
- New street lighting and landscaping
- Dedicated CTA bus lanes on Chicago Avenue
- New protected bike lanes on Halsted Street
Zoom out: The closures come on the heels of the last phase of Kennedy Expressway construction, which has wreaked havoc on city traffic with closed ramps forcing drivers to side streets, creating unprecedented gridlock.
- The Illinois Department of Transportation says the Kennedy project will be completed by the end of 2025.
Context: Chicago Avenue construction is just a sliver of the change coming to the West Town corridor. Work has already begun on the new Bally's casino, which is expected to be finished in 2027.
What's next: Construction begins Aug. 4 and will continue through the end of 2026.