Heads Up Commuters, Obama's Chicago Visit Could Disrupt Traffic Tuesday

NOTE: NBC Chicago will offer a live stream of the speech beginning at 8 p.m. Tuesday right here.

President Barack Obama will return to Chicago Tuesday for his farewell address at McCormick Place, and that could mean traffic troubles for some commuters. 

The president is expected to arrive at O'Hare International Airport during the early evening hours but it remains unclear how he will be traveling to the event from there.

He may take a helicopter and land near Soldier Field, though with a High Wind Warning in effect in the area that options is unlikely. If he does fly from O'Hare, he could then motorcade to McCormick Place, which would in turn cause rolling street closures in the area. 

This could cause even further delays in the area surrounding McCormick Place, which is currently under construction. The Illinois Department of Transportation is reconstructing the northbound Lake Shore Drive ramp to the outbound Stevenson Expressway. 

Obama could also motorcade to the event from the airport, which would also cause rolling street closures on whichever route he chooses to take, particularly on area expressways during the late-afternoon rush. 

There's also speculation he may go to dinner at a Hyde Park eatery before the event. 

Chicago's Museum Campus institutions will close at 2 p.m. ahead of anticipated traffic in the area.

Admission to the Adler Planetarium and Shedd Aquarium will end at 1:15 p.m. and at 1 p.m. at the Field Museum.

Due to high winds, Cermak was "closed until further notice" between Indiana and Calumet streets for pedestrians and motor vehicles, according to a spokesperson for McCormick Place. 

"Pedestrians coming from public transit will be directed through the West Building of McCormick Place, entering through Gate 41, and from there into the South building for security screening," the traffic alert read. "Local detours are in place for auto traffic. For visitors planning to park in Lot A, enter through 24th Place."

Doors at the McCormick Place open at 5 p.m. and the speech is slated to begin at 8 p.m. CT. 

Between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., six trains leaving the Metra station at Millennium Station will stop at McCormick Place. 

The farewell address is expected to be followed by a "family reunion" for Obama's former campaign staffers, according to a notice sent to Obama alumni and obtained by The Associated Press.

Obama will not stay in Chicago following the event, and is expected to instead return to Washington D.C. that evening. 

For more on how to get to the event, click here

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