Chicago beaches reached capacity Thursday afternoon and parking lots were full as Fourth of July revelers flocked to Lake Michigan
"Rotating ramp closures on Lake Shore Drive remain in effect, Chicago Police tweeted.
Just after noon, beach entrances were closed at Montrose, Foster, Wilson and Lawrence, as well as entrances between Thorndale and Lawrence. Just after 2:30 p.m. all beaches were full.
Beaches and Navy Pier were expected to be a huge draw again this year for Fourth of July.
Chicago Police, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Navy Pier announced a beefed-up security plan in place throughout the weekend.
Special security checkpoints were set up at Navy Pier, and visitors must go through the checkpoints to be granted access.
Navy Pier is expected to reach maximum capacity at some point on Thursday. At that point, that visitors will be turned away for safety reasons.
Navy Pier social media accounts will make announcements on potential closures.
