Chicago

Getting Around the Lake Shore Drive Construction

The closures are expected to last until mid-September

With traffic snarled Monday morning as lane and ramp closures took effect on Lake Shore Drive for repaving work, many commuters were left trying to find another route. 

According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, the two inside lanes of northbound and southbound Lake Shore Drive will be closed from Monroe to just north of LaSalle until mid-September.

There will also be several ramp closures, as the north and southbound ramps onto Lake Shore Drive from Randolph will be closed during the initial repaving phase. The southbound on-ramp onto Lake Shore Drive from Lower Wacker Drive will also be closed for two weeks, according to CDOT.

When the work is completed on the inside ramps and lanes, workers will then do the same repaving work on the outside lanes and ramps, and that work will be completed in October, according to estimates.

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Here are the detour routes provided by CDOT:

The detour for the northbound on-ramp at Randolph will be via northbound Lower Lake Shore Drive to the on-ramp to LSD just south of Illinois.

The detour route for the southbound entrance ramps to LSD will be southbound Columbus Drive to eastbound Monroe to southbound LSD.

Other alternates include:

  • The Kennedy Expressway
  • The Chicago Transit Authority
  • Inner Lake Shore Drive
  • LaSalle Street
  • Michigan Avenue

For ramp closures:

  • Columbus to Roosevelt or Michigan to Balbo. (Note: Columbus bridge work is still ongoing)
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