City announces road closures for NASCAR Chicago Street Race in July 2024
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The NASCAR Chicago Street Race returns for a second year in July, and the city on Wednesday released a traffic plan for the event.
This year's race will be held July 6 and 7 – a Saturday and Sunday. It will be the second in a three-series commitment.
The city it has worked with NASCAR to trim six days off the course build this year – cutting the preparation time from 25 days last year to 19 this year.
The city released the following list of street closures:
Pre-race activity in Grant Park
- Monday, June 10: Ida B. Wells Drive is to close from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive starting at 12:01 a.m. This will allow for construction of the main viewing areas. Limited parking restrictions will also be issued on southbound Columbus Drive between Jackson and Balbo drives.
- Wednesday, June 19 to Thursday, June 20: A temporary road closure will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on northbound Michigan Avenue from Congress Circle to Jackson Drive so a pedestrian walkway can be installed while viewing structures are under assembly.
- Wednesday, June 26 – Beginning at 8 p.m.: The northbound traffic lane will close on Congress Circle, also known as Congress Plaza Drive.
- Thursday, June 27 – Beginning at 7 p.m. The curb lane will be closed on Columbus Drive between Jackson Drive and Roosevelt Road.
Significant street closures
- Thursday, June 27 – Beginning at 7 p.m. Jackson Drive will be closed between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.
- Friday, June 28 – Beginning at 8 a.m. Balbo Drive will be closed from Columbus Drive to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. The intersection of Balbo and DuSable Lake Shore drives will remain open.
- Friday, June 28 – Beginning at 7 p.m. Balbo Drive will be closed completely from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive.
- Saturday, June 29 - Beginning at 7 p.m. Southbound Columbus Drive will be closed from Balbo Drive to Roosevelt Road.
- Monday, July 1 – Beginning at 1 a.m. Columbus Drive will be closed between Jackson Drive and Roosevelt Road. Jackson Drive will be closed between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
- Monday, July 1 – Beginning at 9 p.m. Southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed between Randolph Drive and William L. McFetridge Drive. It will reopen at 6 a.m. on July 2.
- Tuesday, July 2 – Beginning at 6 a.m. Congress Circle and its entrances at Michigan Avenue, Van Buren Street, and Harrison Street will be closed.
- Thursday, July 4 – Beginning at 9 p.m. Westbound and eastbound Roosevelt Road will be closed between Michigan Avenue and DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Michigan Avenue will be closed between Roosevelt Road and Jackson Drive.
- Friday, July 5 – Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Northbound and southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed between Randolph Drive and William L. McFetridge Drive. Southbound Michigan Avenue will be closed between Roosevelt Road and Jackson Drive. The northbound side of Indiana Avenue will be closed at 13th Street. Monroe Drive will be closed between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
Race weekend street closures – Saturday, July 6, and Sunday July 7
- Southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Randolph Drive to William L. McFetridge Drive.
- Northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive from William L. McFetridge Drive to Randolph Drive.
- Northbound Michigan Avenue from Roosevelt Road to Jackson Drive.
- Southbound Michigan Ave. from Jackson Drive. to 8th Street.
- Monroe Street from Columbus Drive to DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
- Columbus Drive from Roosevelt Road to Monroe Drive.
- Roosevelt Road from DuSable Lake Shore Dr. to Michigan Avenue.
- Jackson Drive from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
- Balbo Drive from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
- Ida B. Wells Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive.
- Congress Circle from Harrison Street to Van Buren Street.
- Northbound Indiana Avenue from Roosevelt Road to 13th Street.
- Post Place: Entrance and exit of Lower Wacker Drive.
- Garvey Court: Entrance and exit of Lower Wacker Drive.
- Monday, July 8: Select streets will begin reopening after conclusion of the event. However, all street closures are expected to remain in effect as the track wall, fence, and viewing structures are taken down.
- The city emphasizes priority streets to reopen are DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Ave., and Columbus Drive. Other street closures will remain in effect for the dismantling of the race structures.
- Northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive will begin reopening Monday, July 8 at 6 a.m., with the removal of everything from the NASCAR race expected to conclude by end of day July 18.
The following streets will have local access only for residents, and businesses and their employees. Sidewalks will be open throughout the setup and tear-down (June 10-July 18):
- Southbound Michigan Avenue from Monroe Street/Drive to Jackson Boulevard/Drive.
- Southbound Michigan Avenue from 8th Street to Roosevelt Road.
- 8th Street from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue.
- 9th Street from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue.
- 11th Street from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue.
- Balbo Avenue from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue.
- Harrison Street from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue.
- Ida B. Wells Drive from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue.
- Jackson Boulevard from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue.
- Van Buren Street from Wabash Avenue to Michigan Avenue.
- Monroe Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive.
- Southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Randolph Drive to Monroe Drive.
- Northbound Michigan Avenue from 13th Street to 16th Street.
- Northbound Indiana Avenue from 14th Street to 16th Street.
- The Columbus Drive Underpass and the Chicago Lakefront Bicycle Path will remain open throughout the event (this includes the junctions with Monroe Drive and Roosevelt Road).
- Pedestrians traveling west from Grant Park must use and access the sidewalk on the north side of Monroe Drive, Roosevelt Road, or the Columbus Drive underpass only.
The city suggests these alternative routes, while warning that other streets may be closed if deemed necessary:
- DuSable Lake Shore Drive northbound will remain open from South Shore Drive in Jackson Park to the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) merger.
- To visit the Museum Campus from the south, motorists may exit DuSable Lake Shore Drive at 31st Street and use Fort Dearborn Drive – the frontage road that runs east of DuSable Lake Shore Drive in that area – to proceed north and access 18th Drive.
- To visit the Museum Campus from the north, drivers should get on the inbound Stevenson Expressway and then merge onto northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive, and exit at 18th Drive.
- DuSable Lake Shore Drive southbound will remain open from Hollywood Avenue to Randolph Drive.
- In the areas where it runs, inner Lake Shore Drive will remain open in both directions.
- The Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) will remain open in both directions.
- The Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) will remain open in both directions.
- The Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) will remain open in both directions.
- The Stevenson Expressway (I-55) will remain open in both directions.
- In the Loop, the South Loop, and the Near South Side, the following streets will remain open: State Street, Dearborn Street, Clark Street, LaSalle Street, Wells Street, Franklin Street, Upper Wacker Drive, Lower Wacker Drive, Randolph Street, Washington Street, Madison Street, Roosevelt Road west of Michigan Avenue, 18th Street.
The city also notes that the Chicago Park District will prioritize public access during the race – keeping more than half of Grant Park open all through the event. Buckingham Fountain, Butler Field, and Lower Hutchinson Field will all remain open with minimal restrictions.
Maggie Daley Park and the Cancer Survivors' Garden within will also remain open, as will the museum campus and all its museums – the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium.
Last year, record-setting downpours on Sunday, July 2, upended one day of the race. The inaugural race last year annoyed some people due to the road closures and disruptions.
Nonetheless, the race was seen as a big economic success for the city. Choose Chicago, the city's tourism agency, put the economic impact at nearly $109 million.
