CHICAGO (WGN) — Construction begins Monday on the Lake Street Bridge, a 109-year-old structure that will be closed until January 2028 for major repairs.
“I don’t drive over it, but I do walk around it a lot,” Willoughby Urquhart said. “Walking along the river you see construction. I was surprised they need to shut down the entirety of this one, but it’ll make walking a little more difficult.”
Starting Monday, Urquhart and countless others will have to find new routes.
“I heard it’ll be three years or two years, so probably three,” Lauren Trisler said. “I use the bridge every day to commute home to work. It’ll change my route. It won’t be great.”
The inconvenience may not seem too bad now, but winter could change that.
“I did a whole extra block in a loop. It’s not too bad on a day like today but once it’s cold out it might be tougher,” Urquhart said.
For drivers, detours are already in place. Eastbound traffic on Lake Street will be rerouted to Des Plaines Street, then Washington to Franklin before returning to Lake. Westbound drivers will be directed to Wacker Drive, then Madison to Jefferson.
Originally slated for work last year, the bridge is finally getting its long-awaited overhaul. Crews will repair the deck, substructures, and L tracks, while also restoring the historic bridge houses and updating mechanical and electrical systems.
The project runs alongside ongoing repairs to the Chicago Avenue Bridge.
“I know they’re also doing Chicago Avenue so if it’s safer and better for users, it’s gotta be done,” Jeff Philips said.
The good news? CTA service on the Green and Pink lines will stay mostly operational, except for two 12-day shutdowns, one expected around this time next year and another in 2027.
“I was so glad to see people won’t be closing that service (CTA) for two years,” Philips said.
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