Arts & Entertainment

Downtown Road Closures for 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race to Begin Thursday

The 2025 edition of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race is still more than two weeks away, but downtown road closures and traffic disruptions are scheduled to begin Thursday morning.

The Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Monday released the full list of closures as the city preps for the third annual street race through Grant Park and several highly trafficked areas on July 5-6.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Balbo Drive will become fully closed from Columbus Drive to DuSable Lake Shore Drive, while “No Parking” restrictions will be put in place along Columbus Drive in both north and southbound lanes between Jackson and Balbo drives.

Curb lane closures will begin Friday morning on both directions of Columbus Drive between Jackson and Balbo drive.

Additional preparations will continue next Monday at 12:01 a.m. with the full closure of Ida B. Wells Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive, though westbound lanes between Congress Plaza Drive and Michigan will remain open. Beginning at 10 p.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday, there will also be a temporary closure of northbound Michigan Avenue between Congress Plaza and Jackson drives.

From there, the following pre-race closures will take place:

• Wednesday, June 25, beginning at 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. Thursday, June 26: Temporary closure of northbound Columbus Drive between Balbo and Jackson
• Thursday, June 26, beginning at 10 p.m.: full closure of Jackson Drive between Michigan and Columbus
• Friday, June 27, beginning at 12:01 a.m.: full closure of Balbo Drive from Columbus to Michigan
• Saturday, June 28, beginning at 10 p.m.: full closure of Congress Plaza Drive
• Monday, June 30, beginning at 12:01 a.m.: full closure of Columbus Drive from Jackson to Roosevelt Road; full closure of Monroe Street from Columbus to DuSable Lake Shore Drive; full closure of Jackson Drive from Columbus to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
• Wednesday, July 2, beginning at 10 p.m.: full closure of westbound and eastbound Roosevelt Road from Michigan to DuSable Lake Shore Drive; full closure of northbound Indiana from 13th Street to Roosevelt
• Thursday, July 3, beginning at 12:01 a.m.: full closure of southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Randolph Street and McFetridge Road; full closure of Columbus Drive from Monroe Street to Jackson Drive; full closure of Monroe Street from Michigan to Columbus
• Thursday, July 3, beginning at 10 p.m.: full closure of northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Randolph and McFetridge; full closure of north and southbound Michigan Avenue from Roosevelt to Jackson

The following sections will also be closed on race weekend:

• Southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Randolph to McFetridge
• Northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive from McFetridge to Randolph
• Northbound Michigan Avenue from Roosevelt to Monroe
• Southbound Michigan Avenue from south of Monroe to 8th Street
• Monroe Street from Michigan to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
• Columbus Drive from Roosevelt to Monroe
• Roosevelt Road from DuSable Lake Shore Drive to Michigan
• Jackson Drive from Michigan to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
• Balbo Drive from Michigan to DuSable Lake Shore Drive
• Ida B. Wells Drive from Michigan to Columbus
• Congress Plaza Drive from Harrison to Van Buren
• Northbound Indiana Avenue from Roosevelt to 13th Street
• Post Place: Entrance and exit of Lower Wacker
• Garvey Court: Entrance and exit of Lower Wacker

Streets with local access only for residents, businesses and their employees (sidewalks will remain open throughout the set-up and tear-down):

• Southbound Michigan Avenue from Monroe to Jackson
• Southbound Michigan Avenue from 8th Street to Roosevelt
• 8th Street from Wabash to Michigan
• 9th Street from Wabash to Michigan
• 11th Street from Wabash to Michigan
• Balbo Drive from Wabash to Michigan
• Harrison Street from Wabash to Michigan
• Ida B. Wells Drive from Wabash to Michigan
• Jackson Boulevard from Wabash to Michigan
• Van Buren Street from Wabash to Michigan
• Monroe Street from Michigan to Columbus
• Southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Randolph to Monroe
• Northbound Michigan Avenue from 13th Street to 16th Street
• Northbound Indiana Avenue from 14th Street to 16th Street

The Columbus Underpass and the Chicago Lakefront Bicycle Path will remain open throughout the event. Pedestrians traveling west must utilize and access sidewalks on the north side of Monroe, Roosevelt or Columbus underpass only.

The OEMC has also provided a list of alternative routes available, though the city may still close additional roads if deemed necessary:

• DuSable Lake Shore Drive northbound will remain open from South Shore Drive to I-55 merger
• To visit the Museum Campus from the south: Exit DuSable Lake Shore Drive at 31st Street and utilize Fort Dearborn Drive to proceed north and access 18th Drive
• To visit the Museum Campus from the north: Access Stevenson Expressway (I-55N) and merge onto N/DuSable Lake Shore Drive Exit at 18th Drive
• DuSable Lake Shore Drive southbound will remain open from Hollywood Boulevard to Randolph Street
• Inner DuSable 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

Some streets will begin to reopen following the conclusion of the race, with the OEMC putting a priority on reopening DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue.

Total setup and breakdown time in Grant Park for the event is expected to last 25 days, OEMC officials said, down from 43 days in 2023 and 38 days last year.

According to the OEMC, all businesses and residences will remain accessible during course setup, race weekend and the break-down.

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