Chicago preps for road closures, restrictions due to NATO conference

Many major highways in the greater Chicago area will be shut down as world leaders converge on Chicago this month when the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) hosts its 25th summit there, May 20-21, 2012.

Portions of Lake Shore Drive and Interstate 55, the Stevenson Expressway will be shut down and intermittent delays and temporary closures will also occur throughout the weekend of May 19-21 in the downtown area, in the areas around McCormick Place and along Interstate 90, the Kennedy Expressway, between O’Hare International Airport and downtown, officials said in a detailed memo released late last week.

Road closures and pedestrian restrictions will be implemented beginning at midnight on Friday May 18 (Friday midnight into Saturday). The affected roadways will open for evening rush hour on Monday, May 21. Following is a list of proposed road closures:

Northbound and southbound Lake Shore Drive between E. Balbo Avenue and E. 39^th Street
Northbound and southbound Interstate 55 between I-90/94 to Lake Shore Drive
Northbound and southbound S. Columbus Drive at E. Balbo Avenue
Eastbound and westbound E. Roosevelt Road between S. Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive
Northbound and southbound S. Indiana Avenue between E. 21st Street and E. 25th Street
Northbound and southbound S. Calumet Avenue between E. Cullerton Street and E.
Cermak Road
Northbound and southbound S. Prairie Avenue between E. 21st Street and E. 25th Street
Eastbound and westbound E. 21st Street between S. Indiana Avenue and S. Calumet Avenue
Eastbound and westbound E. Cermak Road between S. Michigan Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive
Westbound E. 24th Place between Martin Luther King Drive and S. State Street
Eastbound E. 25th Street between S. State Street and Martin Luther King Drive
Northbound and southbound S. Wabash Avenue between E. 24th Place and E. 25th Street
Northbound and southbound Martin Luther King Drive between E. 26th Street and E. Cermak Road
Northbound and southbound Moe Drive between E. 31st Street and Mines Drive
Eastbound and westbound E. 31st Street between S. Cottage Grove and Fort Dearborn Drive
Northbound and southbound Fort Dearborn Drive between E. 31st Street and Lakeside Center
Museum Campus Drive between E. Solidarity Drive and 18th Street
E. Waldron Drive between S. Lake Shore Drive and Museum Campus Drive
18th Street between S. Lake Shore Drive and Museum Campus Drive
Northbound and southbound Lake Shore Drive between E. Balbo Avenue and
McCormick Center (Street closure will merge with McCormick Center street closures)
E. McFetridge Drive between S. Lake Shore Drive and Museum Campus Drive
S. Columbus Drive between E. Balboa Drive and E. McFetridge Drive
Eastbound and westbound E. Roosevelt Road between S. Indiana Avenue and S. Lake Shore Drive

The Chicago NATO Host committee will use Notify Chicago as a resource for communicating useful summit related information on street closures, traffic disruptions and more.

Individuals may sign up for Notify Chicago through the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications website to receive message alerts via text message or voicemail related to extreme weather alerts, traffic disruptions, health alerts and major incidents.

The free subscription can be completed in a matter of minutes by visiting http://www.notifychicago.org. This is a free City of Chicago service, though text message rates may apply based on cell phone provider.

Information and updates for the 2012 NATO Summit will be available online through the following websites.