CHICAGO (WBBM Newsradio) – Drivers heading downtown will begin seeing traffic restrictions this week as crews prepare Grant Park for the return of the Taste of Chicago.
The first phase of street closures began at 6 a.m. Monday, when curb lanes on South Columbus Drive between Monroe Street and Balbo Drive closed to traffic.
Additional closures are scheduled over the next several days. Beginning at 6 a.m. Thursday, July 2, South Columbus Drive from Monroe to Balbo will fully close, along with East Ida B. Wells Drive from Columbus Drive to the Congress Plaza Drive semicircle.
A final round of closures begins at 6 a.m. Sunday, July 5. East Jackson Drive will close from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive, and South Columbus Drive will close from Balbo Drive to Roosevelt Road.
The Taste of Chicago runs July 8-12 in Grant Park, with festival hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.
Officials say all affected streets are expected to reopen by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, July 13, after the event concludes.
The festival returns to its traditional July schedule this year after being held later in the summer in recent years to accommodate the NASCAR Chicago Street Race.
