Milwaukee Avenue closure marks start of major Logan Square redesign
Milwaukee Avenue to close for $27M construction project revamping key Chicago corridor
Parts of Milwaukee Avenue are closed for construction as part of a $27 million project to redesign one of Chicago's most important corridors.
CHICAGO - A major construction project began Thursday on Chicago’s Northwest Side, closing a section of Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square.
The $27 million project aims to restore green space and enhance safety for drivers and pedestrians.
"This project has been in design for many, many years," said Project Manager Dan Melnyk.
Big picture view:
Chicago’s historic Logan Square is now a major construction zone.
On Thursday morning, crews shut down a stretch of Milwaukee Avenue that passes through the square itself, rerouting traffic through a series of perimeter streets in a counterclockwise direction.
"We’re reconfiguring the traffic to allow for the construction of the interior of the square," said Melnyk.
The goal is to turn a short stretch of Milwaukee Avenue that now divides Logan Square into a paved pedestrian plaza that will link the green spaces on either side.
It will create a larger and more unified square that can be the focal point for community gatherings, festivals and a farmers market.
"So it’s gonna become a really great space for the community to gather," said 35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramírez-Rosa. "And most importantly, it’s going to be a safe space, free of vehicular traffic. We’re going to be returning space from cars and giving it back to people."
But getting to that point will take a full construction season.
Work crews have already reconfigured a number of traffic lights, closed parts of surrounding streets and striped in new walkways and directional signs on the pavement.
Engineers say the redevelopment project will also make the area more safe by slowing traffic and creating separate bike lanes that run through the Square.
"Safety is always a main priority of projects like this," said CDOT Chief Highway Engineer David Miller. "So smoothing out traffic, calming traffic with the amount of pavement there has been through here. It encourages higher speeds for traffic. So by having shorter pedestrian crossings, more narrow permanent pavement, really emphasizing pedestrian safety."
What's next:
During construction, street parking will be limited, which will likely impact some Logan Square businesses.
"We need our local residents, and we need people from all across Chicago to support our businesses during this time," said Alderman Ramirez-Rosa. "Milwaukee Avenue, Logan Boulevard, Kedzie, they’re all home to wonderful small locally-owned businesses. And this is going to be a difficult time."