Downtown Chicago streets to close early for NASCAR race to repair pavement buckle

CHICAGO - Some downtown street closures to prepare for the upcoming NASCAR Chicago Street Race will begin earlier than expected to repair a pavement buckle amid an ongoing heat wave in the city.

Parts of Columbus Drive and Balbo Drive will be closed starting this week, according to the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

What we know:

Starting at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Columbus Drive will be closed from Jackson Drive to Roosevelt Road, and Balbo Drive will be closed from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive.

Those street closures were originally scheduled to start next week.

The city released the full schedule of street closures and other preparations ahead of the event.

The overall preparation time has been cut to 25 days, compared to 38 days in 2024 and 43 days in 2023, organizers said.

The heaviest traffic impacts begin later this month, with full closures of major streets like Columbus Drive, Michigan Avenue, and DuSable Lake Shore Drive just before and after the race weekend.

2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race map

Residents and visitors are encouraged to use public transportation, allow extra time when traveling through downtown, and keep an eye on alerts from the Office of Emergency Management & Communications (OEMC). 

The OEMC mobile app and the NASCAR Chicago website will be updated regularly with maps and reroutes.

More than half of Grant Park will still be open throughout the setup, race weekend, and teardown. Maggie Daley Park, Cancer Survivor’s Garden, and the Museum Campus will also stay open.