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The Taste of Chicago is still days away, but road closures start this week
Road closures for next week's Taste of Chicago begin this week. FOX Chicago's Anthony Ponce breaks down what to expect.
CHICAGO - Drivers near downtown Chicago will begin seeing street closures Monday morning as crews prepare for the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park next month.
Taste of Chicago street closures
Timeline:
The first round of closures began at 6 a.m. Monday when curb lanes along both sides of Columbus Drive between Monroe Street and Balbo Drive will be restricted to traffic.
Beginning at 6 a.m. Thursday, Columbus Drive between Monroe Street and Balbo Drive will fully close to traffic. Ida B. Wells Drive will also close between Columbus Drive and the semicircle near Buckingham Fountain.
Another round of full closures will begin at 6 a.m. Sunday, July 5. Jackson Drive will close from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive, while Columbus Drive will shut down between Balbo Drive and Roosevelt Road.
All affected streets are scheduled to reopen by 11:59 p.m. on July 13.
The 46th annual Taste of Chicago festival will run from July 8 through July 12 in Grant Park. Festival hours are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.
What you can do:
City officials are encouraging residents and commuters to plan ahead and allow extra travel time around the downtown area during the closures.
The city is also reminding residents that updates on traffic impacts, lakefront conditions and major events are available through NotifyChicago alerts and the Office of Emergency Management and Communications text notification system.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications.