“I can’t believe my steering wheel is still attached to my car,” and “I can’t live like this anymore.” Those are the sentiments from one West Side driver because of traffic gridlock caused by three recent bridge closures.

The Chicago Department of Transportation has closed three bridges across the Chicago River for reconstruction – the Cortland Street Bridge in Lincoln Park, the Lake Street Bridge in the West Loop, and the Chicago Avenue Bridge in River West.

With the impact on traffic near downtown, rush hour has drivers seeing red.

It’s a situation many drivers share – that they’re flooding the secondary roads to find their way around major bridge construction closures.

“This is not going to be a fun couple months,” DePaul University transportation expert Joe Schwieterman said.

Schwieterman said this is a frustrating mix of contributing factors, some which would normally be considered good.

“Traffic is up, we have nice weather, downtown has been really a hive of activity lately, and there’s some pain happening here with so many bridges closing at once,” he said.

The three bridges that have been closed all will be under construction for a year or more. The Chicago Avenue Bridge is expected to be closed until December 2026, the Cortland Street Bridge for 18 to 24 months, and the Lake Street Bridge until January 2028.

CDOT maintains more than 300 bridges and viaducts in Chicago, and said, “given the age and complexity of this infrastructure, some overlap between major rehabilitation projects is unavoidable.”

“These are long-awaited improvement projects that will ensure these critical structures remain safe and reliable for decades to come.

The Cortland Street Bridge, originally built in 1902, is undergoing a full rehabilitation to extend its service life. It is currently considered to be ‘serious’ condition by federal standards.  The Lake Street Bridge, which first opened in 1916, is also undergoing a full rehabilitation, with work carefully coordinated to keep CTA’s Green and Pink Lines in operation throughout the vast majority of construction. The bridge is also considered in ‘serious’ condition by federal standards.  Like Cortland, the Lake Street Bridge has gone through multiple repairs overs its 100+ years and is beyond the stage of being able to perform localized repairs.  The Chicago-Halsted Bridge and Viaduct project is replacing the temporary Chicago Avenue Bridge, with timing coordinated to support the opening of the permanent casino site nearby.

CDOT is working closely with contractors to complete each project as efficiently as possible. We recognize that overlapping closures are inconvenient, and we sincerely thank residents, businesses, and commuters for their patience as we deliver investments to strengthen Chicago’s bridge system, improve safety, and support the city’s economy.”

Schwieterman said some bridge repairs come with additional concerns – like Lake Street Bridge with the CTA’s Green and Pink lines running alongside it. He said traffic issues could improve as drivers change their habits.

“You know, the good news is we learn with the grid we have that traffic can be rerouted. People learn to adjust their patterns. You do get a long-term kind of a boost when people make adjustments,” he said.

While the bridge closures aren’t going away anytime soon, there is some good news. The State Street Bridge, which has been closed for repairs since April, is supposed to reopen mid-November.