Traffic is a big problem for many commuters trying to get around downtown Chicago who often face gridlock during rush hour.<\/p>\n
\u201cA nightmare, an absolute nightmare,\u201d said David Liedman, who commutes into the city from the northern suburbs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s horrible. I’m tired. This traffic is a mess,\u201d said Jasira, a commuter who travels within the city.<\/p>\n
“Awful, absolutely awful,” Andy, another city commuter, told NBC Chicago. <\/p>\n
There are four East-West bridges currently closed in Chicago: the Lake Street bridge<\/a>, which is closed through January 2028; the Cortland Street bridge<\/a>, closed\u00a0until 2027; the Chicago Avenue bridge<\/a>, closed until December 2026; and the State Street bridge<\/a>, which was scheduled to reopen by Thanksgiving but was postponed until 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring rush hour in the evenings, downtown is unnavigable, and traffic is at a standstill. And it’s because the Department of Transportation (CDOT) didn’t stagger the closures of these bridges like they typically do. They\u2019re doing them all at once, and I think that could have been avoided,\u201d said 42nd\u00a0Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly.<\/p>\n Reilly said Chicago’s City Council did approve funding for bridge repairs, which is paid for through federal, state and local dollars. When the work gets done, however, becomes a local control issue. <\/p>\n Reilly acknowledged the repairs are imperative, with some of the bridges are over 100 years old, but he said his office didn\u2019t learn of the timing of the work until after it had already started, calling the concurrent\u00a0 closures \u201c100% inexcusable and indefensible\u201d in a post on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, CDOT made the unilateral decision, on their own without conferring with local Aldermen or other stakeholders, that they should close all these bridges at once rather than staggering that work over time to allow for some East-West travel during rush hour,\u201d Reilly said.<\/p>\n In a statement, CDOT told NBC 5 Responds, \u201cGiven their age and condition, the significant maintenance required is a proactive measure that prioritizes resident safety.”<\/p>\n “While we recognize the inconvenience of concurrent closures, these projects have been in continuous development for years, including detailed design work, securing funding, and conducting public outreach.\u00a0Delaying any would have pushed critical safety work further into the future,” the department said in a statement.<\/p>\n To ease congestion, CDOT said it monitors traffic conditions and makes real time adjustments to improve traffic flow. It has implemented parking restrictions, enhanced signage and rerouting strategies. The department also worked with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to reroute several buses to reduce congestion on detour routes. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n CDOT said it \u201chas maintained ongoing coordination with aldermen and local communities regarding these closures,\u201d and \u201cheld public meetings, ward-level coordination, and the publication of detour routes were conducted in advance.\u201d<\/p>\n