DuSable Lake Shore Drive bridge closing overnight for next week for maintenance

The DuSable Lake Shore Drive bridge over the Chicago River will close overnight for the next week so CDOT can conduct maintenance, Ald. Brian Hopkins said.

The 2nd Ward alderman said the bridge will close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Thursday, Sept. 10 through Wednesday, Sept. 16 so the Chicago Department of Transportation can conduct center break trimming and electrical testing.

The bridge will be open during the day.

Overnight traffic will be rerouted via East Wacker Drive, North Columbus Drive and East Illinois Street. CTA #134, #135 and #136 bus routes will also follow these reroutes overnight, Hopkins said. No stops will be affected.

Last week the DuSable Lake Shore Drive bridge got stuck open after a routine bridge lift because of a malfunction caused by the extreme heat. CDOT sent crews to examine the pavement and tried cooling the bridge by spraying water on it from boats on the river.

The bridge was able to close again after several hours, but the unexpected malfunction caused a major traffic jam and backup, with drivers left waiting to eventually be turned around and rerouted.