Northbound Michigan Avenue ramp to LSD closed

October 1, 2012 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Commuters are being warned about a major construction project on Lake Shore Drive: the on-ramp to the northbound lanes of LSD at Michigan Avenue and Oak Street is now closed for at least the next six weeks.

• CTA Reroute Information

It's a project that is sure to create a lot of headaches.

The northbound Michigan Avenue on-ramp to Lake Shore Drive is now closed and it is scheduled to stay closed until the project is finished in November.

The $1.78 million project will repair old viaduct and retaining walls, and leave many drivers extremely frustrated for the next six weeks.

City officials are expecting major traffic back-ups, but it is work they say needs to be done.

"It's a 50-year-old ramp," said CDOT Director of Public Affairs Pete Scales. "It really hasn't had any significant rehab since it was built in 1963."

Crews are repairing the top and bottom sides of the viaducts and retaining walls.

Drivers beware: a slow detour is planned.

"Traffic northbound on Michigan Avenue will be routed onto to inner Lake Shore Drive, about a mile north up to the LaSalle/North Avenue exit, where cars can enter back on to Lake Shore Drive going northbound," said Scales.

But there is some good news for Lake Shore Drive commuters: that annoying resurfacing project is coming to an end soon.

"All of the paving work in the southbound lanes is complete as of this weekend," Scales said. "We are going to start the repaving work on the northbound lanes [Monday] evening"

Repaving on the entire Drive should be done by the end of this week.

As for the Michigan Avenue ramp, that project is set to be complete by November 16.

Southbound Lake Shore Drive at Michigan and Oak will not be affected by the ramp closure.

CTA REROUTES:

The Chicago Transit Authority says several express buses that enter Lake Shore Drive northbound at Oak Street will also be affected until November 16.

Northbound #143, 144, 145, 146, 147 and 148 buses will operate via Michigan, Inner Lake Shore Drive, and LaSalle Drive, then resume their normal route on Lake Shore Drive.

Buses will operate nonstop along Inner Lake Shore Drive between Oak and LaSalle Drive. Southbound buses are not affected.

Find more information at http://www.transitchicago.com/travel_information/alert_detail.aspx?AlertId=15793

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local, diane pathieu

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