First I heard of this, was there prior notice?
Starting Thursday evening, Sept. 11, and continuing for a week, the Michigan Avenue Bridge over the Chicago River will be closed to all traffic during the overnight hours.
The bridge will close from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following day. The closures will allow crews to work on the new river-level walkway beneath the bridge—the first connection for the Chicago Riverwalk.
During the closures, crews will install sheet piling under the bridge to create the space needed to build the walkway.
Pedestrian traffic will be detoured to Wabash and Columbus streets. CDOT will post signs and information boards to direct pedestrians.
To accommodate pedestrians, local tour boat operator Wendella Sightseeing will provide shuttle service across the river during the closure on an as-needed basis.
The new under-bridge connection will provide an uninterrupted path from Lake Michigan to Wabash. The project is expected to be complete by year’s end.
[From City of Chicago – Michigan Avenue bridge to close during overnight hours]
Brendan Reilly’s office adds:
The project includes removing and replacing all the limestone from the stairway, much of which is cracked and deteriorated. The area will be closed to pedestrians during construction.
The Chicago Department of Transportation will be working on the bridge nightly from approximately 11 pm to 6 am. Work the evening of September 11th will involve preparation for the sheet pile driving operations that will take place the evenings of the 12th through the 18th.
Because of the evening hours and location of this construction project, CDOT will make every effort to reduce noise and traffic impacts. CDOT has directed its crews to mute audio signals to reduce noise disturbances, but the vibratory hammer that will be used for splicing sheets for the pile driving operations will produce noise that will likely impact neighboring buildings.