DOWNTOWN — Brace yourselves, commuters.
Southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive's "S-Curve" along Oak Street Beach will be closed from 8:15 p.m. to 5:45 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16. Motorists are advised to avoid Lake Shore during these periods, and instead and use Interstates 90 and 94 as alternate routes.
Northbound lanes were closed overnight last week for repaving. Southbound lane closures were delayed due to the weather.
The S-Curve work, part of a broader resurfacing project on the lakefront thoroughfare, follows lane closures recently that held up even President Barack Obama. Lanes were repaved around Lake Shore Drive's S-Curve, but the windy stretch of road has yet to be improved itself.
"To date, no full closures of Lake Shore Drive have been required for this project, but due to the geometry of the curved section, the full closure is required for the safety of workers and motorists," Susan Hofer, a spokeswoman for the city's transportation department, said in a statement.
Southbound traffic will be diverted to Michigan to east on Randolph to southbound Lake Shore Drive. Chicago Avenue access to and from Lake Shore Drive will be maintained, and the exit ramp at Chestnut Street will be closed.
Drivers can also expect periodic single lane closures between North and Grand avenues between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to allow for restriping, curb, shoulder and other repairs that cannot be done at night. The total resurfacing project is expected to be done by mid-November.
The S Curve handles an average of 140,000 vehicles per day, but the transportation department said traffic is reduced to 12,000 and 13,500 vehicles in each direction overnight.
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