Mar 12 2014

Milwaukee Ave Closed This Weekend for Bloomingdale Trail Bridge Improvements

TRAFFIC ALERT
March 12, 2014

CONTACT:
CDOT Media Affairs
312.744.0707
cdotnews@cityofchicago.org

MILWAUKEE AVENUE TO BE CLOSED THIS WEEKEND FOR BLOOMINGDALE TRAIL BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS
Traffic to be Detoured March 14-16; Bloomingdale Trail Construction in Full Swing

The second stage of bridge improvements related to the Bloomingdale Trail construction will cause a weekend closure of Milwaukee Avenue from March 14-16, including overnight demolition work, to remove the deteriorated concrete deck for future replacement.

Milwaukee Avenue will be closed to all traffic between Leavitt Avenue (2200W) and Oakley/Moffat Avenues (2300W) during this work period, with detours for vehicles and pedestrians.

All vehicular traffic, including CTA’s Milwaukee Avenue Route #56 buses, will be detoured west to Western Avenue via North and Armitage Avenues. Pedestrians will be detoured east to Wilmot Avenue, as the viaduct at Winnebago Avenue will be closed for repair.

Crews will begin work at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 14, working around the clock to complete the process as quickly and efficiently as possible. Milwaukee will be re-opened no later than 5 a.m. on Monday, March 17.

The work on Milwaukee follows last week’s successful removal of the Bloomingdale Avenue bridge over Western, and precedes similar work on Ashland Avenue later this month as part of the construction of the Bloomingdale Trail.

The current bridge in place at Milwaukee and Bloomingdale Avenues causes several traffic issues on the busy diagonal street. Vertical clearance for trucks is a major concern that will be addressed by the new bridge updates. In addition, bottlenecking occurs when travel lanes narrow approaching the bridge, including interruption of the bike lane. The new bridge will allow for better travel along this section of the road.

The new bridge, which will used recycled steel from the old bridge, will feature an arch design and will be one of the highlights of the Bloomingdale Trail, the centerpiece of The 606 rails-to-trails project.

This element of the project requires concrete removal. Residents living near the bridge may hear noise during the weekend work period. In the coming weeks, similar weekend roadway closures will occur at Ashland Avenue as part of work to remove and improve bridges along the Bloomingdale Trail.
The 606 park and trail system is the signature project of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s push to create 800 new parks, recreation areas and green spaces throughout Chicago over the next five years. For more information visit www.The606.org

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