CDOT: Canal Street Viaduct Rehabilitation to Begin Evening of August 7

July 31, 2023

Canal Street will be fully closed from Jackson to Adams for approximately 18 months

Beginning on Monday, August 7th, after the evening rush hours, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) will break ground on a multi-phase project to rehabilitate four viaducts of Canal Street between Taylor Street and Madison Street that serve as both a major corridor into Chicago’s Central Business District and as the roof over parts of Chicago Union Station. Phase I of this improvement will be a viaduct rehabilitation of Canal Street from Jackson Boulevard to Adams Street, adjacent to Chicago Union Station’s historic headhouse.

The full width of Canal Street, including the roadway and sidewalks, will be fully reconstructed. To facilitate completion of this work, Canal Street will be fully closed from Jackson to Adams for approximately 18 months. Construction crews will perform day and night work. Access to Chicago Union Station will be maintained.

 

For more information about the project, including maps, traffic impacts, and CTA reroute plans, please visit the project website at cdotcanalprojects.com.

 

Pedestrian Access to Chicago Union Station and 222 S. Riverside Plaza: • Entrances adjacent to the Chicago River are unaffected. • A new fully ADA accessible mid-block entrance to Union Station from Clinton Street will be open in advance of the Canal Street closure. • A walkway will be provided on the east side of Canal Street for pedestrian access to Union Station/222 S. Riverside Plaza. Access to this walkway will be from Adams Street. • A walkway will be provided on the west side of Canal Street for pedestrian access to Union Station. Access to this walkway will be from Jackson Boulevard. Traffic Impacts: • Full road closure of Canal Street from north curb of Jackson Boulevard to south curb of Adams Street • Traffic will be detoured and all transit stops will be temporarily relocated • Vehicular traffic will remain open on Jackson Boulevard and Adams Street

Pedestrian Access to Chicago Union Station and 222 S. Riverside Plaza:

  • Entrances adjacent to the Chicago River are unaffected.
  • A new fully ADA accessible mid-block entrance to Union Station from Clinton Street will be open in advance of the Canal Street closure.
  • A walkway will be provided on the east side of Canal Street for pedestrian access to Union Station/222 S. Riverside Plaza. Access to this walkway will be from Adams Street.
  • A walkway will be provided on the west side of Canal Street for pedestrian access to Union Station. Access to this walkway will be from Jackson Boulevard.

 

Traffic Impacts:

  • Full road closure of Canal Street from north curb of Jackson Boulevard to south curb of Adams Street
  • Traffic will be detoured and all transit stops will be temporarily relocated
  • Vehicular traffic will remain open on Jackson Boulevard and Adams Street

 

This project is part of CDOT’s longstanding support of infrastructure improvements related to Union Station. The upcoming Canal Street improvements and CDOT’s ongoing work on the Harrison Street viaduct will result in nearly one mile of city streets rebuilt on nearly 100-year-old viaduct structures dating back to the opening of the current Union Station in the 1920s.

 

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