Work starting Monday evening to replace a major underground electrical vault and a water main near Washington and LaSalle will tie up traffic until late December.
ComEd crews will begin construction on the vault at the northwest corner of the intersection, the city’s Department of Transportation said in a statement. Traffic on LaSalle approaching Washington will be merged to one lane through the intersection.
At the same time, the city’s Department of Water Management will be replacing a 100-year-old water man on Washington from LaSalle to Wells, the department said. The northernmost travel lane on Washington will be closed for that project.
This traffic configuration will stay in place until Nov. 9, when the electrical vault construction on LaSalle will shift to the center of the intersection, the department said. Vehicles will be directed around the outside of the construction zone.
The projects are expected to wrap up by Dec. 21, the department said. Left turns at the intersection will be prohibited throughout the entire project.
Drivers should use other streets to get around the construction, including Monroe or Lake streets for eastbound traffic, Wells or Clark for southbound traffic and Franklin or Dearborn for northbound traffic.
The project will also cause some detours on the CTA’s No. 134, 135, 136 and 156 bus lines.
