Navy Pier flyover to close Tuesday as second phase nears completion

A segment of the flyover bridge near Navy Pier will be closed Tuesday to connect it to the second phase of the project.

The closure will begin early Tuesday and is expected to last through late September, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.

During the closure, cyclists and pedestrians will be redirected to the old route of the Lakefront Trail at street level across Illinois Street and Grand Avenue on Lower Lake Shore Drive, CDOT said.

This month’s work will connect the completed portion of the flyover project, which opened in December 2018, to the second phase, which is nearing completion, according to CDOT. A temporary bridge will connect the flyover to the east sidewalk on the Lake Shore Drive Bridge. A ramp from the flyover down to Illinois Street and Navy Pier will also open late this month.

Work will continue through the fall on the third phase of the flyover project, including a planned widening of the trail on the east side of the Lake Shore Drive Bridge span to reduce bottlenecks and mechanical repairs to the movable bascule bridge, CDOT said.

Construction on the flyover, which will carry pedestrian and bike traffic on the Lakefront Trail over Illinois Street and Grand Avenue, started in 2014 after years of planning. The project has been criticized for taking longer to complete than the Golden Gate Bridge.