Mornings with Dave and Kim

Weekdays, 5 - 10am

Studio Line: (312) 922-9470

NASCAR Cleanup Underway, With Major Downtown Streets Reopening By Wednesday

The NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend has come and gone. On Monday morning, workers began deconstructing some bleachers and barricades along the course. Cleanup crews worked up until midnight Monday and from 12 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday, removing the final remaining track walls on DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Track walls will continue to be removed through July 15 as streets reopen along with the cleanup.

On Monday, empty beer cans riddled some streets as unknowing tourists were turned away from seeing Buckingham Fountain, the main plaza of the here-and-gone NASCAR event. Downtown traffic on the outskirts of the course was light Monday as city workers redirected cars away from street closures.

DuSable Lake Shore Drive’s northbound lanes from McFetridge Drive to Randolph Street reopened late Sunday, along with Michigan Avenue’s southbound lanes between Balbo and Jackson. DuSable Lake Shore Drive’s southbound lanes between Monroe Street and McFetridge Road reopened Tuesday.

Michigan Avenue’s northbound lanes between Balbo Drive and West Jackson Boulevard will reopen Wednesday.

A full list of the scheduled reopenings is here.

NASCAR has already opened its waitlist for tickets to its Chicago street race next summer.