Chicago Drivers Daily Road & Traffic Alert — Saturday, October 10, 2026

Saturday’s biggest impact is the Abbott Chicago 5K in the Loop, followed by the final day of marathon setup. Expect early towing, rolling downtown closures and continuing construction on I-290, I-94 and northwest airport approaches.

DOWNTOWN / LOOP — ABBOTT CHICAGO 5K

• From 6:30 to 9:30 a.m., closures affect Ida B. Wells Drive between Columbus and Michigan; Congress Plaza Drive; Michigan Avenue from Ida B. Wells to Balbo; Harrison Street from State to Franklin; State Street at Harrison; Franklin from Harrison to Adams; Van Buren from Wacker to Franklin; and portions of Wacker Drive. Streets reopen on a rolling basis after runners pass.

• Jackson Boulevard between Wacker and Franklin and Wacker Drive between Adams and Van Buren are scheduled closed from 5 to 11 a.m. No parking begins at 1 a.m.; vehicles left in posted zones may be ticketed and towed. Lower Wacker remains open, but southbound exits at Randolph and Harrison are closed. For Loop access, use Michigan Avenue from the north or the I-290/Lower Wacker approach from the west.

• Marathon setup: Columbus Drive from Randolph to Monroe and Monroe Street from Michigan to DuSable Lake Shore Drive close at 4 a.m. Saturday and remain closed until 5 p.m. Sunday. Roosevelt Road from Columbus to DuSable Lake Shore Drive closes at 11 a.m. Saturday through 6 p.m. Sunday. These are in addition to the Grant Park closures already in place.

CHICAGO EXPRESSWAYS

• I-290 at Sacramento Boulevard: Shoulder closures and possible intermittent overnight lane restrictions continue in both directions for bridge-shielding work. Sacramento Boulevard itself is not scheduled to close between Congress and Van Buren until mid-October. Follow work-zone signs and avoid abrupt lane changes.

• Bishop Ford (I-94): At least two outbound lanes remain in the revised configuration toward 159th Street. The 159th Street bridge area remains one lane each way between Woodland and Van Dam, and the eastbound 159th ramp to inbound I-94 remains closed. Expect weekend queues around the lane shift.

NORTHWEST SUBURBS / O’HARE

• I-294 bridge work near Balmoral, Lawrence and Irving Park continues. The Tollway says similar overnight ramp and lane closures may occur through the weekend, with times varying. This is not a confirmed continuous full closure; check message boards before using the Balmoral or Irving Park ramps.

OFFICIAL SOURCES

Chicago 5K closures: https://www.chicago5k.com/event-information/street-closure-notification/ (opens in a new tab)

Chicago Marathon closures: https://www.chicagomarathon.com/event-info/participant-information/course/street-closures/ (opens in a new tab)

IDOT I-290 notice: https://illinois-department-of-transportation.prezly.com/sacramento-boulevard-over-i-290-bridge-replacement-begins-oct-8 (opens in a new tab)

IDOT Bishop Ford notice: https://illinois-department-of-transportation.prezly.com/bishop-ford-159th-street-bridge-rehab-outbound-lane-changes-begin-this-week (opens in a new tab)

Illinois Tollway releases: https://agency.illinoistollway.com/media-center/news-releases (opens in a new tab)