Chicago Drivers Daily Road & Traffic Alert — Saturday, September 12, 2026

Saturday drivers should expect festival disruptions in the South Loop, Lincoln Square and the South Side, plus construction on the Kennedy and at the I-290/I-88/I-294 interchange. CTA notices confirm reroutes but do not always confirm full street closures.

Downtown Chicago and the Loop

• Printers Row: CTA routes 22, 24 and 62 are rerouted near Clark, Dearborn, Ida B. Wells and Roosevelt for the Printers Row Lit Fest through 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 14. CTA confirms a traffic disruption but does not specify full roadway closure limits. Avoid driving through the festival area and use State or Michigan when practical.

• State Street: Southbound State remains closed between Wacker Drive and Randolph Street, with no reopening time listed. Expect delays on the north side of the Loop; switch to Clark, LaSalle or Michigan before reaching Wacker.

Chicago neighborhoods

• Lincoln Square: Routes 11 and 49B remain rerouted around Lincoln, Western, Winnemac and Foster for the German-American Festival through 3:00 p.m. Monday. The CTA notice does not confirm a full closure for regular vehicles. Approach from Ashland or Damen and allow extra time.

• South Side festivals: Route 44 is diverted near Racine, 83rd, Loomis and 79th for the 79th Street Renaissance Festival until noon Saturday. Route 8 is rerouted around Halsted, 63rd, Morgan and Marquette for the Englewood Music Festival through noon Monday. These alerts confirm disruptions, not complete street closures; avoid the immediate festival blocks.

• Jeffery Boulevard: Construction between 73rd and 75th streets continues through September 21, affecting J14, 15 and N5 service. A full vehicle closure is not confirmed. Slow down and follow temporary traffic controls.

Major highways and expressways

• Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94): Two outbound mainline lanes remain closed at a time while the reversible lanes operate outbound. Outbound exits to Augusta/Milwaukee, Addison and Damen, plus entrances at Fullerton and Kimball, remain closed with reopenings expected from late September through late October. Follow posted detours and budget substantial extra time toward O’Hare.

Nearby suburbs

• I-290/I-88 at I-294: Both westbound I-290 ramps to I-294 remain closed—southbound through 2026 and northbound through 2027. Butterfield Road is reduced to one lane each way under I-294 between Calvin Avenue and I-290 through year-end. Review the posted detour before reaching the interchange.

Official sources:

CTA Bus Alerts: https://www.transitchicago.com/travel-information/bus-status/ (opens in a new tab)

IDOT Kennedy Project: https://idot.illinois.gov/programs-and-projects/featured-projects/cook-county---interstate-90-kennedy-bridge-study.html (opens in a new tab)

Illinois Tollway I-290/I-88 at I-294 Project: https://agency.illinoistollway.com/outreach/projects-in-your-community/central-tri-state-tollway-i-294/290-88-interchange-project (opens in a new tab)

Schedules may change because of weather, emergency activity or field conditions.