City officials said they will permanently close a roadway through Jackson Park in preparation for the looming Obama Presidential Center in Woodlawn.
A half-mile stretch of Cornell Drive between the Midway Plaisance and East Hayes Drive will close to vehicle traffic for good on June 30, the Chicago Department of Transportation announced Friday.
The long-expected road closure is part of a plan to create more than 5 acres of new green space by turning portions of roadway into parkland.
The city has been working on numerous roadway changes and transportation improvement projects in and around Jackson Park in support of the Obama Presidential Center and the Chicago Park District’s South Lakefront Framework Plan with the goal of strengthening and refreshing Jackson Park and the surrounding area.
Following the closure, traffic patterns in the area will continue to change starting July 1, including reopening another part of Cornell Drive, from Hayes Drove to Marquette Drive. Hayes Drive from Stony Island Avenue to Cornell Drive will also be temporarily closed.
Southbound drivers coming from DuSable Lake Shore Drive to Stony Island Avenue are recommended to take DuSable Lake Shore Drive to Hayes Drive to Cornell Drive then to Stony Island Avenue.
Northbound motorists should take Stony Island Avenue back the opposite way through Cornell and Hayes drives to get to DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
Drivers are asked to pay close attention to construction workers and signage when in the area and to follow posted speed limits.
The planned closure of Cornell Drive, which slices through the Obama and Museum of Science and Industry campuses, has long been a controversial topic, with some residents complaining the closure will push traffic to neighboring streets.
Once road construction is complete, drivers will be able to use Hayes Drive to enter DuSable Lake Shore Drive.