Overview
- The Department of Public Works shut the bridge at 16th Street and Pierce Street after inspectors identified a component south of the ramp that requires further evaluation.
- Pierce Street remains open to local traffic, and the closure was set to be in place by the Friday morning rush on Dec. 5.
- City officials say the entire viaduct will stay closed for at least several weeks as a preventative measure during the engineering review.
- A separate rehabilitation project had already closed the northern segment between Canal Street and Clybourn Street.
- A 2023 city report estimates about 12,000 daily drivers are affected, and reporters noted concrete debris caught in netting beneath the structure supporting the safety-driven shutdown.