Sept. 18--Downtown driving will be more than the usual challenge Saturday with bridges being raised, a triathlon finishing in the Loop and the 30th staging of Farm Aid on Northerly Island.
Bridges over the Chicago River will be raised starting at 9 a.m. to allow boats to make the fall trek from Lake Michigan to storage yards.
They will start at the Lake Shore Drive bridge and proceed to the Ashland Avenue Bridge on the South Branch of the Chicago River -- a process that will take about four hours, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.
"If you're going to downtown, just be aware of this, plan ahead and look for an alternate route," said Mike Claffey, a spokesman for CDOT. "This will be over by morning or early afternoon. The river bridge lifts would be out of the way before the other activities get started."
The ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Chicago features more than 6,500 athletes from 62 countries who will be competing from 6:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Road closures for the event include:
-- East Jackson Drive between South Michigan Avenue and South Lake Shore Drive
-- East Congress Parkway between East Congress Plaza Drive and South Columbus Drive
-- East Balbo Avenue between South Michigan Avenue and South Lake Shore Drive
-- South Columbus Drive between East Monroe Street and East Roosevelt Road.
Claffey said the triathlon will not be affected by the bridge lifts.
Farm Aid 30 will be held at Northerly Island on Saturday but no roads will be closed for the event.
"People should be mindful of the traffic impact in the area due to the large crowds going to the concert and the closures for the triathlon," said Melissa Stratton, spokeswoman for the Office of Emergency Management Communication.
