Milwaukee Avenue gets protected bike lanes from Ohio to Chicago

On Wednesday, work began to bring protected bike lanes to a short stretch on Milwaukee Avenue in River West, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation. It’s the city’s busiest bike route, especially during morning and evening rush hour.

For the next two weeks, the northbound bike lane between Ohio Street and Chicago Avenue will be closed while the city installs concrete barriers, CDOT said. Afterwards, the southbound bike lane within the same boundaries will close while the barriers are put in place.

In addition, the project will extend curbs for pedestrians, add an refuge island crossing at Erie, and put in a floating transit island to streamline service for the southbound Milwaukee Avenue bus, according to CDOT. The work is part of Chicago’s Complete Streets project which aims to ensure cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians can travel safely.

While the bike lanes are closed, cyclists will have to share the road with cars or opt for Streetsblog Chicago’s recommended detour. However, even after the bike lanes reopen construction will still be ongoing for the 23-story tower at Carpenter Street and Milwaukee Avenue.