The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is hosting its 25th summit in Chicago on May 20-21, 2012. Security and transportation plans for the summit have been developed by a partnership of local, state, and federal law enforcement and public safety agencies and are outlined below.
Road closures, parking restrictions, and changes to public transportation routes and public works services will be necessary during the NATO Summit beginning in a limited capacity at 6 a.m., Sunday, May 13 (parking restrictions only). Additional parking restrictions will go into effect on Tuesday, May 15, in limited areas near McCormick Place. Road closures and pedestrian restrictions will be implemented beginning at midnight, Saturday, May 19 (Friday midnight into Saturday). The affected roadways will open for evening rush hour on Monday, May 21.
In addition to the road closures and parking restrictions listed below, there will be intermittent traffic delays and temporary closures on interstate roads and throughout the downtown area beginning on Saturday, May 19, until Monday, May 21, to allow motorcades to travel to and from McCormick Place and other event sites. The major roadways affected by these intermittent closures include:
- I-90 East & West (Kennedy Expressway) between O’Hare International Airport and downtown
- Ohio Street from I-90/94 to Fairbanks Court/Columbus Drive
- Ontario Street from Fairbanks Court/Columbus Drive to I-90/94
- I-90/94 East and West between downtown and I-55
- Roosevelt Road, 18th Street, and Canalport Avenue access from I-94 West (Dan Ryan Expressway outbound).
At McCormick Place, street parking will be prohibited beginning at 6 a.m., Sunday, May 13, until 11 p.m. Monday, May 21, at the following location: East and West sides of S. Indiana Avenue between Cermak Road and E. 24th Place.
Street parking will be prohibited beginning at 6 a.m., Tuesday, May 15 until 11 p.m., Tuesday, May 22 at the following locations:
- East and west sides of S. Calumet Avenue between E. Cullerton Street and E. Cermak Road
- East and west sides of S. Prairie Avenue between E. 21st Street and E. 25th Street
- East and west sides of S. Indiana Avenue between E. 21st Street and E. 25th Street
- North and south sides of E. 21st Street between S. Calumet Avenue and S. Indiana Avenue
- North and south sides of E. Cermak Road from S. Indiana Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive
- North and south sides of E. 24th Place between S. Indiana Avenue and S. State Street
- North and south sides of E. 25th Street between S. State Street and Martin Luther King Drive
- East and west sides of Martin Luther King Drive between E. Cermak Road and E. 26th Street.
Adler Planetarium, Field Museum, and the Shedd Aquarium are scheduled to be open for business with limited parking on Saturday, May 19. Parking lots open on Saturday include the top three floors of Soldier Field North Lot and the Adler Planetarium parking lot. All parking lots will close at 5:30 p.m. following the closure of museums. If vehicles are still in lots they will be towed from the campus to an off-site city lot.
As of 6 p.m. Saturday evening, May 19, the Northern Museum Campus to include Northerly Island will be closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic. All pedestrians and vehicles still on the campus at that time will be permitted to exit at the intersection of Columbus Drive and Roosevelt Road.
Adler Planetarium, Field Museum, and Shedd Aquarium will be closed to the public on Sunday, May 20.
Commuter rail lines in Chicago will not be closed to riders during the NATO Summit. However, passengers should plan for delays as trains approach and pass through the McCormick Place stop. The McCormick Place stop will be closed on both Sunday, May 20, and Monday, May 21. Other stations may be closed as needed. Additional information on route changes during the NATO Summit will be available on the Metra's Web site and on the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District's Web site.
Changes to bus routes within the vehicle and pedestrian restricted areas will be necessary. Information on route changes will be available on the Chicago Transit Authority Web site. (Check out our guide on How to Use Public Transportation in Chicago.)
For more information on NATO Summit road closures and changes to public transportation, please call the Chicago Police Department at 312-745-6110.
