First of more than 2 dozen street closures begin Monday NBC Chicago [Video]

The start of more than two dozen street closures and parking restrictions for the upcoming 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race took effect overnight, almost one month before the scheduled start of race weekend.

According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, Ida B. Wells Drive is now closed between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive, and parking restrictions are in effect along southbound Columbus Drive between Jackson Drive and Balboa Drive. The closures and restrictions, which took effect at midnight, will allow for construction to commence at the main grandstand on the circuit, officials noted.

The closures come as Chicago officials tout a shortened build-out period for the race, reducing it from 25 days in 2023 to 19. Additional closures will begin June 19, officials said, with the bulk of closures set to start June 27, according to officials.

With the traffic problems it created, and the delays and cancellations brought about by torrential rains, some are asking if the two-day NASCAR Chicago Street Race paid off for Chicago. NBC …