A protest rally and march is expected to shut down portions of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) in Chicago on Saturday, Aug. 15. Several thousand participants are expected.
According to the Mid-West Truckers Association, authorities have said marchers are planning to enter the northbound lanes at around noon at the 47th Street entrance ramp and proceed to the 43rd Street exit ramp. All vehicle traffic will be diverted to local traffic lanes. Entrance to the northbound Expressway will be restricted beginning at 63rd St and all traffic will be diverted off the interstate at 59th St.
Traffic on the Chicago Skyway will also be restricted at Stony Island Ave.
Truckers are urged to avoid I-94 in both directions within the city of Chicago. If truck operators are only traveling through northeast Illinois, they are urged to take alternate routes, such as I-294.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, organizers for the “Black Lives Matter March: Shut down the Dan Ryan” rally have been meeting with local and state law enforcement officials to coordinate the march.
The Sun-Times reported that it is “unclear if Illinois State Police plan to block off all northbound lanes as the march happens, but a spokesperson for the state police said they’re working with the Chicago Police Department to protect protesters.”
The paper said organizers are expecting about 3,000 demonstrators, although their Facebook group had originally called for 25,000 people to shut down the highway to draw attention to “stolen lives lost in police brutality."
