The Time Out Chicago blog team

Chicago motorists are in for a few temporary detours over the next couple weeks as the city prepares for one of its annual fall traditions: returning tall-masted boats from Lake Michigan to their winter harbors along the Chicago River. To facilitate critical maintenance testing and balancing ahead of the boat runs, the Chicago Department of Transportation has announced major temporary closures for two key downtown crossings: the DuSable Lake Shore Drive Bridge and the State Street Bridge. RECOMMENDED: See the skyline from dazzling new vantage points aboard one of the best boat tours in Chicago DuSable Lake Shore Drive Bridge: Overnight shutdown Drivers on Chicago’s iconic lakefront highway should plan for a total overnight shutdown of the DuSable Lake Shore Drive Bridge. Following an initial maintenance closure on September 10, crews are scheduling another full closure in both directions from 10pm on Tuesday, September 15, through 5am on Wednesday, September 16. To keep traffic moving across the Chicago River, CDOT has designated clear detour routes: Northbound: Exit DuSable Lake Shore Drive to Wacker Drive, proceed to Columbus Drive, take Illinois Street and re-enter northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Southbound: Exit to Grand Avenue, head south on Columbus Drive, follow Wacker Drive and reconnect with southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive. State Street Bridge: Midday maintenance Concurrently, the State Street Bridge faces midday closures on four consecutive days,...

Chicago’s rail connections are getting a major addition—though passengers will have to wait a few more years before climbing aboard. Illinois has finally secured the funding needed to restore Amtrak service between Chicago and the Quad Cities, per The Chicago Tribune, clearing the last major financial hurdle for a route that has been discussed, delayed and revived repeatedly over nearly two decades. Passenger trains last served the Quad Cities—which consist of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa as well as Moline, Rock Island and East Moline in Illinois—back in 1979, meaning the eventual return will end an absence of almost half a century. RECOMMENDED: The 22 most epic Metra day trips from Chicago The planned service will operate two daily round trips between Chicago and Moline, giving travelers a car-free route to the metro area straddling the Illinois-Iowa border. Once running, the train could make weekend visits to the John Deere Pavilion, Augustana College and the Quad Cities River Bandits’ ballpark considerably easier—and save Chicagoans from spending hours staring at Interstate 88. The breakthrough came after the Federal Railroad Administration extended Illinois’ access to federal funds originally committed under President Barack Obama in 2010. A state transit package has also allocated up to $476.7 million for the Quad Cities route and a separate proposed rail connection between Peoria and Chicago. “Illinois relies on rail to push our economy forward and to ensure...

Chicago has survived polar vortices, record-breaking rainstorms, tornado warnings and the occasional wildfire smoke. Apparently, all of that has been good practice: A new report just ranked Chicago as the most climate-resilient major city in the world. The ranking comes from AlphaGeo, a Singapore-based artificial intelligence company that analyzed 72 of the world's largest cities for its Climate Risk & Resilience Index. Chicago ranked No. 1, ahead of cities including Addis Ababa, Melbourne and Barcelona. The study examined both the extent of physical climate risk cities face and their preparedness to address it. Researchers considered hazards including inland and coastal flooding, heat stress, drought, wildfires and hurricane winds, then compared those risks with cities' ability to adapt. RECOMMENDED: Chicago was just named the 4th most beautiful city in the world, beating Paris, Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro Chicago has one enormous advantage in its geography: Lake Michigan provides the city with a massive freshwater resource, while its location in a temperate climate zone means it doesn't face the same hurricane risk as some major cities. Chicago also has relatively low exposure to several other climate hazards, including wildfires. Photograph: ShutterstockBoats on Lake Michigan But Chicago didn't land the top spot solely because of its favorable location. AlphaGeo also factored in the city's infrastructure and adaptation efforts. Chicago's longstanding investments in...