Construction update April 2022:

A massive red crane towers over a sandy area with tread marks.

April 13, 2022

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) today announced that major work in and near Jackson Park in support of the Obama Presidential Center’s planned opening will begin on April 14, 2022 on Southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive at 57th Street and other adjacent streets. Southbound DLSD will be narrowed to one lane so construction to expand the roadway to three lanes can begin. The expanded roadway is expected to be completed by traffic patterns and work zones will shift several times over the next year. By late 2023, the new 3rd travel lane on SB DLSD will be complete and opened to traffic.

There will be daytime closures of lanes and parking restrictions on northbound Stony Island, beginning the week of April 18. Hayes Drive will be closed just west of DuSable Lake Shore Drive to allow for site testing beginning on or after April 25.

In case of traffic backups a good alternative route is to exit southbound DLSD at 57th Street and turn onto Cornell Drive which will not be under construction.

Access to Park District fields will be maintained throughout the construction. Visit the Department of Transportation for more information (Opens in a new tab).

April 8, 2022

Mass excavation and dewatering continues at the area where the Museum, Forum, Library, and Garage will be built. This mass excavation operation is approximately 25 percent complete and is expected to be fully completed at the end of May, pending rain delays.

This week, the concrete pad was installed and a tower crane was moved onsite to facilitate the construction of the Garage. Over the next two weeks, an additional tower crane will be used to construct the Museum Building.

Construction of a trailer village is underway at the southwest corner of the site, across from Hyde Park Academy. The trailers will provide office, meeting, and other onsite support space for the growing project workforce and various consultants. The village will be completed in May.

A construction site with concrete and scaffolding. A building is at the center with a red scaffold in the middle.
A massive red crane towers over a sandy area with tread marks.

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Your donation makes it possible for us to build a world-class museum, library, and gathering spaces on Chicago’s South Side.

Donate to the Barack Obama Foundation. The Barack Obama Foundation is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 46-4950751).

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