Phased road closures begin Monday around Grant Park as crews set up for Taste of Chicago. Expect lane reductions on Columbus and full closures on Jackson and Ida B. Wells through July 13.

A small plane made an emergency landing in a Bartlett field Saturday; both people onboard were checked and no injuries were reported.

A multi-vehicle crash on northbound I‑57 near the Calumet River in Blue Island early Saturday left one person dead and an IDOT worker hospitalized, Illinois State Police said.

A freight train derailment near East Chicago and Gary knocked out power and forced South Shore Line to suspend service late Wednesday, with possible commute impacts Thursday.

Aurora approved nearly $7.8 million in contracts for sewer separation and water-main replacement across Wards 4 and 6, including dozens of lead-service line swaps.

A state trailer bill sets a January 1, 2031 deadline to rebuild the long-shuttered Central Blue Line stop and reopen a closed Lavergne entrance. Local leaders call it a step forward, but years of design and permits remain.

Soil testing is underway on Bronzeville’s Kenwood embankment as organizers push to build a two‑mile elevated trail that would link the South Side to the lakefront. The project has early foundation and city support.

Four plaintiffs say Chicago’s sidewalks, curb ramps and alternate routes are unsafe or impassable for people with mobility disabilities; the city has moved to dismiss.

A commission presentation projected roughly 8,000 daily riders for an East St. Louis–Chicago high-speed route, but operating subsidies and multibillion construction costs left officials wary.

On July 1, Illinois will stop routine behind-the-wheel tests for drivers 79–86, raising the mandatory-test age to 87 while keeping vision checks and a family-reporting option.

A pedestrian was killed early Friday after being struck by a Metra UP‑NW train at Baldwin Road and Northwest Highway in Palatine; service was suspended while crews investigated.

The Illinois Tollway’s Driving Connections plan would raise passenger tolls about $0.45 and commercial tolls 30% to fund a $26.5 billion, 15‑year program; public hearings are scheduled this summer.

A pedestrian was struck by a Metra Milwaukee District North train near Union Station on Tuesday; inbound and outbound service was halted and later restored with residual delays.