Drivers are being alerted to several road closures planned for Thursday and Friday due to funeral services for Chicago police Officer John Bartholomew in Edgewater.
DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Sheridan Road and Bryn Mawr Avenue will shut down surrounding St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Church, 5649 N. Sheridan Road, site of the services, according to the city Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
It’s unclear how far the road closures will extend.
Closures will be Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
With many people expected to attend both services, officials expect significant impacts to traffic and street parking in the area bounded by Thorndale Avernue, Clark Street, Foster Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, officials said. Other streets also may be affected, so motorists are advised to take alternate routes and allow extra travel time.
Parking is extremely limited for the services, police said, and public transportation is recommended. The church is at the Sheridan and Hollywood CTA bus stop and about four blocks from the Bryn Mawr CTA Red Line station.
Residents can download the Chicago OEMC mobile app or register at notifychicago.org for traffic and street closure updates.
Thursday’s visitation is from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday’s service begins at 10 a.m. Blue ribbons have been tied to nearly every tree, street sign and fence surrounding the church.
Bartholomew, a 10-year CPD veteran, died April 25 after being shot by a robbery suspect who had been taken into Swedish Hospital for an exam.
Alphanso Talley, 26, is charged in the shooting. He’s accused of concealing a handgun and bringing it into the hospital. In a room at the hospital, he allegedly used it to shoot Bartholomew and his partner, who was critically injured.
Bartholomew was remembered as “a devoted family man whose life was defined by love, loyalty, and service,” in his obituary. “He was always the first to step in and help others, known for his generosity and willingness to give without hesitation.”