CHICAGO (WBBM) – The City of Chicago says construction will begin Monday on two Lake Shore Drive projects that will help avoid a repeat of what happened during last February’s blizzard.

Once it started to snow very hard, more than 500 cars and their occupants ended up trapped on the Drive. The City says it plans to make two median openings along North Lake Shore Drive to provide turn around access during emergency situations like that of the blizzard.

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During construction, the inside lanes of the Drive will be closed from Armitage south about eight or nine long city blocks. The new openings will be closed by movable concrete barriers that would only be opened in extreme weather or other emergency situations.