REPAIRS BEGIN ON LAKEFRONT AFTER SEVERE WEATHER DAMAGE

CHICAGO (WLS) --

On Halloween, high winds forced waves all the way onto the northbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive, slowing the evening commute to a crawl and severely damaging parts of the lakefront jogging and bike path. On Monday, the city began to clean up and repair the mess.

The areas which were most damaged by the weather was the lakefront stretch between Oak Street Beach and North Avenue Boat House on the north side, and between 47th Street and 51st Street on the south side. 

However, the damage did not deter joggers and cyclists from continuing to use the lakefront path.

"It's a little beat up," said jogger Matt Dempsey. "I've been running on it for a few years now and it's the worst I've ever seen it, but it's pretty easy to get around."

Cyclists have also been able to navigate the piles of debris and deep cracks and potholes with a little bit of caution.

The Chicago Park District says repairs won't be complete until the beginning of next week at the earliest, weather permitting. Monday, they picked up all the loose cement and asphalt in preparation for repairs.

The cost of the repairs is unknown, but Park District officials say it will likely cost over $100,000, and possibly as much as $200,000 or more. Officials expect to know the cost of repairs by Tuesday. 

http://abc7chicago.com/weather/repairs-begin-on-lakefront-after-severe-weather-damage/379145/