One of the things required by Major League Baseball before awarding the Cubs the 2027 All-Star Game was to have enhanced security around Wrigley Field, specifically, security bollards on all four streets surrounding the ballpark, as I reported here in May 2025. The cost is being split, as noted in the article, between the Cubs, the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois.
The Cubs announced the timeline for this construction in an email to Wrigley Field neighbors on Thursday:
Starting Monday, October
12, work will begin on the installation of crash-rated bollards around the ballpark to enhance the safety and security of fans, the ballpark and community members in preparation for hosting the 2027 MLB All-Star Game. The work will take place in phases and will be completed by Opening Day 2027. There may be additional construction-related noise while the project is underway. Gallagher Way and the surrounding businesses will remain open throughout construction.
All four streets surrounding the ballpark will have some restrictions for traffic and pedestrians. I went over to the ballpark Thursday afternoon — a beautiful afternoon for baseball, I might add — to take some photos to show you the areas that will be closed and under bollard construction over the next few months.
Pictured above is Sheffield Avenue, to the east of Wrigley Field, which will have the following restrictions:
From October 12 through early December, Sheffield Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic from Addison Street to Waveland Avenue. The west sidewalk will be closed to pedestrians.
Here is a view down Waveland Avenue, to the north of Wrigley Field:
The following restrictions will be in effect on Waveland:
From October 12 through early March, Waveland Avenue will be closed to westbound traffic from Clark Street to Sheffield Avenue. The south sidewalk will be closed to pedestrians.
Here’s Addison Street, to the south of the ballpark:
It will have the following restrictions, for pedestrians only:
From October 22 through mid-January, the sidewalk on the north side of Addison Street will be closed to pedestrians.
And here is a view down Clark Street, which is on the west side of Wrigley:
These pedestrian restrictions will be in effect on Clark:
Beginning in mid-November through mid-December, the sidewalk on the east side of Clark Street will be closed to pedestrians.
This photo shows a sign that was sitting in a cherry picker on Thursday near Wrigley Field, waiting to be deployed:
That photo also reminds me that Draft Kings, which closed the betting portion of their sports book at Wrigley Field earlier this year, has re-branded as “Draft Kings Sports Bar.” I haven’t been in there since they re-branded, but I’d think they would get some decent business on college football Saturdays or days of Bears games.
Lastly, I had meant to show you this photo when I took it on Sept. 22 before the Cubs/Marlins game, but, well, other things seemed more important back then. On that day, this giant Cubs store opened on the south side of Addison Street across from the ballpark:
I’ll update you on the bollard construction through the offseason. And let’s hope we actually have a Wrigley Field All-Star Game in 2027.
