CONSTRUCTION CANOPIES (10-28-282 et seq.)

Municipal Code of Chicago tit. 10, ch. 10-28, art. V-C

in effect

Municipal Code of Chicago § 10-28-282 Submission of plans.

10-28-282 Submission of plans. No permit may be issued for an obstruction of the public way within the Central Business District caused by a heavy duty construction canopy unless the permit application is accompanied by the following: (a) A drawing of the construction site plan and the construction schedule. No permit shall be issued unless the site plan is approved by the commissioner. The site plan must include any and all sidewalks, bicycle lanes, bus lanes, street lanes and traffic lanes which will be affected by the construction project. The site plan must also indicate any and all trees, lane striping, hydrants and traffic signs which will be affected by the construction project. The site plans must be printed on a standard blueprint, which is a minimum of 22 inches by 34 inches. (b) A certification signed by an Illinois-licensed structural engineer, certifying that the type of construction canopy used is structurally sound and adheres to the provisions of this Code, accepted engineering practice, and other applicable standards. The certification must be dated, and must be renewed annually. (c) Detailed drawings of all signs intended to be placed upon the construction canopy. The drawings shall indicate the size of the signs and must include a description of any advertisements on the signs. The description of the advertisements shall be reviewed solely for the purposes of determining compliance with paragraph (G) of Section 10-28-283. All drawings describing electrical signs shall also comply with Sections 14E-6-600.27 and 14E-6-600.28. (Added Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 7.1; Amend Coun. J. 12-7-05, p. 64870, § 1.9; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 47220, Art. IX, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 9-6-17, p. 55278, Art. II, § 3)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 10-28-283 General requirements.

10-28-283 General requirements. (A) Construction. No construction canopy shall be designed with less than six feet of internal pedestrian space or internal center supports, unless prior approval is obtained from the department of transportation. The roof deck of a heavy duty construction canopy shall be constructed of not less than two layers of two-inch planking or of other approved materials of equal strength and shall be designed to support a superimposed load of not less than 250 pounds per square foot, and shall have a ceiling height of not less than eight feet. The side facing the construction or demolition work shall be fully enclosed and the street side, if extending into the street, shall be enclosed with a splash guard and railing not less than four feet high. (B) Maintenance. Every construction canopy shall be kept well-lighted continuously between sunset and sunrise and shall be maintained clear of debris, holes and trip hazards, and shall be properly drained to prevent accumulation of water, snow and ice. The level of illumination shall be the equivalent of that produced by 200 watt, 3,400 lumen minimum, standard incandescent lamps enclosed in vandal-proof fixtures spaced 15 feet apart and eight feet above the floor level. Artificial lighting units shall be inspected nightly and burned out or inoperative units shall be replaced or repaired nightly. For a construction canopy erected for three months or less, temporary string lighting shall be permitted. For a construction canopy erected for more than three months, temporary string lighting shall be permitted for a period of one week until hard wiring is installed. All electrical wiring shall conform to the requirements provided in Title 14E of this Code. (C) Appearance of construction canopy. All construction canopies shall be painted and obstruction lights and diagonal red striping shall be provided as required by the department of transportation on all portions of the construction canopy extending beyond the curb line. (D) Time of construction. The erection of a heavy duty construction canopy within the Central Business District which results in the obstruction of a street lane may only be conducted under the supervision of a representative from the department of transportation. The erection of a construction canopy in the public way, and any work such as painting, installation of signs or installation of lights on the construction canopy itself, within the Central Business District, shall only be permitted between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless expressly approved by the commissioner of transportation or the commissioner of buildings. Erection of a construction canopy in the public way which occurs outside the Central Business District shall only be permitted by the department of transportation in a manner not to conflict with existing rush-hour traffic restrictions. All affected sidewalks must be closed off, with proper signs, during the erection of a construction canopy. (E) Emergency sign. A sign, visible from the public way, must be attached to the exterior wall of each elevation of every construction canopy listing the name and address of the construction canopy provider, and listing a 24-hour telephone number for the provider. The sign must be printed in a type size no less than four inches in height. The permittee is responsible for maintaining the sign for the life of the construction project. (F) Notice. A notice board, and a copy of the permit, must be attached to the interior wall of each elevation of every construction canopy listing the name, address and telephone number of the building owner and the construction canopy provider. The notice must also include a description of the type of work being conducted on the building and the estimated completion date of the project. The permittee is responsible for maintaining the sign for the life of the construction project. (G) Advertising. Other than the signs required by this chapter, and any signs designating the name of the owner or occupant of the premises protected by the construction canopy or advertising goods manufactured or produced or services rendered on the premises protected by the construction canopy, there shall be no business or advertising messages posted on any construction canopy located within the public way. All signs permitted by this Chapter, including signs on a construction canopy located within a public place, shall conform with all applicable provisions of the Chicago Zoning Ordinances. (H) Gates. All gates on construction canopies shall be closed when not in use. Any doors or gates located on a public thoroughfare shall not be constructed to open into the line of either the pedestrian or vehicular traffic. (Added Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 7.1; Amend Coun. J. 12-7-05, p. 64870, § 1.9; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 47220, Art. IX, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-19-20, p. 14473, Art. VI, § 5)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 10-28-284 Closure of sidewalks and bicycle lanes.

10-28-284 Closure of sidewalks and bicycle lanes. (A) Closure of sidewalks. When the use of a construction canopy results in the total closure of a sidewalk, signs must be provided warning pedestrians that the sidewalk is closed. The signs must be printed in a type size no less than 4 inches in height, must be located at appropriate adjacent intersections and must also be attached to both sides of the construction canopy. The permittee is responsible for maintaining the signs for the life of the construction project. (B) Closure of bicycle lanes. When the use of a construction canopy results in the closure of a bicycle lane, signs must be provided warning bicyclists of the lane closure and warning vehicles of the need to yield to the bicyclists. The signs must be of a type as designated by the department of transportation. At a minimum, the lane closure signs must be located on both sides of the street in the direction of the approach to the construction canopy at a point 600 feet and 300 feet in front of the construction canopy. In addition, lane closure signs must be attached to the end of the construction canopy facing the approaching bicycle traffic. At a minimum, the yield to bicyclist signs must be located on both sides of the street in the direction of the approach to the construction canopy at a point 100 feet and 50 feet in front of the construction canopy. In addition, yield to bicyclist signs must be attached to the end of the construction canopy facing the approaching bicycle traffic. The permittee is responsible for maintaining the signs for the life of the construction project. (Added Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 7.1; Amend Coun. J. 12-7-05, p. 64870, § 1.9; Amend Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 47220, Art. IX, § 1)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 10-28-285 Sidewalks - Damage deposit required.

10-28-285 Sidewalks - Damage deposit required. In any building operation which would require the driving of vehicles or equipment upon or across any public sidewalk abutting the premises, the applicant shall obtain from the commissioner a certificate of prior inspection which shall state the condition of the sidewalk before construction is started. The commissioner is hereby authorized to charge a fee of $10.00 for each such prior inspection, to estimate probable damage that might be caused to such public sidewalk by the driving of vehicles or equipment thereon, and to require a deposit by the applicant of moneys sufficient to restore said sidewalk to a condition as good as it was before construction was started. When the commissioner receives satisfactory proof that the affected sidewalk has been restored to a condition equally as good as before the permitted work, he shall certify this fact to the city comptroller. The comptroller shall thereupon direct the city treasurer to refund the amount deposited in connection with the permit. (Added Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 7.1)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 10-28-286 Violation - Penalty.

10-28-286 Violation - Penalty. Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of Sections 10-28-281 through 10-28-285 for which no specific penalty is provided, shall be fined $500.00 per day for each violation. (Added Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 7.1)

Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2651868Fetched: 10/24/2026