NASCAR’s gold standard for protecting Chicago Street Race spectators

A concrete barrier is installed on East Balbo Drive for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race in Grant Park. Each section weighs 9,500 pounds and is designed to keep spectators safe from crashes and debris. (Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times)

Flatbed trucks have been carrying thousands of concrete barrier walls along Interstate 94 over the last two weeks for NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race.

Loaded with four barriers each, the trucks have made more than 500 trips from a concrete factory in south suburban Lynwood, where 2,200 sections were built for this weekend’s races.