Photos: Downtown Joliet's Giant Mess Hammers Chicago Street Pub

JOLIET, IL — These days, if you happen to be driving or walking around downtown Joliet, it might seem like there is a World's Fair taking place showing off every piece of heavy construction equipment on the planet.

Jefferson Street, in front of the soon-to-be opening $215 million Will County Courthouse and the current Will County Courthouse, is practically all torn up. But the street repairs aren't limited to Jefferson Street. A section of North Chicago Street is now closed to traffic.

This month, contractors will be installing the new traffic signals. It's one of the last steps needed before South Chicago Street, for the first time since the 1980s, reconnects with North Chicago Street.

Downtown Joliet's street repair mess is great business for Joliet's P.T. Ferro Construction Company as well as Joliet's Welsch's Ready Mix concrete company. Because of the street repairs, several city sidewalks are cordoned off with yellow tape to keep pedestrians away.

On Monday night, Chicago Street Pub, one of downtown Joliet's top restaurant and entertainment venues, announced it has had enough of the summer construction pains.

"Due to the government shutdown of indoor dining combined with the continuing construction on Chicago Street it has become increasingly difficult to safely and effectively serve our clientele," Chicago Street Pub announced this week on its Facebook page. "We have decided to close until construction moves further up the street or when the government has deemed it responsible to have indoor dining again ... We are in no way shutting down. We have just decided that in the short term it makes more fiscal sense to stay closed. Hope to see you all soon."