Construction Workers Stuck in Chicago High Rise

Seven construction workers were stuck in an under-construction high-rise building in downtown Chicago Friday, according to the Chicago Fire Department, forced to ride out the dangerous high winds.

Wind speeds downtown were measured at 69 miles per hour.

The workers were trapped at 150 N. Riverside Plaza, a 54-story building where construction material, including sheets of plywood and 2 by 4 lumber, was blown into nearby buildings, shattering windows and landing on cars in the street. Three office buildings in the 100 block of North Wacker Drive were evacuated as debris shattered windows.

As of 5 p.m. the Chicago fire officials said the seven workers remained on the open floor. They are not injured. To get down, they must use wooden ladders on several floors.

“There’s just no sense in taking a chance,’’ Fire Chief Michael Fox said at a press conference.

Police put up roadblocks on Wacker, Lake and Randolph due to the falling debris, and firefighters were stationed outside the high rise where the workers were stuck.

Winds reached 50 to 60 mph across the Chicago area, and the National Weather Service issued a High Wind Warning through 6 p.m. A High Wind Warning means sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph or gusts of 58 mph are occurring and likely leading to property damage, according to the NWS.

Even after 6 p.m., however, the city and suburbs were being buffeted by high-speed wind.

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