Kennedy Expressway construction: Chicago commuters deal with traffic headache as barricades go up
Traffic backups begin as Kennedy Expressway construction gets underway
It will take about a week for crews to set up the full configuration of barricades. On Tuesday morning, two left lanes were shut down from Montrose to Irving Park. By the end of this week, the closures will extend to Hubbard’s Cave. Express lanes will remain inbound during the entire first phase of the project, which should last a year.
CHICAGO - The first barricades went up overnight along the Kennedy Expressway Monday night, the beginning of a three-year reconstruction between the Edens Expressway and Ohio Street.
In addition to added congestion Tuesday morning, commuters looking for an alternative had to deal with trains being stopped for a time on the Union Pacific Northwest Line near Barrington.
It will take about a week for crews to set up the full configuration of barricades. On Tuesday morning, two left lanes were shut down from Montrose to Irving Park. By the end of this week, the closures will extend to Hubbard’s Cave. Express lanes will remain inbound during the entire first phase of the project, which should last a year.
The entire project is expected to be completed in 2025. Bridges along the expressway will be demolished and replaced over the course of the project, taking around five weeks per bridge, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
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Larger thoroughfares leading onto the expressway could be backed up as a result of the construction as well, but exits and on-ramps aren’t expected to be closed.
More than 275,000 vehicles travel on the Kennedy each day. Transportation officials advise commuters to find other means of travel or adjust work hours. Metra plans to revise its schedule on the UP Northwest Line beginning April 3 to add 12 trains to its weekday service lineup.
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The project will take place over three consecutive construction seasons, each stretching from spring into the fall season, ending in the year 2025. IDOT said drivers can expect the construction to happen in three stages:
Stage I – Inbound Kennedy
The first phase of the project begins Monday, and will focus on the inbound stretch of the Kennedy. The two left lanes will be closed until work is completed in July, at which point work will switch to the two right lanes. Drivers should expect lane shifts and overnight lane closure, along with various ramp closures.
To help minimize the impact on traffic, the reversible express lanes will remain open in the inbound direction.
Later this summer, painting and the installation of new LED lighting will begin along the inbound lanes in Hubbard’s Cave between Ohio and Lake streets.
Construction is expected to be completed this fall, with all lanes and ramps reopening and the express lanes resuming normal operations.
Stage II – Reversible Express Lanes
Construction in 2024 will focus on reversible express lanes, which will be closed to rehab the roadway and modernize the 52-year-old system that controls the gates to the express lanes.
Some mainline lane closures will be needed to accommodate painting and the installation of new lighting in both directions of Hubbard’s Cave. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2024 and be completed in fall 2024.
Stage III – Outbound Kennedy
Construction in 2025 will focus on outbound lanes. Two lanes will be closed from March to July before working on the other two lanes until construction wraps for the year in the fall. The reversible express lanes will remain open in the outbound direction. Lane shifts and overnight lane closure, along with various ramp closures will be needed to complete the work.
Additionally, new LED lighting installation and painting will be completed on outbound Hubbard’s Cave, between Ohio and Lake streets. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2025 and be completed in late fall 2025.