Ohio, Ontario feeder ramps fully reopen after 17 months of construction

Downtown Chicago drivers get relief as Ohio and Ontario ramps reopen

All lanes have reopened on the Ohio and Ontario Street feeder ramps connecting downtown Chicago to the Kennedy Expressway after 17 months of construction.

CHICAGO - Chicago commuters are finally getting a break after more than a year of lane restrictions on two of the city’s busiest downtown feeder ramps.

Ohio and Ontario Street feeder ramps reopen

What to know:

As of 5 a.m. Friday, all three lanes reopened on both the Ohio and Ontario Street feeder ramps connecting downtown Chicago to the Kennedy Expressway, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The elevated bridges carrying Ohio and Ontario streets over the North Branch of the Chicago River, Union Pacific railroad tracks and Kingsbury Street had been reduced to two lanes since November 2024 while crews completed major repairs.

The ramps are considered a key route for drivers traveling between downtown Chicago and the city’s northern and northwestern suburbs, especially during the morning and evening rush.

IDOT said the $15.4 million project included replacing expansion joints, repairing structural steel and bridge decks, installing a new deck overlay and resurfacing the elevated bridges.

Drivers saw overnight closures earlier this week as crews applied new pavement markings and removed barricades before reopening all lanes in time for Friday’s morning commute.

While the latest reopening marks a major milestone, transportation officials warned drivers the construction is not completely finished.

Additional concrete pavement patching work is scheduled for later this summer and will require full weekend closures on the same ramps over three separate weekends. The closures will alternate between Ohio and Ontario streets from the Kennedy Expressway to Orleans Street.

IDOT said specific closure dates will be announced closer to the work.