Parts of Jane Byrne open Saturday after years of construction
Crews officially re-opened three Jane Byrne ramps Saturday, with a fourth ramp on the westbound Eisenhower Expressway set to open Tuesday.
CHICAGO - When it comes to traffic in Chicago, there’s mostly one reaction by most, especially at the Jayne Byrne Interchange, built in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, where nearly half a million cars travel each day.
There will be some much needed relief for commuters who take the Jane Byrne Interchange, long frustrated by an ongoing construction project. Crews officially re-opened three ramps Saturday, with a fourth ramp on the westbound Eisenhower Expressway set to open Tuesday.
The ramp from the inbound Dan Ryan Expressway to Ida B. Wells Drive, opening the loop to commuters from the south and southwest suburbs. The “flyover” ramp, connecting the Dan Ryan to the outbound lanes of the Eisenhower Expressway, gets a second lane. And the Morgan St. exit ramp is re-opening, too.
At $713 million, the construction project is one of the state’s most expensive. Moving forward, outbound Ida B. Wells Dr. will close Monday into Tuesday, as will the ramp connecting the Kennedy Expressway to the outbound Eisenhower Expressway, allowing further improvements to be made.
With the opening of certain ramps, the interchange reconstruction will move into another phase. IDOT is planning further ramp closures for the spring. The project isn’t slated for full completion until 2022.