Monroe, Van Buren street bridges to reopen Friday over Kennedy after year of construction

Two newly rebuilt bridges over the Kennedy Expressway are scheduled to reopen after over a year of reconstruction.

The Monroe Street and Van Buren bridges, the latest improvements in the Jane Byrne interstate reconstruction project, will reopen Friday weather permitting, the Illinois Dept. of Transportation said in a statement.

The bridges will feature improved sidewalks and lighting, and the Van Buren Street bridge will have a dedicated bus lane, IDOT said.

They are the seventh and eighth bridges to be replaced in the Byrne construction project, IDOT said. The two remaining bridges, Adams and Jackson, will be replaced in 2020.

Construction on the Monroe Street bridge began over a year ago in April 2018. The Van Buren Street bridge has been closed for improvements since October 2017.

The Jane Byrne project is scheduled to be complete by 2022, according to IDOT. More than 400,000 motorists use the interchange each day.