Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
A wise person once said: In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except construction on Chicago roads.
Maybe I’m getting that quote wrong, but the meaning rings true after the Illinois Department of Transportation’s announcement that construction on the Kennedy Expressway will return next week.
Below, we’ll share what we know about the project.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on the city’s search for new revenue, who Chicago-area lawmakers are inviting to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address and more.
One more thing: Will you be watching the State Of the Union tonight? Reply to this email with your name and a phone number if you’re interested in being interviewed about your reaction to the president’s speech, and a Sun-Times reporter may follow up soon.
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Kennedy construction nightmare returns Tuesday
Reporting by David Struett
Under construction: Commuters could face a traffic nightmare Tuesday morning as construction crews close the Kennedy Expressway’s reversible lanes for repairs until late fall.
Key context: The work is the second phase of the $150 million project taking place over three years. Inbound lanes were repaired last year. This year’s work, starting early due to warmer weather, focuses on the express lanes. Construction hits the outbound Kennedy next year.
What to expect: Construction kicks off at 9 p.m. Monday with four nights of nearly total lane closures. On Monday night, inbound lanes will narrow to one between the Edens junction and Irving Park Road. Inbound ramps will temporarily close at Wilson, Montrose and Irving Park. Lanes open at 5 a.m. Tuesday, but express lanes will remain permanently closed for the season. Like last year, inbound and outbound lanes will be reduced to four lanes of traffic each — down from six.
What are they doing? Kennedy construction this year includes four separate projects: repaving the express lanes, replacing overhead signs and lights, and painting Hubbard’s Cave.
IDOT recommendations: Jon Schumacher, District 1 bureau chief of construction for the Illinois Department of Transportation, recommends people travel by public transit if possible. And if you’re driving — stay in your lane, Schumacher said, noting that people frustrated with the construction work would make unnecessary lane switches last year and slow traffic more.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- Brandon Johnson’s new communications chief: Joe Calvello, previously the director of communications for U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, joins the Johnson administration in the newly created job of chief strategy officer. Calvello, 31, says he hopes to help Chicago’s mayor “make that transition from candidate to governing.”
- Who’s invited to the State of the Union address? When President Joe Biden delivers his annual address Thursday, the House chamber will be filled with guests invited by him, the first lady and House and Senate members. Here’s who members of Congress from the Chicago area are bringing.
- Chicago’s search for new revenue: A City Council subcommittee overseeing the search for new revenue will report back in 30 days with ideas that include video gaming, expanded helicopter service to and from O’Hare and Midway airports and turning vacant downtown retail space into a haven for digital advertising.
- Business expands West Loop footprint: NanoGraf, a maker of advanced lithium-ion batteries for the U.S. military, plans to open a sprawling manufacturing and research facility in the West Loop. The expansion will come just a few months after the company unveiled its Chicago headquarters at 400 N. Noble St.
- Midway Plaisance Park plans: The Chicago Park District on Wednesday provided updates about its plans to improve outdoor spaces around the South Side, including a new playground for the east end of Midway Plaisance Park, revamped ball fields at Jackson Park and a new dog-friendly area. The plans must be approved by the park district board.
- Calling all fishers: The park district needs more counselors for its fishing programs this summer. The deadline to apply is Tuesday. More details here.
SUN-TIMES STAFF SUGGESTS 🍽️
Taste something delicious at 5 Rabanitos Restaurante & Taqueria
I caught up with my colleague, columnist Ismael Peréz, who pens our weekly advice column Someone in Chicago.
His advice for you today? Eat at 5 Rabanitos Restaurante & Taqueria in Pilsen.
What to order: Ismael recommends ordering the green chicken tamal.
Why it’s good: “My mom has been making and selling tamales for almost 50 years, and I started helping her sell door-to-door since I could speak. So I am very picky with how the masa is made and how much spice tamales pack,” Ismael tells me. “No tamal has come close to my mom’s until I sat down and ate the green chicken tamal at 5 Rabanitos.”
‘Just right': “It’s not too heavy and not too light and fills me up just right,” Ismael says, calling it “one of those dishes I don’t allow the server to take back until I’ve cleared the plate.”
📍5 Rabanitos Restaurante & Taqueria, 758 W. 18th St.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
License to thrill: James Bond’s high-tech gadgets, cars the focus of Museum of Science and Industry exhibit
Reporting by Sophie Sherry
James Bond’s legendary Aston Martins and other high-tech gadgets have arrived at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry for a first-of-its-kind exhibit on the science behind the film franchise.
For veteran special effects supervisor Chris Corbould — who has worked on 15 James Bond films — moving through the new exhibit is like a full-throttle race down memory lane. But the Hollywood version of Q hopes those viewing the props for the very first time walk away with a yearning and excitement to build new things.
“I think it would be great if they came away with a passion for doing something like this,” Corbould told the Sun-Times during a preview event Wednesday.
“There’ve been many James Bond exhibitions, but this is the first one where we’ve looked into the science of James Bond and how it affected future inventions and discoveries. Some of these things are coming out of somebody’s head, and to us now they are everyday items.”
“007 Science: Inventing the World of James Bond,” opens to the public Thursday and will run through late October. The exhibit features 13 vehicles and over 90 additional artifacts from the Bond films.
The creations of the Bond films always had a grounding in science, according to Kathleen McCarthy, the museum’s head curator. And the movies often debuted technology that would later materialize in real life, such as underwater cameras and watches with TV screens.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
With construction on the Kennedy set to return Tuesday, we want to know: How do you pass the time when you’re stuck in traffic?
Email us (please include your first and last name). To see the answers to this question, check our Morning Edition newsletter. Not subscribed to Morning Edition? Sign up here so you won’t miss a thing!
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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers
