Strap in, drivers — construction on the Kennedy Expressway returns March 11 and commutes are about to get longer.
The second phase of the Kennedy Expressway rehabilitation will focus on repairing the reversible express lanes between the Edens Expressway Junction and Ohio Street. The reversible lanes will close at 9 p.m. March 11, weather permitting, and will likely remain closed until late fall, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Friday.
“The project will improve safety, traffic flow and reliability for the more than 275,000 motorists who use the expressway each day,” IDOT said in a news release.
Bridge cleaning, painting and installation of LED lights at Hubbard’s Cave will also take place as part of this phase. These repairs require closing the left lane on the inbound Kennedy from Chicago Avenue to Lake Street as well as the left lane of the outbound Kennedy from the Jane Byrne Interchange to Grand Avenue and its westbound Randolph Street ramp. Overnight, intermittent lane closures in both directions are also expected in this area, IDOT said.
IDOT recommends drivers travel during non-peak hours and use mass transit during the construction. The department recommended the CTA Blue Line, Metra’s Union Pacific Northwest Line and Pace as alternatives to the expressway.
This year’s particularly warm winter allowed IDOT to resume construction earlier than expected. Weather changes may cause the work schedule to shift, in which case IDOT will share updated schedules with the public, the department said.
“While we understand construction can be inconvenient, we are taking advantage of the warm weather to start early. The end result will be safer, more resilient infrastructure for the region long after the cones and barricades are removed,” Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said in the release.
The Kennedy opened in 1960 and the last major rehabilitation was completed in 1994. The reversible express lanes were installed two years later.
This announcement marks the beginning of the $150 million project’s second phase. The first phase concluded in early December. Over nine months last year, IDOT repaired the inbound Kennedy. Work focused on roadway patching, bridge rehabbing and new lighting, signs and paint between Ohio Street and the junction with the Edens Expressway near Montrose Avenue. The third phase of the project will focus on the outbound Kennedy in 2025.
Visitors looking for further information on closures can visit IDOT’s website.
