Drivers heading northwest in Chicago on the Kennedy Expressway will see some relief starting Sunday, as a key section of the construction project is reopening a month ahead of schedule, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced.
Beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday, motorists leaving downtown Chicago for O'Hare International Airport will once again be able to use both the express and local lanes between Addison Street and the Kennedy-Edens junction at Montrose Avenue.
Since March, express lane drivers have been forced to detour to Interstate 94 via Foster Avenue due to construction.
The lane reconfiguration will allow crews to begin work on the right side of the outbound expressway. Two main outbound lanes will remain closed, but reversible express lanes will continue operating in the outbound direction.
Although this change marks significant progress, the full rehabilitation project — which includes bridge and ramp work — is not expected to conclude until Thanksgiving.
Additional ramp closures are scheduled for June:
- June 6: Ontario and Division Street on-ramps to outbound Kennedy, for about two weeks.
- June 9: Off-ramps to North and Fullerton avenues, also for about two weeks.
Several existing closures are expected to reopen next week, including ramps at Ogden, Armitage and Ohio Street.
Source: News.WTTW.com, CBS News
