More closures are set to begin in Spring 2025, IDOT has said, as part of the third and final stage of the construction
A popular route drivers take to Chicago O'Hare International Airport won't be available once construction related to the massive, multi-million dollar Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) rehabilitation project starts back up.
The third and final phase of the traffic project, set to close outbound local lanes and inbound express lanes, will resume Monday, March 17, the Illinois Department of Transportation said in a press release. The following day, the reversible express lanes will open only in the outbound direction, IDOT said. They'll remain open only to outbound drivers, with the inbound express lanes closed through the duration of the construction.
As part of the new traffic pattern, the outbound express lanes' mid-gate entrance and exit will be closed, which means vehicles will be unable to exit until the Edens Expressway at Foster Avenue, IDOT said.
It also means you won't be able to get to the airport from the express lanes.
"Drivers going to O’Hare International Airport from downtown Chicago must stay on the mainline Kennedy and not the express lanes," IDOT stressed, with the configuration expected to remain in place through mid-July.
"Motorists also should expect lane shifts and overnight lane closures, along with various ramp closures for varying durations throughout the project," IDOT said in the release.
During a press conference Tuesday, IDOT officials said the last stage of the project -- now with a price tag of $169 million, up from $150 million -- is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. A press release later said the work was anticipated to be completed "around Thanksgiving, with all lanes and ramps reopening and the express lanes resuming normal operations."
Local
IDOT warned the construction will lead to "significant delays," and urged the public to allow for extra time.
"Traveling during non-peak hours, taking alternative routes and utilizing public transportation, including the Chicago Transit Authority’s Blue Line and Metra’s Union Pacific Northwest Line, as well as Pace, are recommended," IDOT said.
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The new, Phase Three closures come less than three months after the reversible express lanes on the Kennedy Expressway opened back up — one month behind schedule — in both directions after a 10-month closure that led to lengthy delays and long commute times in and out of the city.
The lane closure spanned only 7.5 miles, but fell at a "crucial" point in commutes from the north and northwest suburbs, NBC 5 Traffic Reporter Kye Martin noted, with more than 275,000 drivers on that stretch of road each day.
The first phase of the project, which was completed in 2023, closed inbound lanes for months, along with outbound express lanes.
