Construction on Kennedy Expressway resumes; express lanes and more closed for 8 months

Editor's Note: A multi-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes on DuSable Lake Shore Drive in the South Shore neighborhood has caused major backups. According to Total Traffic, "all lanes" at 3100 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive are blocked, with solid traffic from 47th St.

Attention Kennedy expressway commuters: The cone zone is back, and so are lane closures.

Late Monday, crews from the Illinois Department of Transportation began setting up new traffic patterns for Phase 2 of the department's massive, three-year Kennedy expressway rehabilitation project.

"We are going out and doing a major rehabilitation now so we don't have to do a replacement," Jon Schumacher, District 1 Bureau Chief of Construction at IDOT said, adding that the Kennedy Expressway opened in 1960.

According to IDOT, Phase 2 of the project will close the reversible express lanes in both directions from the Edens Junction to Ohio street for at least eight months. Additionally, temporary inbound lane closures are expected this week as the construction work gets underway.

As of 6 a.m. Tuesday, photos and video showed traffic delays on the Edens and Kennedy Expressway building, with just two local lanes available for drivers.

"Unfortunately, this will be the new normal for drivers for months," NBC 5 reporter Lisa Chavarria said, reporting live from a Kennedy overpass. "You'll have to allow for that extra time."

By 7 a.m., it looked more like a "parking lot," Chavarria said.

According to NBC 5 Traffic Reporter Kye Martin, drive times were spiking, with 115 minutes expected inbound on the Eisenhower from IL-390 to downtown, and 78 minutes expected inbound on the Kennedy from O'Hare.

"It's been a rough morning for commuters," Martin said, adding that an accident in the northbound lanes on DuSable Lake Shore Drive has caused a shut down at 3100 South Lake Shore Drive.

Will traffic be worse than last year?

Phase 1 of the project, which disrupted typical commute times due to closures in the inbound local lanes and outbound express lanes, wrapped up in December. NBC 5 Traffic Reporter Kye Martin noted that Phase 2 of the three-phase plan was also expected to cause backups and delays, especially during week one.

"The number one thing drivers can expect is a higher drive time, especially for the morning commute for the first few days of a traffic pattern," Martin said.

Martin said the lane reduction from 10 lanes total -- eight on each side of the local lanes, plus the two reversible express lanes -- to eight is likely to impact certain suburban or O'Hare commuters more than others.

"Phase two could be a bit worse, because the Express Lanes served a unique purpose of easing the load for a specific commuter: The commuters that are only going from the Eden's and Kennedy right to downtown," Martin said. "Those commuters were never mixing into the local lanes when those locals were closed. But now, without the reversals to carry the load both in and out, could phase two be even worse? It remains to be seen."

According to Martin the express lane closures are expected to last through at least Thanksgiving.

Temporary closures for Phase 2

IDOT has provided the following temporary closures for Phase 2. These closures are expected to be picked up by 5 a.m. the following day in most instances, according to officials.

Monday, March 11

• Starting at 9 p.m., the inbound Kennedy and Edens will gradually be reduced to one lane from just before the Edens junction to Irving Park Road (Illinois 19).
• At the same time, the reversible express lanes will fully close. They are anticipated to reopen in late fall.
• The following intermittent ramp closures also will take place.
  • Inbound Edens: Wilson Avenue 
  • Inbound Kennedy: Montrose Avenue and Irving Park Road

Tuesday, March 12

• Starting at 9 p.m., the outbound Kennedy will be reduced to two lanes between North (Illinois 64) and Fullerton avenues.  
• At the same time, outbound Kennedy intermittent ramp closures between North and Fullerton avenues also will take place.

Wednesday, March 13

• Starting at 9 p.m., the inbound Kennedy will gradually be reduced to one lane from Milwaukee Avenue to Lake Street.
• At the same time, the outbound Kennedy between Madison Street and Milwaukee Avenue also will be reduced to one lane.

Thursday, March 14

• Starting at 9 p.m., the outbound Kennedy will gradually be reduced to one lane between North and Fullerton avenues.  
• At the same time, intermittent outbound Kennedy ramp closures between North and Fullerton avenues will also take place. 

According to IDOT, work schedules and construction are "highly weather dependent" and are subject to change.

Full closure of express lanes

Phase 2 of the construction will focus on the reversible express lanes, IDOT said, with the focus during the closure being the rehabilitation of the REVLAC (Reversible Lane and Control) system in those express lanes.

Advance work was expected to begin the week of March 4, weather permitting, with overnight closures of both the inbound and outbound express lanes anticipated between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., IDOT said.

MORE: Is There a Way Around Massive Construction Project on Kennedy Expressway? Yes and No, Experts Say

"To safely establish the work zone for the upcoming construction season, four consecutive nights of lane and ramp closures will be required in both directions of the Kennedy and Edens expressways," IDOT said, adding that ramps and lanes that were closed overnight are expected to reopen at 5 a.m. each morning.

"The reversible express lanes also will be closed starting Monday night through late fall, along with the left lane on both inbound Kennedy and Edens expressways, from just before the Kennedy/Edens junction to the reversible express lanes entrance at Montrose Avenue," IDOT said.

Additional lane closures

Other lane closures as part of Phase 2 are also scheduled for the week of March 11.

According to IDOT, bridge cleaning, painting and LED light installation at Hubbard’s Cave will require a closure of the left lane on the inbound Kennedy from Chicago Avenue to Lake Street, and on the outbound Kennedy from the Jane Byrne Interchange to Grand Avenue.

Additionally, the westbound Randolph Street ramp to the outbound Kennedy will close. It is anticipated to reopen later this fall, IDOT said.

"Drivers also should expect various overnight shoulder and intermittent lane closures in both directions of the expressway, between Milwaukee Avenue and Randolph Street," IDOT said in the release.

According to IDOT, this work is anticipated to be completed later this fall.

Alternate routes

Martin noted drivers that live on or commute to or from the far northwest side could take the Eisenhower expressway. Those that live or work in a near north suburb, like Evanston or Skokie, could take DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Martin added.

For others, the options aren't as simple.

"When you take two lanes out, there's no great alternate," Martin said.

IDOT workers recommended shifting work schedules if possible, to avoid traffic at peak times. Martin recommended the O'Hare branch of the CTA or the Metra, depending.

When does Phase 3 begin?

The final phase of the project will begin in the spring of 2025, with the outbound side of the roadway getting the finishing touches.

Much like the first phase did to the inbound side, two mainline outbound lanes will be closed at a time during construction, with the reversible express lanes remaining open in the outbound direction to help alleviate traffic flow.

New LED lights, painting and signage will be installed in “Hubbard’s Cave” on the outbound side.

These lane closures are expected to remain in place until late fall of 2025, according to IDOT officials.