From the Kennedy Expressway to Lake Shore Drive: Why it's so hard to get around Chicago

No matter where you drive in Chicago this summer you're likely to hit a road block, making getting around the city challenging.

From the Kennedy Expressway to Lake Shore Drive and beyond, major road closures are snarling commutes for many drivers in the city.

But why?

Kennedy Expressway

First, let's start with the Kennedy Expressway, which is currently in Phase 2 of a massive three-year rehab project.

According to IDOT, Phase 2, which began in March, will close the reversible express lanes in both directions from the Edens Junction to Ohio street for at least eight months. This part of the construction focuses on rehabbing the REVLAC (Reversible Lane and Control) system in those express lanes.

Officials say the move is preventative.

"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.

In all, the project will rehabilitate 36 bridges and overpasses, and will improve access to the reversible express lane system. Pavement patching, structural painting and installation of new lights will also be completed during this time, per officials.

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, but Phase 2 was expected to be worse.

"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," NBC 5 Traffic Reporter Kye 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."

While brief relief is expected again this winter, 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.

And that's not all.

While motorists are already having to deal with significant construction on the Kennedy Expressway, additional lane closures took effect on multiple weekends as the summer travel season arrived.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the additional closures were required to install new overhead signs on a stretch of the inbound expressway between Grand Avenue and Ohio Street.

These closures meant an additional left lane was shut down between Milwaukee Avenue and Hubbard’s Cave, but only on certain days. Weekend work was expected to begin at approximately 10 p.m. each Friday, with lane closures remaining in effect until 5 a.m. Monday, weather permitting.

It was expected the work would take four weekends to complete.

Lake Shore Drive

Parts of Chicago's Lake Shore Drive have seen numerous lane closures in recent weeks. When combined with the Kennedy Expressway construction, the closures have made accessing downtown Chicago particularly challenging.

According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, lane closures have been in place periodically for "ongoing repair projects on North and South DuSable Lake Shore Drive."

CDOT noted that, as part of its 2024 Arterial Resurfacing Program, will implement lane closures through June 17 for parts of the roadway.

"The limits of the work are between Roosevelt Road and 31st Street in both the northbound and southbound directions. The project is expected to last eight weeks," the department said.

From June 3-17 northbound lane closures were set to be in effect from 4 p.m. to 9 a.m. daily and three lanes would be closed for daytime work from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Additional traffic was reported Tuesday due to "roadwork" between Randolph Street and 18th Drive.

Officials noted that unexpected Lake Shore Drive closures continue to also take place.

"In the summertime there's a lot of pop ups, construction, accidents there are not too many exits to get off so it's a little tricky," traffic expert and DePaul University Professor Joe Schwieterman said.

NASCAR Closures

And more closures began in the city this week, with additional shutdowns to come as part of the 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race.

According to CDOT, Ida B. Wells Drive is now closed between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive, and parking restrictions are in effect along southbound Columbus Drive between Jackson Drive and Balboa Drive. The closures and restrictions will allow for construction to commence at the main grandstand on the circuit, officials noted.

By the time the race arrives on July 6 and 7, Columbus Drive, Michigan Avenue and DuSable Lake Shore Drive will all be experiencing significant closures. 

Officials hope to reopen those roadways by 6 a.m. on July 8.

A full list of street closures for this year’s edition of the race can be found here. All teardown for the NASCAR race is expected to be completed by July 18.

Other Closures

In addition to the major road closures, a number of smaller closures will be in place for festivals, events and other projects across the city throughout the summer.

But many commuters have questioned the reasons for so many large road closures at one time.

"I will say there's some criticism to be levied here for having intermittent work on Lake Shore Drive while the Kennedy is under construction. It's a lot of heartburn behind the wheel," Schweiterman said.