The next week will see the start of a three-year construction project on the Kennedy Expressway. Up until July, certain sections of the two inbound left lanes will be blocked up. Then, until the fall construction season is over, the work will move and close off sections of the two right lanes.
According to Maria Castaneda, a representative for the Illinois Department of Transportation, drivers heading downtown on Tuesday morning should be aware of the effects of the $150 million construction project. Anticipate lengthy delays.
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The express lanes will only be used for inbound traffic. The two inbound lanes are closed in an effort to minimize the impact. That ought to assist those going south. But, it also means that, unlike usual, the express lanes won’t be moved in the outward direction.
IDOT advises people to take public transportation whenever possible and to get up earlier than necessary if they plan to drive into the city in the morning. IDOT will destroy and replace the expressway’s bridges after the lanes are closed. A bridge can be demolished in roughly a week and rebuilt in five.
Commentary on the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago
“Give yourself a lot more time in the morning. It is obvious that some people will be unable to adjust their schedules at any time. Nonetheless, we are requesting that you vary the times you commute in and out “explained Castaneda.
Beginning on Monday, the project’s first phase will concentrate on Kennedy’s incoming section. The two left lanes will be blocked off until the project is finished in July, at which point the two right lanes will be used for construction. Lane changes, nighttime lane closures, varied ramp closures, and more should all be anticipated by drivers.
