Chicago Area Road Construction Projects: Summer 2009

They say there are two seasons in the City of Chicago: Winter and Road Construction.

Still, the road construction season this 2009 will be relatively quiet, despite the Obama Administration's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Remember, the I-355 - Veterans Memorial Tollway extension, I-80 / 94 widening, I-90 / 94 Dan Ryan Expressway rebuild, I-94 Edens Expressway rehabilitation, and Lake Shore Drive repaving, have all been completed within the past 5 years.

Northwest Indiana has also finished its extensive I-65 / I-80 / I-94 interchange.

Perhaps Chicagoan's were a bit ahead of schedule with this whole infrastructure bailout deal.

The only notable construction projects this summer concern the I-94 Bishop Ford Freeway and the usual Illinois Tollway suspects, which are of lesser importance to City of Chicago residents.

This guide details the major roadwork that is set to be underway this year:

Chicago Area Road Construction: I - 94 / Bishop Ford Freeway

The pock marked, six-lane Bishop Ford Freeway will be rehabilitated from the Dan Ryan junction to U.S. 6 - 159^th Street in South Holland. Work is scheduled to begin improving this notoriously ugly and battered stretch of I-94 at June 2009. The project calls for resurfacing, bridge repair, and the general servicing of the neglected Stony Island interchange. The road will not be widened.

The majority of this rehabilitation will be completed during the nighttime hours. However, daylight closure of lanes, bridges, and area ramps is a possibility. Large sections of I-94 will be forced to accommodate one lane of traffic in each direction. Expect delays.

IL 83 - Torrence Avenue, IL 1 - Halsted Street, or I-90 - Indiana Toll Road / Skyway are good alternative routes.

The 9-mile I-94 / Bishop Ford Freeway is a $27.5 million infrastructure assignment per Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Chicago Area Road Construction: I - 88 / Reagan Tollway

The Reagan Tollway is now 8 lanes from the I-355 exits to IL 59.

Still, I-88 has been under construction since the beginning of time. I have never witnessed anything that rivals the Tollway Authority's obsession with tearing up, repaving, and breaking down this highway - yet again. Ironically, these maddening projects are designed to alleviate congestion!

In summary, the Tollway Authority is widening 88 from six to eight lanes from the Hillside Strangler (I-294 / I-290 JCT) area towards Naperville, and the West Aurora portion will be widened from four to six lanes from the Aurora toll plaza to the Orchard road interchange.

The ramp from IL 31 to westbound I-88 is now closed. Motorists from this area can still pick up 88 at Orchard Road.

I-88 bridges and ramps will be rebuilt at I-294 and 22^nd Street / Cermak Road. The Illinois Tollway Authority is also installing a new interchange at Aurora's Eola Road that may only be legally accessed by I-PASS holders.

Lastly, tollbooths and an additional fourth Open Road Tolling lane are being completed at York Road.

Chicago Area Road Construction: I - 355 / Veterans Tollway

I-355 is being widened to eight lanes from 75^th Street to Ogden Avenue. The northbound section has already been completed. This 4-mile stretch of I-355 South will feature 4 lanes by the end of 2009. All exits at U.S. 34 - Ogden, Maple Avenue, 63^rd Street, and 75^th Street remain open.

Expect minimal delays at the U.S. 34 underpass.

Chicago Area Road Construction: I-94 (294) Tri State Tollway

The Tri State is being widened at the O'Hare Airport area towards the Wisconsin State Line. Plans call for an additional lane to be built in both directions, which will increase the roadway to a total of eight lanes across. The 43-mile project will last throughout the entire season and wreak complete havoc upon North Shore commuters.

North Cook and Lake County residents may consider U.S. 41 to bypass this work zone from the Wisconsin State Line to the I-94 Edens Expressway.

The build out presents a confounding array of bridge extensions, wacky lane shifts, and reverse flow local and express lane configurations. Take heed, the express / local lane cut offs feature limited visibility at highway speeds and are especially dangerous.

The O'Hare area has degenerated into an even worse bottleneck due to this project. At the time of this writing, I-294 heading south carries two local and one express lane over I-90 and I-190. Remember, the express lane through this zone does not provide access to I-90 or I-190.

Consider taking U.S. 45 into Des Plaines and I-190 as an alternative route to O'Hare. Or better yet, take public transportation to get to O'Hare Airport.

The southerly portion of the I-294 Tri State is also being rebuilt and widened between U.S. 12 / 20 - 95^th Street and the I-80 JCT. Both ramps from I-294 to Cicero Avenue are now closed. The ramp from I-294 North to southbound IL 50 - Cicero Avenue has been shut down permanently.

Construction at this half of the I-294 belt is to be completed by the end of 2009.

Of course, the Illinois Department of Transportation has commissioned a study to research the proposed I-294 and I-57 interchange. I must speculate that this area is the only crossing where two Interstate routes meet without exits in the United States.

Chicago Area Road Construction: I-90 - Jane Addams (Northwest Tollway)

Interstate 90 features the lane shift / reverse flow pattern from Rockford to the Wisconsin State Line. The purpose of the construction is to improve I-90 from four lanes to six lanes through the area.

The I-90 / I-39 interchange is also being reconfigured per this project. The flyover ramp approaching southbound I-39 from Chicago is now closed. Signage directs motorists to exit at Irene Road heading north to turn left at U.S. 20. 20 West parallels I-90 and intersects I-39 within the next 5 miles. Remember to remain on U.S. 20 not 20 Business into the Rockford.

Of course, the aforementioned I-90 Tollway information is only relevant to Chicagoans looking to get out of Dodge.

I understand that Madison and Wisconsin Dells are nice this time of year.

Chicago Area Road Construction - Summer 2009, Sources:

The Illinois Department of Transportation, http://www.dot.state.il.us/default.asp

The Illinois Tollway, http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_pageid=133,1&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

The City of Chicago, http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/home.do

Kofi Bofah, Chicago Street Guide and Grid, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1718194/chicago_street_guide_and_grid.html?cat=16