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Final Phase of Kennedy Expressway Construction Set to Begin Next Week

Construction on the Kennedy Expressway is expected to start back up next week, marking the final phase of a major project to revamp the expressway.

This year’s construction is focused on the outbound Kennedy lanes. Work is expected to start Monday and be finished around Thanksgiving, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Overnight ramp and lane closures are expected this week as workers set up the work zone. Motorists should expect various overnight ramp and lane closures on the outbound Kennedy and reversible lanes, between Ohio Street and Montrose Avenue, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

What to Expect When Construction Starts

Starting next Tuesday and through the duration of construction, two outbound lanes will be closed at a time while the two reversible express lanes will stay open in the outbound direction.

During the first phase of this year’s construction, the reversible mid-gate entrance and exit will be closed, so motorists in the express lanes won’t be able to exit until the Edens Expressway at Foster Avenue. This means motorists going to O’Hare from downtown must stay on the main outbound Kennedy lanes and should not enter the express lanes, according to IDOT. This configuration is expected to be in place until mid-July.

Motorists also should expect lane shifts, overnight lane closures and various ramp closures for varying amounts of time throughout the project, according to the transportation department, adding details and impacts to traffic will be shared closer to the closure dates. ​

The department strongly encouraged the use of alternative routes and public transportation.

What is All This Construction For?

This year’s construction is the third and final phase of an overall project, spanning three construction seasons, to rehab the I-90/I-94 Kennedy Expressway from the Edens junction to Ohio Street.

Construction started on the inbound Kennedy lanes in 2023. The previous phase of construction, which kicked off last year, focused on reversible express lanes and was initially supposed to wrap up last fall, but lanes didn’t reopen until January because IDOT said additional time was needed to test the reversible lane control system.

The overall Kennedy project consists of rehabilitating 36 bridge structures and the reversible lane access control system, replacing overhead sign structures and installing new signage and modernized LED lights, pavement patching and structural steel repairs.

The Kennedy Expressway opened in 1960, and the last major rehabilitation was completed in 1994, according to IDOT. More than 275,000 motorists use the Kennedy Expressway each day.

Contact Eunice Alpasan: @eunicealpasan | 773-509-5362 | [email protected]