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Kennedy Expressway construction project to begin in March
Officials say a major construction project on the Kennedy will cause significant delays, but engineers are promising the work will make your commute safer.
CHICAGO - Construction on a large chunk of the Kennedy Expressway is scheduled to begin in March.
The rehabilitation will be from the Edens Expressway junction to Ohio Street, spanning from Old Irving Park on the Northwest Side to downtown.
Weather permitting, the construction will begin on Monday, March 20. Major travel delays are anticipated, and alternative routes are strongly encouraged.
The estimated $150 million project consists of rehabilitating 36 bridge structures and the Reversible Lane Access Control (REVLAC) system, replacing overhead sign-structures, installing new signage and modernized LED lights, pavement patching and structural painting.
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Hubbard’s Cave, from Grand Avenue to Wayman Street, will be also be painted and new LED lighting installed.
The work will take place in three stages:
Construction begins on the inbound Kennedy. Motorists should expect lane shifts and overnight lane closure, along with various ramp closures.
The second stage is focused on the Reversible Express Lane. This will begin spring 2024 and is scheduled to end in fall 2024.
Lastly, the outbound Kennedy will be under construction from spring through fall 2025.
To help minimize the impact on traffic, the reversible express lanes will remain open in the inbound direction.
"Using the reversible lanes to offset lane closures will help," said transportation expert Joseph P. Schwieterman, who teaches at DePaul University.
"Having four lanes open in each direction throughout construction will help limit delays. That’s encouraging. There’s a gigantic difference between four lanes and three lanes, so the roadway capacity should remain pretty high, but still, expect some pain," he said.
The Kennedy Expressway opened in 1960. Its last major project occurred in 1994. It carries an estimated 275,000 motorists daily.
The upcoming rehab project is set to begin a little more than eight weeks after the Jane Byrne Interchange reopened after 10 years of construction, which included multiple setbacks in its completion date.
Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.