Lane closures planned on Kennedy Expressway for removal of Montrose bridge

CHICAGO - The outbound Kennedy Expressway will be reduced to a single lane this weekend as construction crews continue work on the Montrose Avenue bridge on the Northwest Side.

Outbound traffic will be funneled to one express lane at 7 p.m. Friday approaching Diversey Avenue, the Illinois Department of Transportation said. Vehicles will continue onto the outbound Edens Expressway and won’t be able to exit until Foster Avenue, as the Edens exit ramp to Wilson Avenue will also be closed.

IDOT is removing the southern portion of the Montrose Avenue bridge over the course of three weekends, the department said, the first of which has already been completed. Work will begin on the northern part of the bridge after the southern part has been reconstructed, to allow for continued access to the Montrose Blue Line stop.

The outbound Kennedy ramp to Montrose Avenue will close at noon Friday, IDOT said. At 7 p.m., several entrance ramps will also close, including those at Armitage, Fullerton/Western, California, Kimball, Addison and Irving Park.

Outbound exit ramps that will be closed include those at Diversey, Kedzie/Belmont, Kimball, Addison, Pulaski/Irving Park, Kostner and Montrose.

The expressway will return to normal operations at 5 a.m. Monday, IDOT said.

The work at Montrose Avenue is meant to improve the bridge and approaching pavement, as well as install lighting under the bridge and at the Blue Line station, IDOT said. Traffic on Montrose Avenue will be rerouted by way of Cicero Avenue, Irving Park Road and Pulaski Road.

The project is expected to be completed in December, IDOT said.