Officials set public meeting on delayed interchange project

CHICAGO - State officials have planned a public meeting later this month to give an update on a much-delayed construction project at a major interstate exchange near downtown Chicago.

The Illinois Department of Transportation has set a March 18 meet at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Officials say they’ll provide an audio-visual presentation and have project team members available to answer questions. Work is set to continue this spring that will lead to closures of nearby streets and multiple expressway ramps.

The project rebuilds the juncture of three expressways and was initially supposed to cost about $535 million and be finished in June 2018. It is estimated to cost $713 million and be done in 2022, according to The Chicago Tribune.

According to state officials, the project will improve safety and traffic flow for more than 400,000 motorists, bicycles and pedestrians.