Monroe, Van Buren bridges reopen at Jane Byrne

CHICAGO - The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that the new Monroe Street and Van Buren Street bridges over the Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90/94) will reopen to traffic, weather permitting, Friday, July 26. The new bridges are the latest improvements in the Jane Byrne Interchange reconstruction.

"These two new bridges advance IDOT's multimodal mission by building better connections for everyone who travels through the Jane Byrne Interchange," said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. "We are proud of these new bridges, but even more excited for the other improvements to come."
 
The two bridges were rebuilt to accommodate increased capacity on the Kennedy, with the construction of additional lanes through the interchange in 2020 and 2021. With improved sidewalks and lighting, the new structures also assist with better connecting surrounding neighborhoods and businesses. The Van Buren Street bridge features a dedicated westbound bus lane.

Monroe and Van Buren streets represent the seventh and eighth bridges replaced at the Byrne. The remaining two bridges that carry local traffic, Adams Street and Jackson Boulevard, will be replaced in 2020.

Opening later this year are the Morgan Street entrance ramp to the outbound Eisenhower Expressway and the ramp from the inbound Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) to inbound Ida B. Wells Drive. Also wrapping up is construction of the second lane on the new flyover ramp from the inbound Ryan to the outbound Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290), as well as new mainline pavement to both directions of the Eisenhower and Ida B. Wells Drive.

The overall Jane Byrne project will improve safety and traffic flow for the more than 400,000 motorists who use it each day, while also enhancing mobility for bicycles, pedestrians and transit. Construction will be complete by 2022. For more information and to view a live camera feed of the work zone, visit www.circleinterchange.org.