Eisenhower to Kennedy ramp closing June 1

CHICAGO - The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that as part of the ongoing Jane Byrne Interchange reconstruction, the ramp from the inbound Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290) to the outbound Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90/94) will close for four months starting, weather permitting, Monday, June 1.

"With infrastructure improvements an essential service, we are committed to keeping this construction season on schedule as much as possible," said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. "The Jane Byrne is among our top priorities. Although traffic volumes are down, please plan ahead and be patient driving through the work zone. Buckle up, put down your devices, give the road your undivided attention and slow down."

The inbound Eisenhower to outbound Kennedy serves approximately 25,000 vehicles a day, according to data collected prior to this year. The new ramp eventually will accommodate two lanes and shoulders, replacing a single lane and inadequate shoulders, substantially improving safety and congestion.

While the ramp is being rebuilt, inbound Eisenhower drivers wishing to access the outbound Kennedy will do so via the outbound Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) and a "Texas U-turn" detour at the Taylor Street interchange. Several overnight lane closures over the next two weeks will be required on the inbound Eisenhower to prepare the detour route.

When the ramp is closed June 1, the inbound Eisenhower lane configuration will be flipped, with the two left lanes connecting to Ida B. Wells Drive and the two right lanes to the outbound Dan Ryan. The far right lane will be reserved for the outbound Kennedy detour. In this new configuration, the detour will be a dedicated lane separated by a barrier wall to restrict merging into the regular Dan Ryan lanes and requiring drivers to use the Taylor Street interchange.  

To prepare the detour, Taylor Street between Union Avenue and Ruble Street will close to local traffic, weather permitting, Wednesday, May 20. A detour will direct eastbound Taylor Street traffic to Halsted, Harrison and Clinton streets. Westbound traffic will be detoured to Jefferson, Harrison and Halsted streets. The south sidewalk will remain open for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Additionally, the inbound Dan Ryan will not be accessible from Roosevelt Road, with a detour utilizing Halsted and Adams streets to access the expressway.

A map of all the detours is posted at www.janebyrneinterchange.com.

The new inbound Eisenhower to outbound Kennedy ramp, as well as Taylor Street, will reopen in October.

Other significant impacts at the Jane Byrne this year include:

• Outbound Ida B. Wells Drive to the outbound Kennedy closed this winter and reopens by the end of this year.
• Jackson Boulevard over the Kennedy closed this spring.
• Adams Street over the Kennedy will be closed this summer, the last of the 11 local street bridges at the interchange to be replaced. It reopens in 2022 with the new Jackson Boulevard bridge.
• Improvements will begin later in 2020 on the mainline lanes of the Kennedy and Dan Ryan through the interchange, which include the construction of new collector-distributor ramps that will relocate the left-hand entrance ramps at Jackson and Adams. Three lanes will remain open in both directions, but traffic will be shifted.

Additional details, schedules and impacts to traffic will continue to be shared in advance of individual project start dates. 

The overall reconstruction project at the Jane Byrne Interchange will improve safety and traffic flow for the more than 400,000 motorists who use it each day, while also enhancing mobility for bicyclists, pedestrians and transit users in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Recently, IDOT unveiled a new mobile-friendly website that features a detailed project timeline with an interactive map, photo galleries and the ability to submit questions and comments to the project team via a "Contact Us" link. For more information and to view a live camera feed of the work zone, visit www.janebyrneinterchange.org.
 
The improved Jane Byrne Interchange will be complete in 2022.