Source: Weekend Closures for Byrne Flyover Work Start Aug. 21 | Traffic Jam Jen
Press Release from TravelMidwest.com and additional information from IDOT spokesperson
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced last week that several lane closures on the expressway system surrounding the Jane Byrne Interchange in Chicago have been scheduled for four weekends starting August, 21st, 2015.
This flyover ramp from the Inbound Dan Ryan to the Outbound Eisenhower “just north of Taylor, up and over Harrison, Halsted, over Peoria. The project is just over a mile long,” according to Tony Quigley, Project Implementation Engineer for IDOT.
The current ramp is one lane and carries up to 35,000 vehicles per day. The new ramp will be two lanes with with 10-foot shoulders on each side.
The closures are necessary for the installation of steel beams that will support the deck of the new flyover bridge linking the inbound Dan Ryan Expressway (westbound Interstate 90/94) to the outbound Eisenhower Expressway (westbound Interstate 290). Construction started in 2014, with lane closures put into effect in March.
The bridge, part of the larger Jane Byrne Interchange overhaul, will consist of six steel beams stretching across 12 piers. During the weekend closures, the beams will be placed for the portion of the bridge that arches over the Dan Ryan, Kennedy and the Eisenhower expressways.
The weekends were selected after coordinating with the City of Chicago to minimize the impact to special events and festivals. The city will remain open for business and visitors should not change their plans. But the public is advised to anticipate longer travel times if they are driving in this area during the weekends the closures are scheduled, especially during the overnight hours. The use of public transportation is encouraged.
To allow for the installation of the beams the first two weekends, the inbound Kennedy Expressway (eastbound I-90/94) ramp to inbound Congress Parkway will close the evening of Aug. 19 until the morning of Aug. 31. A detour route will be posted utilizing the Roosevelt Road exit, Jefferson Street, Harrison Street and Wells Street to connect with Congress Parkway.
The remaining closures and the impacts to traffic:
Aug. 21-23 and Aug. 28-30
• Inbound Congress Parkway (eastbound I-290) at the Byrne Interchange will close at 10 p.m. both Fridays. Traffic can still access the I-90/94 exit ramps. No traffic will be able to continue into the downtown area from the Eisenhower coming eastbound from the west part of the city and western suburbs.
A detour will direct traffic to the outbound Dan Ryan’s Roosevelt Road exit, Jefferson Street, Harrison Street and Wells Street to connect with Congress Parkway.
• Outbound Eisenhower (I-290) at the Byrne Interchange will close by 5 a.m. both Saturdays. Traffic can still access the I-90/94 exit ramps. Therefore, no traffic will be able to access I-290 ( the Eisenhower) from downtown on Congress Parkway.
A detour will direct traffic to Wells Street, Harrison Street, Jefferson Street, Van Buren Street and Ashland Avenue to connect with the Eisenhower. Lower Wacker Drive also will follow this same detour.
• Both directions of the Kennedy and Dan Ryan (I-90/94) between Ohio Street and 18th Street will be reduced to one lane at 8 p.m. Saturday, with all lanes closed for 15-minute intervals between 10 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday. All lanes will be reopened by 10 a.m. Sunday.
A recommended detour will direct traffic in both directions to the outbound Eisenhower’s Ashland Avenue exit and entrance ramps to access the Kennedy and Dan Ryan again from the inbound Eisenhower.
All lanes on Congress Parkway will reopen and the previous traffic configuration restored by 5 a.m. Monday, August 24th, 2015.
