As part of the ongoing construction project on the Kennedy Expressway, motorists can expect occasional full stops of traffic on the roadway overnight in coming days.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, full traffic stops of approximately 15 minutes in length can be expected on the expressway beginning on Tuesday night and continuing for at least 12 days, weather permitting.
Other regularly scheduled ramp and lane closures will also continue as the project moves through the second of three years’ worth of work.
Overnight full stops will be used to replace signs along the Kennedy, and install new overhead signage along both sides of the expressway.
The main closures will take place on the inbound side of the Kennedy between Tuesday, when a section of roadway between Western Avenue and Logan Boulevard, will be closed in 15-minute intervals, and will work its way up to Milwaukee Avenue, according to officials.
On the outbound side of the Kennedy, closures are expected Thursday approaching Fullerton and Sunday in the same section, with the Ontario Street ramp to the Dan Ryan also closed on that night, according to officials.
This year marks the second of a three-year rehabilitation project on the Kennedy Expressway. This year, the focus is on the reversible lanes of the expressway, with pavement patching, LED lighting upgrades, structural painting and replacement of sign structures and bridge structures.
It is expected that improvements on the reversible lanes will continue through the fall of 2024.
By the end of the project, 36 bridges will have been rehabilitated, and improvements will be made to the Reversible Lane Access Control System, as well as improvements to Hubbard’s Cave between Grand Avenue and Wayman Street.
Next year, the outbound side of the Kennedy will be rehabilitated to complete the project, according to IDOT.