All Ramps On Jane Byrne Interchange Set To Open Next Week

CHICAGO — There are two seasons in Chicago: Winter and construction.

Next week, winter will officially take hold downtown, where road crews are set to wrap up a season of interchange reconstruction at the complicated crossroads where the Dan Ryan, Eisenhower and Kennedy expressways converge on the edge of downtown.

That's good news for drivers. By Tuesday, weather permitting, the final four out of 10 rebuilt exit ramps are set to be open to traffic marking a major milestone in the years long reconfiguration of one of a long troubled crossroads locals called the "Spaghetti Bowl."

"These ramps opening represent yet another significant step forward for this extensive project, one of the most complex in the country," acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said. "As progress continues and the finish line for this project gets closer, we ask for the public’s continued patience. Please, stay alert, slow down and give your undivided attention going through this and all other work zones."

By 5 a.m. Tuesday, IDOT officials say four interchanges are set to be accessible to drivers, including:

• The inbound Kennedy Expressway ramp to Taylor Street, where an exit ramp was relocated to just north of Adams Street and reconfigured to reduce conflict from inbound lanes.
• The inbound Kennedy ramp to into downtown on Ida B. Wells Drive.
• The outbound Ida B. Wells Drive ramp to outbound Dan Ryan Expressway, which reconfigured and access moved to the right lane.
• The Canal Street entrance ramp to outbound Ida B. Wells Drive.

Drivers should be on the look out for lane closures Monday into Tuesday morning as workers install overhead signs and lane markers on the inbound Kennedy between Ohio and Van Buren streets, and the ramp linking inbound Kennedy lanes to the outbound Eisenhower Expressway.

With ramp work complete, the next phase of the massive construction project is set to focus on rebuilding lanes connecting the Dan Ryan and Kennedy expressways. The project is expected to be completed in 2022, IDOT officials said.

More information is available online.