Chicago commuters brace for years of detours as bridge work begins
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Chicago commuters: Do you want the good news or the bad news?
First, the good news! The Kennedy Expressway construction is on schedule to be done by late fall, and the Illinois Department of Transportation says outbound lanes could reopen as soon as this weekend.
- And after three years, the Harrison Street Bridge and viaduct project is complete and the bridge is reopening Friday.
Now, the bad news: Three major, concurrent yearslong bridge repair projects are beginning, which could snarl east/west traffic downtown and on the near North Side.
Zoom in: The biggest project will be the replacement of the 109-year-old Lake Street Bridge over the Chicago River. The nearly three-year project will force commuters south to Randolph Street or north to Orleans Street. It officially closes Monday.
- The Chicago Avenue bridge project is part of the infrastructure improvements surrounding the new Bally's casino in West Town. The reconstruction of the bridge is expected to last through the end of 2026. It's currently closed, and traffic is being rerouted along side streets like Kingsbury.
- The Cortland Street bridge replacement project will cut off a main artery that connects Bucktown and Lincoln Park, near the old Finkl Steel Plant and the once-proposed Lincoln Yards megadevelopment. This project is expected to last two years to replace the oldest bascule bridge in Chicago. The bridge is closed to motorists, with traffic being rerouted to Ashland Avenue or Clybourn Street, yet will stay open for pedestrians until winter.
Reality check: Construction projects are necessary to replace aging infrastructure, no matter the inconvenience.
Yes, but: Do they all have to happen at the same time?
The intrigue: While these projects are projected to take years to complete, they could take longer, based on recent history.
- The Harrison Street Bridge and viaduct reconstruction project faced major delays. It closed in 2022 with an expected completion date in 2023, but it's just reopening now.
Friction point: These new projects start as the nearly three-year Kennedy Expressway construction project wraps up. That project not only caused major delays but also added traffic chaos and congestion to the surrounding neighborhoods. Residents were alarmed by shifting traffic patterns and dangerous detours.
- The Kennedy Expressway construction and, before that, the 10-year Jane Byrne Interchange project, were both led by the Illinois Department of Transportation, but the Chicago Department of Transportation will run the bridge projects.
- They're two different departments with two different jurisdictions and timetables.
The bottom line: Good luck, commuters.