THREE RAMPS AT BYRNE INTERCHANGE OPEN THIS WEEKEND AS CAPACITY, TRAFFIC FLOW IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE

CHICAGO - The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that three reconstructed ramps will open at the Jane Byrne Interchange on Saturday, Sept.  7, weather permitting. The completion of the ramps marks a significant milestone that will improve traffic flow and help reduce delays, signaling a major stage change in advance of the next big phase of the project in 2020.

"Today's progress on the Jane Byrne Interchange marks an important achievement for this complex project," said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. "Opening these ramps to full capacity will greatly improve safety, enhance connectivity to local neighborhoods and enable better traffic flow through the interchange. While construction remains ongoing, Gov. Pritzker has made it clear completing this project without further delay is a priority and the department looks forward to unveiling a fully reconstructed Jane Byrne Interchange as quickly as possible."

By 8 a.m. Saturday, weather permitting, the ramp from the inbound Dan Ryan Expressway (Interstate 90/94) to inbound Ida B. Wells Drive will open, as well as the second lane of the inbound Dan Ryan "flyover" ramp to the outbound Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290), which will allow for the reopening of Morgan Street exit ramp. 

Overnight closures will be required to facilitate the stage change:

• The flyover ramp will close to all traffic Saturday between midnight and 8 a.m., weather permitting, to install permanent striping and make other modifications necessary to open the second lane and the exit ramps to inbound Ida B. Wells Drive and Morgan Street.  A detour will direct motorists to the Augusta Boulevard interchange to access the outbound Eisenhower via the inbound Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94).

• Additionally, outbound Ida B. Wells Drive will close, weather permitting, from 11 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9, to 5 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, for striping that will allow an additional lane to open between Halsted and Racine streets on the outbound Eisenhower. The inbound Kennedy-to-outbound Eisenhower ramp also will be closed during the same period.

Detours will be posted. Outbound Ida B. Wells Drive will be directed to Wells Street, Harrison Street, Desplaines Avenue and Roosevelt Road to access the outbound Eisenhower via the inbound Ryan. Inbound Kennedy drivers will access the outbound Eisenhower via the 18th Street interchange and the inbound Ryan.

Motorists should expect significant overnight delays and allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.

Next spring, the project will shift into a new phase, when additional closures will be put into effect to reconstruct the ramps connecting the Kennedy, Dan Ryan and Eisenhower expressways as well as Ida B. Wells Drive.

Mainline improvements to the Kennedy and Ryan expressways - which include removing many of the densely-spaced ramps between Van Buren and Lake Streets with safer, more efficient ramps and collector-distributor roads - will begin next spring as well and continue into 2021.

"We have made huge strides with this year with the Byrne, currently the biggest project in the state for IDOT and one that impacts the entire region," Osman said. "But it is still a work zone, with safety as our No. 1 priority. Please refrain from distractions, drive the appropriate speeds and respect workers and other drivers."

The overall project is expected to conclude in 2022.

The Jane Byrne Interchange reconstruction will improve safety and traffic flow for the more than 400,000 motorists who use it daily, while enhancing mobility for bicycles, pedestrians and transit.

In recent weeks, IDOT unveiled a new-and-improved, 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, visit www.janebyrneinterchange.org.