Chicagoland commuters should expect more of a headache than usual when traveling on the Kennedy Expressway as a three-year construction project gets underway Monday night.
Work is scheduled to begin Monday at 10 p.m. on a 7.5-mile stretch of the highway and last through the summer. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2025.
For the first phase, two inbound left lanes will be closed through July, when the right inbound lanes will close for upgrades.
Major delays are expected for commuters heading into the city starting Tuesday morning, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. More than 275,000 vehicles travel on the road each day.
Transportation officials advise commuters to find other means of travel or adjust work hours. Metra has revised its schedule on the UP Northwest Line beginning April 3 to add 12 trains to its weekday service lineup.
Express lanes on the Kennedy Expressway will be designated for southbound traffic only to help ease the pressure of the project.
Bridges along the expressway will be demolished and replaced over the course of the project, taking around five weeks per bridge, according to IDOT.
Construction on the Kennedy Expressway will affect Chicago commutes for the next three summers.
Illinois Department of Transportation
Larger thoroughfares leading onto the expressway could be backed up as a result of the construction as well, but exits and on-ramps aren’t expected to be closed.
For the next two summers, construction is planned for the northbound and express lanes.
Tuesday is forecast to be cloudy with mild temperatures. Some winds are expected, with gusts up to 20 mph, according to the National Weather Service.