Construction on the Kennedy Expressway starts Monday night and will last for three years!!! Here's what you need to know:
Where will the construction take place and for how long?
In all, the work will take place in three stages that will continue over three "construction seasons," with an expected end date of fall 2025. Still, officials stressed that the schedule is "weather permitting" and could be subject to change.
When do lane closures begin?
The first lane closures will begin starting at 10 p.m. Monday.
"So Tuesday morning ... the motoring public is going to see these two left lanes closed on the inbound," said IDOT's Bureau Chief of Construction Jon Schumacher. "The reversals will be in the inbound configuration permanently 24/7 for the rest of the year." And starting about a week after that the full seven and a half miles will be staged. It's just that's the part of the Kennedy that when it was built, that's the section that was built in this the time that it was programmed to do it."
Which areas will be impacted most?
While this year's work will center on the inbound construction, leading to many delays, outbound commuters can also expect to see some additional traffic as express lanes will remain in the inbound direction for the rest of the year.
Public transportation will likely also see an increase in ridership, though some agencies are already increasing their presence in anticipation.
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