Adams Street bridge over Kennedy to close Monday for 2 years of construction

The Adams Street bridge is scheduled to close for construction Aug. 31, 2020. | Google Maps

The Adams Street bridge over the Kennedy Expressway will close for two years of construction starting Monday.

It’s the last of 11 bridges to be revamped in the Jane Byrne Interchange project, which started in 2013 and is expected to finish by the end of 2022.

The Adams Street bridge will close between Halsted and Des Plaines streets, weather permitting, 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 31., the Illinois Department of Transportation said in a statement.

The new bridge, expected to open in fall 2022, will have two westbound lanes and wider sidewalks on both sides, IDOT said. The entrance ramp will be relocated to eliminate the left-side entrance to the expressway.

Adams Street bridge detours

Meanwhile, a detour will direct traffic south on Des Plaines, west on Van Buren Street and north on Halsted Street to reconnect with Adams, IDOT said.

Pedestrians should use the Monroe Street bridge as an alternate route. Bicyclists will be detoured south on Halsted, east on Harrison Street and north on Clinton Street to reconnect with Adams Street, according to IDOT.

The Adams Street entrance ramp to the outbound Kennedy also will close, with a detour directing traffic north on Jefferson Street and west on Madison Street to enter the expressway via Madison Street, IDOT said.

The inbound Kennedy exit ramp to Adams Street will close as well, with drivers directed to exit at Monroe Street and access Adams Street via Halsted Street.