March 10--Highway ramp closings, lane shifts and detours affecting tens of thousands of drivers in the downtown area through summer 2016 are scheduled to begin Tuesday night as part of the Byrne Interchange reconstruction project, state transportation officials reminded motorists Monday.
The almost three days worth of setup, slated to start about 10 p.m. Tuesday, should be completed by 5 a.m. Friday in preparation for the beginning of construction on a new elevated bridge connecting the inbound Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) to the outbound Eisenhower Expressway (I-290), according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The two-lane flyover bridge will replace a single-lane ramp that carries about 36,000 vehicles each weekday, IDOT said.
Traffic engineers said the new structure will increase capacity and improve safety for the roughly 400,000 motorists daily who pass through the interchange, formerly called the Circle Interchange, where the Dan Ryan, Eisenhower, Kennedy Expressway and Congress Parkway converge.
Starting Tuesday night, the ramp from Roosevelt Road to I-290/Congress Parkway will be closed, IDOT said. Detour signs will direct drivers to continue east on Roosevelt to connect with Congress Parkway via Jefferson, Harrison and Wells streets. Westbound traffic will be able to connect with the outbound Eisenhower by going west on Roosevelt Road and using Ashland Avenue and Van Buren Street, officials said.
The ramp from Taylor Street to the inbound Dan Ryan will also be closed Tuesday night. The posted detour will direct drivers to take Taylor to Jefferson Street and re-enter the expressway at the Adams Street entrance ramp.
Before the start of Friday morning's rush period, IDOT said the following closings will be in place:
--The ramp from the inbound Dan Ryan to inbound Congress Parkway will be closed and a detour will be posted.
--The inbound and outbound Stevenson Expressway (I-55) ramps to the Dan Ryan will be reduced from to one lane from two lanes.
--The right lane of the inbound Dan Ryan from the Stevenson to Roosevelt will be closed.
--The ramp from the inbound Dan Ryan to the outbound Eisenhower will be shifted to a temporary roadway with lane reductions.
The Byrne Interchange has not been reconstructed since the structure was built in the 1950s and 1960s. IDOT is spending $475 million to upgrade it to current design and safety standards, officials said.
Meanwhile, in the central business district, roadway closings are scheduled to start next Monday on sections of Madison and Clinton streets to accommodate roadway changes and bus station construction in connection with CTA bus rapid transit service that is slated to begin by year's end, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation. The initial work on Madison will start between State Street and Wabash and progress westbound. On Clinton, the work will start at Randolph Street and progress southbound, CDOT said.
The central Loop bus rapid transit project, called Loop Link, is intended to shorten travel times for thousands of passengers who ride CTA buses on routes that serve the downtown corridor, Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center, officials said.
And on the CTA Loop "L" structure, CDOT is set to start demolition of the Madison/Wabashstation next Monday. Wabash is already closed to vehicle traffic between Washington and Madison. All businesses and sidewalks on Wabash will remain accessible during the 18-month project, officials said. The estimated $75 million project also will eliminate the Randolph/Wabash station and replace the two outdated stations with a larger station atWashington/Wabash.
jhilkevitch@tribpub.com
