Adams Street over Kennedy to close Aug. 31

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that the next major phase of the Jane Byrne Interchange project will begin with the upcoming closure of the Adams Street bridge over the Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90/94).

“The Adams Street bridge is the last of the 11 local street bridges at the interchange to be replaced,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “This major milestone and other recently completed improvements are delivering a safer experience for anyone traveling through the Jane Byrne Interchange. We ask for the public’s continued patience, to stay alert, slow down and give their undivided attention going through this and all other work zones.” 

To remove the existing bridge over the expressway, Adams Street between Halsted Street and Des Plaines streets will close, weather permitting, at 5 a.m. Aug. 31.

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

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

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

The new Adams Street bridge is expected to open in fall 2022. The structure will have two westbound lanes and wider sidewalks on both sides of the street, enhancing connections and improving safety for all transportation users in the surrounding neighborhoods. 

To accommodate the additional capacity, operational and safety improvements to the expressway and ramp system at the Jane Byrne, a total of 11 bridges carrying local traffic have needed to be replaced. Completed are Taylor Street, Morgan Street and Van Buren Street as well as two bridges each at Peoria Street, Halsted Street and Harrison Street. In addition to Adams Street, Jackson Boulevard is under construction.

Other significant impacts at the Jane Byrne this year include:

The inbound Eisenhower-to-outbound Kennedy ramp closed in June, with a detour utilizing the outbound Ryan and Taylor Street interchange. A new ramp with an additional lane opens this summer.

• Outbound Ida B. Wells Drive to the outbound Kennedy closed this winter and reopens by the end of this year. 
• Jackson Boulevard over the Kennedy closed this spring and will reopen in fall 2022.
• Other improvements will begin later in 2020 on the mainline lanes of the Kennedy and Dan Ryan through the interchange, which include the construction of new collector-distributor ramps that will relocate the left-hand entrance ramps at Jackson and Adams. Three lanes will remain open in both directions at all times, but traffic will be shifted.

Additional details, schedules and impacts to traffic will be shared in advance, closer to the individual project start dates.  

The overall reconstruction project at the Jane Byrne Interchange will improve safety and traffic flow for the more than 400,000 motorists who use it each day, while also enhancing mobility for bicyclists, pedestrians and transit users in the surrounding neighborhoods. For more information and to view a live camera feed of the work zone, visit www.circleinterchange.org.

Recently, IDOT unveiled a new 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 and to watch an overview of ongoing construction, visit www.janebyrneinterchange.org. 

The improved Jane Byrne Interchange will be complete in 2022.