Travel Midwest High Priority Announcements

The Indiana Department of Transportation will be closing 109th Ave from Delaware Pkwy to Mississippi St and all of the ramps at the I-65 and 109th Ave interchange beginning Tuesday, June 1.

These closures are to replace the two signalized intersections with roundabouts, known as a "dogbone" interchange, and widen 109th Ave to four lanes. Work will be ongoing through mid-November, 2021.

The official detour for 109th Ave will follow IN-53, US-231, Iowa St, 113th Ave and Mississippi St. Motorists are encouraged to use the US-231 interchange as an alternative for entering/exiting I-65.

Similar dogbone interchanges are located at IN-49 and Vale Park Rd/CR-E 400 N in Porter County and US-20 and IN-2 in LaPorte County.

In conjunction with this project, the City of Crown Point will be widening 109th Ave to the west so that it is four lanes from Broadway/IN-53 to the I-65 interchange. They will also be constructing a roundabout at the intersection of 109th Ave and Iowa St to the east of this interchange project. Questions about these two projects should be directed to the City of Crown Point.

 The Illinois Department of Transportation announced a 21-day complete closure of eastbound I-270 between I-55 and eastbound I-70, beginning on Monday, July 12, weather permitting. This section of roadway will be completely closed to traffic for 21 days starting at 5 am. The detour route for this closure is as follows:

•     From I-270 eastbound to southbound I-255 to eastbound I-55/70 to eastbound I-70
•     The eastbound I-270 ramp to northbound I-55 will remain open.
•     The eastbound I-270 ramp to southbound I-55/70 will remain open.

This stage of work is necessary to make pavement repairs and is expected to be completed by Aug. 6.
 
This stage of work is part of a larger project that will include many additional lane closures. The times and locations of future closures will be announced as the project continues. The entire project is expected to be completed by November.
 
Drivers may experience delays when traveling through the work zone. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone.

The Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) board today enthusiastically confirmed that the annual Mackinac Bridge Walk will go on as scheduled this Labor Day, Sept. 6.

Board members welcomed the end of pandemic restrictions that will allow the event, citing its importance to the Straits area economy and the eagerly anticipated return of a beloved Michigan tradition. The board heard an update from staff today about ongoing preparations for the walk during its regular meeting at Mackinac Island City Hall.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was among the first to celebrate the news.

"The Bridge Walk is back!" said Whitmer. "I am thrilled that the Mackinac Bridge Authority has enabled the Labor Day Bridge Walk, a cherished tradition, to move forward this year. After the year we have all had, I know how excited we are to get back to activities and attending events that we all love. Michigan is putting one foot in front of the other as we continue our economic jumpstart, and I am so glad that we can enjoy this great tradition to close out a Pure Michigan summer."

The news was welcomed locally as well by Kelly Vieau, administrator of the Greater Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce (GMCCC).

 "The GMCCC is excited for the return of the Annual Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk! For more than 60 years it has been a holiday tradition for many people, young and old," Vieau said. "The GMCCC business owners and residents are thankful it will continue on this year and hopefully for more years to come."

Based on the success of the 2018 and 2019 events, the MBA will again start the 2021 Annual Bridge Walk from both St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, which eliminates the need for busing and offers additional options for participants. The bridge walk was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A video, posted on the MBA website at www.MackinacBridge.org/Walk, explains the bridge walk schedule and the choices people will have whether they start from the north or south ends of the bridge.

Walkers essentially have three main options, outlined in the video:

• Starting from either end of the bridge and walking toward the center, turning around at the midpoint and returning to the city they started from, where their transportation is located. The turnaround points will move toward the ends of the bridge beginning at 10 a.m., but walkers can walk at least a portion of the bridge if they start by 11:30 a.m. Walkers must be on the side of the bridge they wish to return to before 10 a.m.
• Walking the entire length of the bridge starting from either end. Those who choose this option must reach the midpoint before 10 a.m. or they will be turned back. Anyone who walks the entire bridge must arrange their own transportation back to the side they started once the bridge reopens to public traffic at noon.
• Crossing the bridge, starting from either end, and then turning around and walking back to the side they started from. In this option, walkers will need to cross the midpoint on their return trip by 10 a.m. or they will be turned back and need to find their own transportation back across the bridge after it reopens at noon.

The bridge will again be closed to public traffic during the 2021 walk, from 6:30 a.m. to noon on Labor Day, Sept. 6, based on recommendations from the Michigan State Police and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Emergency vehicles will still be permitted to cross the bridge, but no public vehicles will be allowed until the walk concludes and participants are off the bridge.

The bridge walk has been an annual event since 1958, with the exception of 2020. The 2021 walk will be the 63rd event. Between 25,000 and 30,000 people have participated in recent years.

6/1/21 REMINDER:

Overnight work tonight. By 5 a.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, June 2 the stage change will be in place.

In the new configuration, the three inbound through lanes approaching Jackson Boulevard will split. The left two inbound lanes will continue in their current configuration, while the third inbound lane will shift over to new pavement and will merge back into traffic near Polk Street, just south of Harrison Street.

5/27/21 UPDATE:
Due to expected rain, overnight work tonight has been rescheduled for Tuesday, June 1.
By 5 a.m. Wednesday, June 2, the stage change will be in place.

Lanes split just before Jackson Boulevard, exits remain the same

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced is reminding the public that as part of the ongoing Jane Byrne Interchange reconstruction, lane changes and shifts on the inbound Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90/94), just before Jackson Boulevard, will begin, weather permitting, Friday, May 28.

Overnight lane closures will be required to facilitate the stage change. On both Wednesday, May 26 and Thursday, May 27, inbound Kennedy closures will start at 10 p.m., with occasional full stops for no longer than 15 minutes at a time beginning at 1 a.m. All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. each morning.  

By 5 a.m. Friday, the stage change will be in place. In the new configuration, there will continue to be five inbound lanes and exits remain the same. The right lane stays as an exit lane to Monroe Street. The exit to Ida B. Wells Drive/outbound Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290) and Taylor Street remains the same. The three inbound through lanes approaching Jackson Boulevard will split. The left two inbound lanes will continue in their current configuration, while the third inbound lane will shift over to new pavement and will merge back into traffic near Polk Street, just south of Harrison Street.

The new configuration will allow southbound center lanes to be built between Jackson Boulevard and Polk Street as part of construction on the mainline lanes of the Kennedy and Dan Ryan and will remain in place through mid-August. 

Motorists should expect significant delays and allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.

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 neighborhood.

For more information, visit www.janebyrneinterchange.org. The mobile-friendly website features a detailed project timeline with an interactive map, photo galleries, a live camera feed of the work zone, and the ability to submit questions and comments to the project team via a “Contact Us” link.

The improved Jane Byrne Interchange will be complete in 2022.