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The Minnesota Department of Transportation will close the ramp from westbound I-94 to southbound I-35W in Minneapolis for 10 days beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12. The ramp is scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 22.

Motorists will be detoured to continue on westbound I-94, to westbound I-394, to southbound MN-100 and then to eastbound MN-62. For drivers coming from the East Metro on I-94 and traveling to the south, MnDOT recommends using alternative routes including I-494, Highway 52 and I-35E.

Crews need the ramp closure to do utility work and repave the ramp.

Westbound I-94 is expected to return to three lanes between Chicago Avenue and Nicollet Avenue on Wednesday, Oct 17. This stretch of freeway have been reduced to two lanes since mid-June 2018.

These activities are part of the larger, four-year 35W@94: Downtown to Crosstown reconstruction project on I-35W between 43rd Street and downtown Minneapolis. The work includes reconstructing pavement, bridges and ramps on I-35W, adding new access ramps to the Lake Street Business District, building a transit station on the interstate and constructing new managed lanes. Once complete, motorists and residents will have better accessibility, safety and mobility in the area.  Work is expected to be completed in fall 2021. To learn more about the project, visit: www.mndot.gov/35w94

Please plan ahead, know your route and check 511 and the project web site for updates: www.511mn.org.  

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that the reconstruction of the I-55-Weber Road interchange and other capacity improvements begin on Thursday, Oct. 4. The project in Romeoville and Bolingbrook will improve travel times and cut down on crashes in a high-growth area.

Starting Thursday, weather permitting, Weber Road approaching I-55 will be reduced to one lane in each direction during off-peak hours to prepare the work zone with temporary pavement, traffic signals and lighting. The temporary measures are necessary so Weber Road can remain two lanes in each direction until the project wraps up in late 2021.

The closures will take place this fall and next spring, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., with some overnight closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Motorists can expect delays and should 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 larger improvements, scheduled to begin in late spring, consist of adding a third lane to each direction of Weber Road between 135th Street/Romeo Road and 119th Street/Rodeo Road, with modernized traffic signals and a barrier median.

The Weber Road interchange with I-55 will be rebuilt in a diverging diamond design, the second by IDOT in the Chicago area. By essentially routing traffic to the opposite side of the road and eliminating left turns across traffic, the design has helped to cut the number of crashes in half in some locations. To accommodate the new design, a second Weber Road bridge will be built over I-55.

A simulation of how the interchange will work can be viewed on IDOT’s YouTube channel or by clicking here.  

Extended lane closures on Lawrence Avenue planned for bridge replacement work

Lane closures are scheduled to begin this week on Lawrence Avenue in Schiller Park for bridge work as part of reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).Construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers to the closures.

Weather permitting, beginning on Friday, September 28, Lawrence Avenue will be reduced to a single lane in both directions under I-294. Lane closures are expected to continue on an as-needed basis through November. Delays are expected.

The closures are needed to create a safe work zone for workers and drivers removal and replacement of the I-294 bridge over Lawrence Avenue is underway. Because the work is happening on I-294, drivers on Lawrence Avenue may not always see that workers are present. When there is no active work on I-294, all lanes on Lawrence Avenue will be reopened until the closures are needed again. 

In 2018, the Illinois Tollway is beginning work to repair, resurface and widen I-294 to five lanes between Balmoral Avenue and Wolf Road in Franklin Park, as well as reconstructing barrier walls, medians and shoulders in this area as part of the Central Tri-State Tollway Project.

Construction in this area is being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, Village of Schiller Park, Village of Rosemont and Village of Franklin Park, as well as local fire and police departments.

The Central Tri-State Tollway is being reconstructed to provide congestion relief, update old infrastructure to meet current and future transportation demand and address regional needs. This work is part of the Tollway’s 15-year program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. More than 220,000 vehicles use the Central Tri-State Tollway daily.

A detailed planning and refinement process is underway to complete design and construction plans for reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294), including reconfiguring the I-290/I-88 Interchange at I-294, rebuilding the Mile Long Bridge and the BNSF Railway Bridge as well as integrating Flex Lanes and SmartRoad technology. The Central Tri-State Concept includes findings and draft recommendations being considered and evaluated by the Tollway as it moves forward in the reconstruction of the Central Tri-State.

Maps, construction and detour information about the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project is available on the Tollway’s website at illinoistollway.com via the Interactive Tollway Map and under “Projects Overview” in the Explore Projects section.

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that bridge work on northbound I-94 (Bishop Ford Freeway) at Stony Island Avenue, in Chicago, will require shoulder and lane closures beginning, weather permitting, on Monday, Aug. 20.

The project consists of repairs to the structure and pavement.

Until Sept. 24, the shoulder on the northbound Bishop Ford over Stony Island Avenue will be closed.  From Sept. 24 until completion of the project later this fall, the northbound Bishop Ford will be reduced to one lane with a width restriction of 10 feet 10 inches. There also will be occasional shoulder closures on southbound Stony Island Avenue underneath the bridge.

The work is expected to be complete by late fall 2018.

Motorists can expect delays and should 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 Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced a lane and ramp closure will take place on the inbound Eisenhower Expressway (eastbound I-290), in Chicago, as part of the ongoing Jane Byrne Interchange reconstruction project, beginning, weather permitting, Monday, March 26.

Beginning Monday, one lane on the inbound Eisenhower will be closed between Ogden Avenue and Halsted Street, reducing the expressway from four to three lanes.

The ramp from the inbound Eisenhower Expressway to Racine Avenue also will be closed. The posted detour will direct traffic to take the Paulina Street exit ramp to eastbound Congress Parkway and continue to Racine Avenue.

Expected to reopen in Winter 2019, the lane and ramp closures will allow for improvements on the inbound Eisenhower, including new pavement, retaining walls and drainage. The work is part of the overall Jane Byrne Interchange project.

Motorists can expect delays and should 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 neighborhoods. For more information and to view a live camera feed of the work zone, visit www.circleinterchange.org.

Nightly full closures begin August 5

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Southeast Region office announces northbound and southbound I-43 nightly, full closures and daily single lane closures as part of the I-43 Rehabilitation Project to begin on August 5 in Ozaukee County. Project is scheduled for an early October completion.

Traffic impacts

• Overnight hours: I-43 between WI-32 and north Ozaukee County line will have various full freeway closures in one direction at a time.
  • Detour will be posted.
• Daytime hours: I-43 between WI-32 and north Ozaukee County line will have various interim single lane closures in both directions. Expect delays.
• Changeable message signs will be used to advise the public of changing conditions.
• Traffic impacts will be incorporated into the Wisconsin Lane Closure System on the 511 Wisconsin website at www.511wi.gov.

The I-43 Rehabilitation Project is a project to improve 34 miles of I-43 mainline and interchange ramps from the WI-32/County V to the north Ozaukee County line. The project will be utilizing a diamond grinding operation to remove a thin layer of the concrete pavement to improve ride quality. In addition, the project will repair shoulder edge drops and damaged beam guard, install a high-friction surface treatment at two curves and replace signing and pavement markings.

Construction details for this project will be provided on the Southeast Region Project website at https://projects.511wi.gov/i43diamond/.  Construction updates will begin the first week of construction.

Motorists should slow down, be patient and pay attention to their surroundings in this and all work zones.

The Illinois Department of Transportation announces that an estimated two-year closure will take place on the ramp that carries traffic from the inbound Kennedy Expressway (southbound I-90/94) to eastbound Congress Parkway beginning Tuesday, Jan. 15, weather permitting.

The closure is necessary to complete road and bridge construction, part of the ongoing Jane Byrne Interchange reconstruction project.
 
Beginning Jan. 9, the ramp from the inbound Kennedy to inbound Congress Parkway will be fully closed for approximately two years. A posted detour will direct southbound I-90/94 traffic to continue south and exit at Roosevelt Road. Motorists should go east on Roosevelt Road, north on Jefferson Street, east on Harrison Street and north on Wells Street to access eastbound Congress Parkway.
 
The ramp closure will allow for construction of a new ramp from the inbound Kennedy to inbound Congress, as well construction on the eastbound Congress Parkway bridge over the Kennedy and Dan Ryan expressways and the replacement of the Van Buren Street bridge.
 
Motorists can expect delays and should 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.

Click here to find details on other construction projects in IDOT's District 1. Updates on the impacts to traffic are available at www.travelmidwest.com.

For IDOT District 1 updates on Twitter, follow us at http://twitter.com/IDOTDistrict1.