Yearlong closures looming for Jane Byrne Flyover construction

(CHICAGO) Extensive closures and reroutes to the Jane Byrne Interchange are scheduled to go into effect on March 7 for construction projects that are slated to last more than a year.

The Jane Byrne Flyover project will bridge the inbound Interstate 90/94 Dan Ryan Expressway to the outbound I-290 Eisenhower Expressway, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

With work scheduled until the summer months of 2016, closures will include:

–the ramp from the inbound Dan Ryan to the inbound Congress Parkway, with detours posted from the Roosevelt exit;

–the right lane of the inbound Dan Ryan from the I-55 Stevenson Expressway ramp to Roosevelt;

–the ramp from Roosevelt to Congress Parkway, with detours posted on Roosevelt; and

–the ramp from Taylor Street to the inbound Dan Ryan, with detours posted on Jefferson Street and the Adams Street entrance ramp;

Additionally, both Stevenson ramps to the Dan Ryan will be reduced to one lane, and the ramp from the inbound Dan Ryan to the outbound Eisenhower will be shifted to a temporary roadway, officials said.

This summer and fall, some parts of the downtown expressway system will be temporarily shut down completely as crews place support beams, IDOT officials said.

Drivers are advised to add some extra time for their commutes until work is complete. But as part of a four-year, $475 million overhaul, the flyover is expected to help reduce congestion by 50 percent at one of the nation’s worst bottlenecks, which carries about 400,000 motorists every day, according to IDOT.