As Thanksgiving rolls around, folks heading out of Chicago might find a smidgen of traffic relief. The Illinois Department of Transportation has cracked the door open on travel convenience, announcing a pause on non-emergency construction closures, where possible, from the stroke of 3 p.m. Wednesday through the stroke of midnight the following Monday.
Drivers, rev your engines, but keep an eye out for the detour signs that will be standing in place during the holiday hustle. Some areas in the City of Chicago and surrounds will keep the brakes on with closures. Among them, the outbound Bishop Ford Freeway (eastbound Interstate 94) to eastbound 130th Street ramp is shut tight, with a detour to guide your way, according to an official note.
Here's the skinny on other areas to beat around: Southbound Du Sable Lake Shore Drive is thumbing down two lanes, and the inbound Kennedy Expressway between Lawrence Avenue and Ohio Street isn't playing ball either, with lane and ramp closures hanging on. The Illinois Department of Transportation gives the skinny on closures and urges motorists to allow extra time for travel through these spots.
Making headway in your holiday commute could be heavier than the turkey on your table if you're caught snoozing on the need-to-know. "Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through these areas," IDOT advises. With blinkers on and seat belts buckled, the march through construction zones should be less of a turkey trot, as long as you're sober and smartphone-free. Cook County ain't off the hook, continuing its tango with lane reductions and closures from Oakton Street to National Parkway.
To veer around the obstacle course of cones and crews, you've got your work cut out in plotting alternate routes. The good news is that this traffic tangle is all in the name of progress. We're talking about a $41 billion pot at the end of the infrastructure rainbow here, folks. Governor Pritzker's Rebuild Illinois capital program intends to lift the state's transportation network by its bootstraps. Keep that in mind as you're rerouted yet again according to IDOT.
