Starting Friday night, Joliet drivers are in for the long haul as nearly every ramp at the I-80 and Chicago Street interchange closes and stays that way through 2028. The shutdown marks a new, heavy-duty phase of the $1.3 billion I-80 Will project, which will rebuild roughly 16 miles of interstate and repair or replace more than 30 bridges across Will County. In the meantime, commuters can expect fresh detours, temporary signals and lane shifts that push traffic onto Larkin Avenue and other local routes for years.
How the detours will work
Beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, westbound I-80 drivers will no longer be able to jump straight to Chicago Street. Instead, they will be routed to the Larkin Avenue (Illinois 7) exit and entrance ramps to reach Chicago Street, according to I-80 Will. Eastbound I-80 motorists will be detoured off the interstate to southbound Chicago Street, then sent left at a temporary signal to loop back onto northbound Chicago Street.
Northbound Chicago Street drivers who usually hop directly onto westbound I-80 will not lose access entirely; the project advisory notes they will use a temporary connector ramp to get back on the interstate. As reported by CBS Chicago, detour maps and graphics are available to help motorists sort out the new maze of ramps before they hit the road.
Why IDOT is doing the work
The ramp closures are one piece of a major corridor rebuild that will overhaul about 16 miles of I-80 from Ridge Road in Minooka to U.S. Route 30 in Joliet and New Lenox, while rehabilitating or replacing more than 30 bridges along the way. In a news release, the Illinois Department of Transportation said the full program carries an estimated $1.3 billion price tag and is expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2028, with landscaping and demolition work continuing into 2029.
Industry coverage has highlighted the Chicago Street interchange as one of the most complicated parts of the project, as crews shift bridges and traffic onto brand-new alignments. Local reporting has tracked each wave of lane shifts and ramp changes closely, reflecting just how disruptive this one interchange is for Joliet drivers.
Expect delays on local streets
That stretch of I-80 already handles heavy traffic, roughly 80,000 vehicles a day, with about 25% of that volume made up of freight. Traffic experts warn that forcing interstate trips onto surface streets will mean more congestion and more wear on local roads. ABC7 Chicago has urged drivers to build in extra travel time and stick to the posted detours, while The Herald-News has detailed the specific ramps and detours commuters will see on the ground.
Local officials say new signage and temporary signals will be in place to guide drivers, but they are also warning travelers to plan on slower trips through downtown Joliet for the life of the project.
Work-zone safety remains a serious concern
The corridor has already seen a deadly crash during construction. On April 7, a single vehicle struck a concrete barrier in an active work zone near Chicago Street, resulting in one death. reported the fatality and noted that shifting lane patterns and concrete barriers can raise the risk when drivers do not slow down.
In response, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the project team have repeated their standard work-zone safety reminders: slow down, obey the posted speed limits and follow flaggers and signs closely, especially as this high-impact phase ramps up.
Where to find maps, detours and updates
The project team maintains detour maps, live traffic alerts and a hotline for questions. The I-80 Will traffic page lists an I-80 hotline at 1-844-I80-4ALL for project inquiries. For the latest detour maps and short-term closures, see I-80 Will traffic alerts and the project's news feed.
These ramp changes are set to reshape commutes across southwest Joliet for years, and IDOT says additional closures will be announced as work moves along. For a visual guide to tonight's detours, check out the explainer from CBS Chicago and local coverage in The Herald-News.
