The Illinois Department of Transportation has begun full closures of Interstate 80/94 in Chicago, also known as the Kingery Expressway, as reconstruction work continues.
The work began June 18, but closures lasting longer than 15 minutes will begin Saturday, June 25 and could last up to eight hours.
The reconstruction crew will work only during overnight hours to minimize the delays. Daytime and rush hour traffic will not be affected.
IDOT suggests, however, that truckers avoid the Kingery at night. For those who need to stay close to downtown Chicago, IDOT recommends the Chicago Skyway and the Indiana Toll Road (Interstate 90). Another option is Interstate 57 to U.S. 30 to Interstate 65 in Indiana.
Detours will be posted for local travelers.
More than 32,000 heavy trucks travel the affected interstates on an average day, the IDOT says.
The reconstruction crews are putting structural steel in place on bridges that will be part of the new interchange of the Kingery, the Bishop Ford Expressway (I-94), the Tri-State Tollway (I-80/294) and Illinois Route 394.
When work is done in 2006, the Kingery will have additional traffic lanes and interchanges at Torrence Avenue and at the Bishop Ford Expressway/Route 394 junction.
For detailed scheduling of lane reductions and full road closures, visit www.dot.state.il.us.
