Chicago 'Avoid the Kingery' -- Full Expressway Closures Planned

Girder installations for major bridge connecting eastbound I-80/294 to the inbound Bishop Ford to take place during overnight hours

CHICAGO, June 13 -- The Illinois Department of Transportation is issuing a warning to "Avoid the Kingery," as lanes will be reduced, and in some cases, the south suburban expressway will be completely closed various nights this summer. These traffic slowdowns and stops are necessary as reconstruction work continues on the Kingery (also known as "I-80/94").

The warning applies only to overnight hours; daytime and rush hour traffic will not be affected.

As work progresses on the massive reconstruction project, crews are putting structural steel in place on bridges that are part of the new interchange between the Kingery, Bishop Ford Expressway (I-94), Tri-State Tollway (I-80/294) and Illinois Route 394. Many of the interruptions will last only 15 minutes, while on certain nights, all east-west lanes may be closed for up to eight hours. The closures affect traffic on the East-West routes (Tri-State Tollway and the Kingery) and the North-South routes (Bishop Ford Freeway and Route 394).

Interstate travelers should avoid the Kingery at night. Those needing to stay close to downtown Chicago can use the Chicago Skyway and Indiana Toll Road (I-90). Further south, I-57 to U.S. Route 30 to I-65 in Indiana provides a viable alternate.

For local travelers who must use the Kingery, detours will be posted.

The exact schedule of traffic interruptions depends on weather conditions and other uncontrollable factors. Local radio traffic reporters will have the latest information. Updated schedules and detours will be available at IDOT's toll-free project number (877-411-IDOT), and on the project website ( http://www.kingeryexpressway.com/ ) where the public may subscribe to an e-mail alert list to receive updates electronically.

The first closure longer than 15 minutes is not scheduled until June 25, 2005 during overnight hours, when both directions of I-80/294 at Illinois Route 394 will be closed for up to eight hours. IDOT is minimizing the impact by performing the work, closures and resulting detours during overnight hours. Even with the nighttime work, drivers -- especially truckers and interstate travelers -- need to plan their trips accordingly, IDOT said.

  June 18 - June 23
  -- From 11 pm Saturday, June 18 through 7 am Sunday, June 19
     -- Traffic will be down to one lane eastbound along the Tri-State
        Tollway (I-80/294) from the Lincoln Oasis to Illinois Route 394.
     -- The ramp from eastbound I-80/294 to southbound Illinois Route 394
        will be closed. The posted detour will direct traffic along
        eastbound I-80/94 to exit at northbound Calumet Ave. and immediately
        reenter westbound I-80/94 to the exit ramp for southbound Illinois
        Route 394.
  -- From 11 pm through 5 am each night beginning Monday, June 20, through
     Friday morning, June 24.
     -- Lane reduction on eastbound I-80/294, same as June 18.
  -- From 1 am through 5 am each night
     -- The ramp from eastbound I-80/294 to southbound Illinois Route 394
        will be closed. Same detour as June 18.

  June 25 - June 30
  -- From 11 pm Saturday, June 25 through 7 am Sunday, June 26 AND from 1 am
     through 5 am each night beginning Tuesday morning, June 28 through
     Friday morning, July 1.
     -- All lanes of the eastbound Tri-State Tollway (I-80/294) will be
        closed at Illinois Route 394. Travelers wishing to continue
        eastbound should follow the posted detour along southbound Route 394
        to the Glenwood-Dyer Road exit. Follow the detour signs to loop
        around and reenter Illinois Route 394 northbound. Take the exit ramp
        to eastbound I-80/94.
     -- All lanes of westbound I-80/294 also will be closed at Route 394. To
        continue westbound, follow the detour signs to the westbound Bishop
        Ford Freeway (I-94). Exit at 159th Street westbound, loop around and
        reenter I-94 eastbound. Follow the detour signs to westbound
        I-80/294.

  July 4th Holiday Period
  -- Lane, ramp and full expressway closures related to the installation of
     girders will be on hiatus during the holiday period.

As a reminder, the ramp from eastbound I-80/294 to the inbound Bishop Ford Expressway (westbound I-94) was permanently closed earlier this spring. The posted detour takes travelers eastbound along I-80/94 to Calumet Ave. in Indiana. They are to immediately reenter westbound I-80/94 and follow to the exit ramp for the Bishop Ford.

This bridge reconstruction is part of the $430 million Kingery Expressway reconstruction project. Work began in 2003 and will continue through 2006. The completed Kingery project will include additional traffic lanes and reconfigured interchanges at Torrence Ave. and at the Bishop Ford Expressway/Illinois Route 394 junction.

For more information, please visit http://www.kingeryexpressway.com/ or call 877-411-IDOT. For more information about the Tri-State Tollway reconstruction, please visit http://www.illinoistollway.com/ or call 800-TOLL-FYI.

NOTE TO EDITORS: In subsequent weeks through the conclusion of the girder installations, IDOT will keep you up-to-date on the schedule of the remaining spans, which may change due to inclement weather. Every attempt will be made to advise you of the following week's schedule as early as possible. You can expect to receive the latest schedule at least 72 hours in advance of any impact. For more information or to schedule interviews with IDOT engineers, please contact Louis Pukelis via e-mail at lpukelis@emorris.com or by calling 312-208-0560