Believe it or not, Dan Ryan construction is finished

Construction on the Dan Ryan Expressway, which jammed several Chicago area freeways and frustrated commuters for two years, was finally completed Thursday night.

The $1 billion project leaves the Ryan, I-94, with an extra lane and wider ramps to connecting freeways. The expansive expressway on Chicago's South Side also was completely reconstructed, meaning it shouldn't need another overhaul for decades.

Crews started wrapping up construction in phases since Oct. 15. On Thursday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and other lawmakers held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official end of construction.

Drivers using the Kennedy Expressway should notice some related congestion relief, said state transportation spokesman Mike Claffey.

"That was causing huge problems on the Kennedy," he said. "It was a nightmare all summer long."

Meanwhile drivers on the Edens Expressway will continue experiencing delays from construction there until Nov. 4. That resurfacing project will pick back up again in April.