Traffic on the Edens is about to get even worse
If you're stuck in traffic on the Edens Expressway this week, consider it a relative irritation.
Congestion on the 14-mile stretch of I-94 is going to get much worse starting Friday.
Illinois Department of Transportation officials warned motorists Monday that resurfacing of the Edens and repairs to six bridges will double commuting times this spring and summer.
"This will be a major inconvenience for regular users," IDOT Chief of Staff Clayton Harris III said during a news conference.
But the road built in the 1970s is "at a stage where we have to fix it."
The $42.8 million project will mean one lane in each direction will be closed for a few months starting Friday, weather permitting.
"It's safer to put a single configuration in place instead of a series of closures," Harris said.
Drivers will be shifted to the right and shoulder lanes initially, then be switched to the left and center lanes most likely in mid-June.
Starting at the end of July, three lanes will open on the Edens in both directions north of Old Orchard Road except at nighttime. Overnight only one lane will be available.
At the end of August, three lanes will open south of Old Orchard, with the overnight restrictions in place.
Work should wrap up at the end of September.
The improvements are necessary because of the age of the Edens, which accommodates about 160,000 drivers a day, and the pothole damage caused by severe weather this winter. Construction will stretch from Lawrence Avenue to Lake-Cook Road.
"Public safety and common sense dictate we take action now," Harris said, citing a major hole that disrupted traffic Feb. 8 on one of the bridges over the Edens.
IDOT staff urged commuters to consider alternates such as Metra, Pace or the Chicago Transit Authority.
Illinois State Police cautioned motorists that officers will be patrolling the expressway to ensure drivers adhere to 45 mph speed zones.
Police wrote 50,000 tickets during the two years of construction on the Dan Ryan Expressway, Cmdr. Peter Negro noted.
A first violation is $375 and a second is $1,000. Striking a construction worker can lead to a fine of $10,000 and 14 years in prison.
"Slow down, buckle up, be safe and we'll make it through the spring and summer," Harris said.
Bridges undergoing repairs are at the Skokie River, the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, Golf Road, Forest Glen Avenue, the Chicago River's north branch and Cicero Avenue.
All potholes will be repaired with concrete. The majority of the Edens will be resurfaced with asphalt that's expected to last from 10 to 15 years.
On the Edens bridges, workers will lay concrete to ensure more stability, IDOT engineers said.