Easy Eisenhower commute is just so wrong

Hell hath no fury like a columnist deprived of a good rant.

I jumped on the Eisenhower during the Friday morning rush expecting nothing but trouble. A good two hours of mind-numbing, brake-draining gridlock was the plan. What did I find instead? All was well. I made it downtown in less than 30 minutes. Who needs that?

This outrage came days after a lengthy article predicting the nightmare awaiting suburbanites Thursday when the Illinois Department of Transportation started its resurfacing of I-290 between Itasca and the Loop. It will be one lane closed in each direction, or in other words traffic Armageddon.

I had expected somewhat lighter traffic because it was Good Friday. But as any experienced Eisenhower driver knows, even on low-volume days, the slightest fender-bender can start a chain reaction that means 2 mph from Hillside to Oak Park.

Don't worry, IDOT spokeswoman Marisa Kollias assured me. Things will get much worse. The state's contractor started lane closures Thursday at the west end of the I-290 extension. All lane closures are expected to be in place by late April.

IDOT is also going to rebuild the Congress Parkway bridge, replacing the open grid deck with a closed surface. Two lanes inbound will remain open and one land outbound. Heading west back into the suburbs on Congress is where I found the worst traffic of the day and I can only imagine what it's like at 5 p.m. Suggested alternatives include going south on Michigan Avenue to Roosevelt Road, then west to Sacramento Boulevard and north to I-290 or west on Adams Street, continuing south on Ogden Avenue, then west on Van Buren Street to I-290.

Flotsam and jetsambull; Will Metra add any new trains to accommodate I-290 refugees? The commuter rail agency already uses every train car at its disposal during rush hour, a spokesman said. But officials added they'll monitor numbers during construction and act accordingly. Ridership is down between 4 and 6 percent because of the economy, so there are some extra seats.bull; New federal guidelines for reducing greenhouse gases come with pros and cons in terms of costs and benefits. Passenger cars will be required to meet 37.8 miles per gallon by 2016 compared to the average of 27.5 mpg in 2009. The stricter standards mean vehicles could cost $926 more by 2016 but it's predicted gas savings will be $3,000 over the life of the car. What does this mean for Illinois? It's $1.1 billion of savings a year in fuel, and a reduction of 3.9 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, or the equivalent of 750,000 cars, Environmental Law and Policy Center Executive Director Howard Learner said.Incomingbull; Pace is starting its Express Bus service to Cubs and White Sox games with each team's home opener. One-way fares are $4 a person. Cubs fans can catch buses to Wrigley Field from the Northwest Transportation Center in Schaumburg and Yorktown Center in Lombard. Express buses leave for U.S. Cellular Field from locations in Bolingbrook and Burr Ridge. Service limitations are in effect April and May. For schedule information, check out pacebus.com or call (847) 228-2416. bull; The Active Transportation Alliance holds a Go Green Go Dutch Go Bike! event May 8 to celebrate spring with the Dutch Consulate General. Participants can bike along the Lakefront Trail and participate in a raffle to win a bicycle. The event starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Waveland Clock Tower in Chicago. For info, check out activetrans.org/dutchbikeride.