Kennedy Expressway construction is back next week. Here’s what you need to know

Enjoy those Kennedy Expressway reversible lanes while you can.

A major Kennedy redo resumes next week with Illinois Department of Transportation crews focusing on the reversible lanes this year.

Workers started the three-year, $150 million project in 2023, rehabbing bridges on the inbound Kennedy between the Edens Expressway and Ohio Street.

“While we understand, construction can be inconvenient, we are taking advantage of the warm weather to start early,” Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said in a statement.

“The end result will be safer, more resilient infrastructure for the region, long after the cones and barricades are removed.”

Monday, March 11, through Thursday, March 14, will be an appetizer to the main road course as IDOT establishes work zones. Multiple lanes and ramps on both sides of the Kennedy will be closed overnight to accommodate staging.

Crews will also shut down the reversible express lanes starting the night of March 11 through late fall, when construction should wrap up.

Here’s what to expect next week between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.

• Monday, March 11: The inbound Kennedy and Edens will slim down to one lane between the junction and Irving Park Road. Ramps will close from the inbound Edens to Wilson Avenue, and the inbound Kennedy to Montrose Avenue and Irving Park.

• Tuesday, March 12: The outbound Kennedy will be reduced to two lanes between North and Fullerton avenues with intermittent ramp closures.

• Wednesday, March 13: The inbound Kennedy will narrow to one lane between Milwaukee Avenue and Lake Street, with the same scenario on the outbound expressway between Madison Street and Milwaukee.

• Thursday, March 14: The outbound Kennedy will be reduced to one lane between North and Fullerton avenues with intermittent ramp shutdowns.

The Kennedy Expressway opened in November 1960 and carries over 275,000 motorists a day. A total of 36 bridges will be rehabbed between the Edens Expressway and Ohio Street, along with pavement patching.

In addition, the gates that open and close the reversible lanes will be updated, and Hubbard's Cave will get a fresh coat of paint and new LEDs.

In 2025, construction will shift to the outbound Kennedy.