Although the big news in the Midwest may be the storms, the big news in Chicago is the Dan Ryan:
Steady rain complicated the first rush-hour test of the Dan Ryan reconstruction project for early morning commuters.
Still, traffic on the expressway was flowing fairly smoothly although slower than normal, according to initial reports. Traffic on alternative side streets, notably Stoney Island and Ashland Avenues, also was more crowded than usual.
All of the Ryan’s express lanes between 31st and 71st streets are now closed, with traffic confined to local lanes.
The rebuilding of the 11-mile Ryan is the largest highway reconstruction project in Chicago history. It will take nearly two years, cost $600 million and affect some 320,000 drivers a day. In the first phase, all eight express lanes are closed with traffic shifted into local lanes.
Adding to the pain, the work is being done simultaneously with several other major highway projects in the Chicago area’s Southland Corridor.
Before the shutdown began, Illinois Department of Transportation officials had only two words of advice for Ryan drivers: Stay off. The first indication of how many people will heed that warning is coming this morning.
Driving the Dan Ryan is a trial at best. Try driving it some time at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning when the interstate truckers are bumper-to-bumper at 70 miles an hour. Not for the faint of heart. It’ll be that much worse with the construction but, of course, it’s got to be done.
