Workday traffic tests Ryan lane closures
Pulaski Day was OK -- now comes regular commute
Indeed, crews already had staged lane closures as they prepared to move pavement and earth for the second year of the $975 million project.
But the real show will come today, as more drivers take to the roads after Pulaski Day.
"Traffic was fine today on the outbound Dan Ryan, and it was OK on the inbound express lanes," Mike Claffey, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transportation, said Monday. "The real test will come Tuesday on the inbound local lanes."
Like Monday, motorists will have only a single usable inbound local lane -- out of three -- between 71st and 31st, Claffey said.
Overnight below-freezing temperatures have snarled crews trying to remove and replace lane striping. Without that done, crews can't move ahead with shutting local lanes in both directions from 31st to 71st for the "full stage of construction," Claffey said.
It may take a few days for that to happen.
"There will be no more lane closures," for now, he said. "It would be very unsafe to do that."
In other Dan Ryan news, on Monday the ramp from the inbound Stevenson Expy. to the outbound Dan Ryan was closed and it will remain closed for six weeks.
Transportation officials remind motorists to find alternate routes or use public transportation.
ldonovan@suntimes.com