Dan Ryan congestion will get a bit better
Weather permitting, a single outbound lane between 31st and 59th streets will reopen to cars on Monday, weeks ahead of the Sept. 15 target date set by the transportation department.
Trucks will continue to use the three local lanes, which are currently open.
On the inbound side, cars will have access to a single express lane between 59th and 31st streets by September, IDOT spokesman Mike Claffey said.
The changes will give motorists in each direction four lanes to use instead of the three they've been crammed into since the Dan Ryan express lanes were closed for reconstruction in the spring.
"While this is very good news, we don't want people to take this as a sign that they should come rushing back to the Dan Ryan," Claffey said. For months, IDOT has been telling people to use alternate routes.
Outbound express traffic will be able to exit at 55th Street once the new lane reopens. There will be an exit from the inbound express lane at 43rd Street.
The new four-lane configuration on the Dan Ryan will remain in place until December, when IDOT plans to wrap up this year's construction season. Then it's back to normal until the expressway's local lanes are shut down in March.
IDOT is widening and rebuilding the Dan Ryan as part of a $600 million project designed to relieve congestion and improve safety.