Governor Quinn Announces $55.8 Million for Work on Next Phase of Jane Byrne Interchange

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced a $55.8 million capital investment for the next phase of work on the Jane Byrne Interchange reconstruction - a new flyover ramp from inbound Interstate 90/94 (Dan Ryan/Expressway) to outbound Interstate 290 (Eisenhower Expressway). The $475 million interchange project is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and build a 21st-centruy infrastructure that will drive Illinois' economy forward.

"Reducing congestion through this critical interchange will keep drivers safer while cutting fuel costs and commuting time," Governor Quinn said. "The Jane Byrne Interchange is the heart of our regional transportation system and this overhaul is creating jobs and will ensure that Illinois has a 21st century infrastructure system."

To accommodate the new work zone, two lanes of I-90/94 will be closed overnight on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, two lanes of outbound I-90/94 from Roosevelt Road to Jackson Boulevard will be closed, with two lanes of the inbound expressway closed on Tuesday night between Lake and Harrison streets. The closures will be removed both nights in time for the morning rush hour.

Meanwhile, work on the $10.8 million East Harrison Street Bridge over I-90/94 replacement continues. The $18.4 million Morgan Street Bridge replacement was completed last week, and the $23.6 million Peoria Street Bridge replacement and CTA station rehabilitation project is well underway. The $42.6 million Halsted and West Harrison Streets over I-290 and I-90/94 bridge replacements continue as well. The Illinois Department of Transportation's Multi-Year Plan includes funding to continue the future phases of construction.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is offering contractors on the Jane Byrne Interchange project a reimbursement rate of $15 an hour for hiring graduates of the Highway Construction Careers Training Program. The program is an IDOT-sponsored initiative to encourage women and minorities to pursue careers in the transportation construction industry.

The four-year, $475 million interchange construction project in Chicago is creating thousands of construction jobs and improving the nation's most congested junction. The project encompasses the bridge, roadway and drainage systems for the Dan Ryan, Eisenhower and Kennedy Expressways and the Congress Parkway that make up the interchange. According to estimates by transportation planners, the improvements will reduce traffic delays by at least 50 percent and save drivers five million hours annually, and the improved traffic flow will lead to a savings of 1.6 million gallons of fuel per year.

The Circle Interchange project is part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest construction programs in the nation.