New Cumberland Avenue flyover ramp set to open Thursday
A little less stress for Jane Addams Tollway (I-90) and Kennedy Expressway drivers is expected Thursday when a new flyover ramp onto Cumberland Avenue opens.
Gridlock conditions typically exist where the Jane Addams and I-190 traffic merge just east of O'Hare International Airport. It's further complicated by motorists' crossing lanes to reach the Cumberland Avenue exit.
The new two-lane, 845-foot bridge will ease congestion by lifting eastbound I-90 vehicles over I-190 and the CTA Blue Line tracks and connecting to Cumberland. A separate collector-distributor road from inbound I-190 that links to the flyover and Cumberland also is complete.
The flyover should be good to go Thursday morning, weather permitting.
Work on the $24 million ramp began in 2016 and is a joint Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois tollway project.
To further combat congestion, IDOT is widening the inbound Kennedy between Harlem and Cumberland avenues with another lane that will be complete in 2020. The tollway finished widening the Jane Addams in 2016.
"The Cumberland Flyover brings relief to one of the most congested points in the Chicago region," IDOT Secretary Randy Blankenhorn said in a statement. "Business owners and residents, customers and workers at O'Hare will see the benefits immediately. By modernizing this crucial travel corridor, we make the region safer and poised for even more economic growth for years to come."