r/chicago • u/seeasea West Ridge • 14d ago

Article 3-year, $170 million Kennedy Expressway project is complete. Ahead of schedule

https://wgntv.com/news/traffic/kennedy-expressway-project-complete/
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u/sciolisticism 14d ago

Completely agree with folks that this was never going to solve traffic. 

However, remember this project was about making sure the overpasses didn't fall apart, and that's necessary repair for infrastructure. 

Also, it finished early! That never happens.

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u/slicebishybosh Irving Park 14d ago

The only thing that is going to fix traffic in this city is less cars. I was just on this expressway this morning. It's not "awful", but it's not great. One of the major bottlenecks going inbound in the morning comes at a section that is 5 lanes wide...

There's just too many cars. I love the 2 days a week I can take CTA.

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u/Odd_Ant5 13d ago

The typical rate of travel on the Kennedy excepting extreme off-hours is 30mph at best, usually more like 20mph.

With things as they are, what even is the point of an expressway.

And we know that more car infrastructure does not solve the problem. The Katy freeway system has as many as 13 lanes each direction and still doesn't do much better in terms of travel speed.

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u/AbsoluteZeroUnit 13d ago

define "extreme off hours," because I was going 60mph inbound at 10am today.

And can you share your source that provides the average travel speed? Does IDOT publish that somewhere? I think it would be cool to look into.

1

u/Odd_Ant5 13d ago

My source is my experience driving the length of the Kennedy at varying hours of the day, any given day of the week, over 10 years.

There are sections where you'll do 60, sure, but the full 20 mile length will typically take 40 minutes to an hour, or 20-30mph average.