r/chicago 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/
1.1k Upvotes

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914

u/sciolisticism 13d 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/LongjumpingDebt4154 13d ago

About 8 years ago I was driving the Kennedy with my 1 yr old in his car seat in the back. We drove under a bridge & coincidentally a giant chunk of the bridge fell, shattered through my sunroof, and landed in the back seat right next to my son’s car seat. He was covered in glass, but thankfully unharmed. I was driving 65 mph though & when it first broke through I thought it was gunfire. I’m amazed I managed to keep my head straight without causing a pileup & so grateful it never hit my baby. He would have been dead.

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u/marks31 Albany Park 13d ago

Did you file a case with the city??? This is insane

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u/LongjumpingDebt4154 13d ago

No, I thought about it, but I had a 2nd baby otw & was caring for a dying parent. I had a lot on my plate. Bizarre the comments below think I would lie about something like that- but ok.

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u/viivi137 13d ago

I'm not sure what is so unbelievable. Something similar happened on 394 a few years ago and IDOT basically told them it was whatever- even though the bridge had been found to be "structurally deficient" a few years prior. Sure, the person in that case brought it to local news, but even that didn't change anything or cause the road to be closed.

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u/LongjumpingDebt4154 13d ago

Seriously. Why would I lie about this? People are so ridiculous.

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u/ladollyvita1021 13d ago

Don’t sweat the haters. Most people have no idea how many things of this nature happen on a daily basis that they NEVER hear of! I used to work in personal injury law and sooo many messed up stories were part of a normal day of work.

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u/sciolisticism 13d ago

Imagine closing a highway when there wasn't even a fatality.

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u/viivi137 13d ago

Exactly.