I-90 from I-190 to Harlem Ave. Project
Construction Fast Facts
- Project Start: October 2016
- Project End: November 2017
- Project Cost: $22,916,215.00
- Project Municipality: City of Chicago
- Project County: Cook
- Contractor: Lorig Construction Company
The Illinois Department of Transportation has prepared plans to improve Interstate 90 (I-90) from Interstate 190 (I-190) to Harlem Avenue. The overall improvement involves multiple contracts to be built over several years; I-90 Eastbound, I-90 Westbound, and a Noise wall contract. The work covered under these three contracts is located in northwestern Cook County, Illinois, in the City of Chicago. The I-90 Eastbound contract was let July 29, 2016 while both the I-90 Westbound and Noise wall contracts will be let at a later date. This webpage provides information for the Eastbound segment of the I-90 project.
I-90 is a major east-west transportation route and is an important link in the nation’s transportation system. I-90 is the only interstate route that travels to the northwest area of Chicago and provides a major direct transportation connection between the City of Rockford and the northwestern suburbs of Chicago.
The section of I-90 between Chicago-O’Hare International Airport and the City of Chicago’s central business district plays an essential role in moving people and goods on a regional and local level within Illinois. I-90 also provides a direct connection to Chicago-O’Hare International Airport via I-190. Lastly, it connects to Interstate 294 (I-294) which runs north-south along the western boundary of Chicago.
Note: IDOT projects typically have three distinct phases. Phase I (or the project Study) consists of developing the project scope, environmental studies and preliminary design of a project. Phase II (Design) consists of refining the design to develop contract plans and land acquisition. Phase III (Construction) consists of the actual construction of the project.
PROPOSED WORK
The project will be delivered under three construction contracts with the following limits:
Eastbound I-90
- From just west of Illinois Route 171 (Cumberland Avenue) to the eastbound Harlem Avenue exit ramp.
Westbound I-90
- I-190 to the westbound Harlem Avenue entrance ramp.
Noise wall contract
- Eastbound and westbound I-90 between Cumberland Avenue and Harlem Avenue.
Need for Improvement
- Operational Deficiencies
- Safety Deficiencies
Proposed Work
Eastbound I-90
- Addition of an auxiliary lane between Cumberland Avenue and Harlem Avenue
- Ramp modifications at Cumberland Avenue, Canfield Road, and Harlem Avenue interchanges to tie into the widened mainline pavement.
- Construction of three new retaining walls and repairs to two existing retaining walls.
- Resurfacing of eastbound mainline I-90 from west of Cumberland Avenue to Harlem Avenue and Higgins Avenue from N. Oriole Avenue to N. Harlem Avenue.
- Relocation of two Chicago Department of Water Management (CDWM) water mains.
Westbound I-90
- Addition of an auxiliary lane between Canfield Road and Harlem Avenue
- Construction of a new westbound Collector-Distributer (CD) roadway just west of Canfield Road that provides access to and from Cumberland Avenue and access to westbound I-190.
- Ramp modifications at Cumberland Avenue, Canfield Road, and Harlem Avenue interchanges to tie into the widened mainline pavement.
- Construction of six new retaining walls and repairs to five existing retaining walls.
- Reconstruction of the existing retaining wall at the westbound Canfield Road exit ramp due to a realignment of the ramp.
- Resurfacing of westbound mainline I-90 from I-190 to Harlem Avenue
Noise Wall Contract
- Construction of eight noise walls between Cumberland Avenue and Harlem Avenue on both sides of I-90.
- Resurfacing of frontage roads (Higgins Road from east of Cumberland Avenue to N. Oriole Avenue, and W. Bryn Mawr Avenue from N. Oriole Avenue to N. Harlem Avenue.)
Maintenance of Traffic
Eastbound I-90 contract
- The proposed Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) for the construction of the I-90 project is developed based on two essential goals:
- Maintain the current number of lanes along I-90 mainline.
a. Noted Exception: A fourteen (14) consecutive day closure is required for EB I-90 Lane #4 (far right lane which is the
Auxiliary Lane for NB Cumberland ramp exit) in Stage 1 for ramp gore reconstruction. - Maintain all ramp movements between the interstate and the connecting roadways.
a. Noted Exception: The EB entrance ramp from Canfield Road will be reconstructed to tie into the widened
pavement. This ramp will be closed during construction due to height differences between the existing and proposed
conditions. Detour routes have been developed.
The suggested MOT plans can be divided into a pre-stage and two main construction stages along I-90. Lane reductions (other than the exception noted above) will only be allowed during nighttime off-peak hours in order to minimize adverse impacts on traffic flow along I-90 during construction.
- Pre-Stage – The existing three lanes of mainline traffic will be maintained while lane widths and shoulder widths will be reduced to 11 feet and 2 feet, respectively. Traffic will be shifted towards the outside shoulder.
- Stage 1 – The existing three lanes of mainline traffic will be maintained while lane widths and shoulder widths will be reduced to 11 feet and 2 feet, respectively. Traffic will be shifted towards the median. Ramp construction at Cumberland Ave and Harlem Ave interchanges will be performed in multiple stages in order to keep the ramps open to traffic.
- Stage 2 – Four lanes of eastbound mainline traffic will be maintained during peak hours. Resurfacing of mainline pavement will occur during off-peak hours, and up to two lanes may be closed for this operation using temporary lane closures. Resurfacing along the frontage road will also be performed during off-peak hours.
Proposed Detour
- Pre Stage Detours:
- Stage I Detours:
- Detour #1 - Close Canfield Road entrance ramp
- Detour Map – See attached
- Detour Length - 2 mile
- Detour Approximate Duration - 16 weeks, dependent upon retaining wall construction
- Detour Route - North on Canfield Rd, East on Higgins Road, South on Oriole Avenue, continue east on Higgins Avenue, north on Harlem Avenue, east on Harlem Avenue ramp (from Gregory Street).
- Detour #2 - Close and detour Higgins Avenue westbound traffic only
- Detour Map - See attached
- Detour Length - 6 mile
- Detour Approximate Duration – 12 weeks
- Detour Route - North on Harlem Avenue, west on Bryn Mawr Avenue.
Project Schedule
Eastbound I-90 contract
- Scheduled Letting Date: July 29, 2016
- Estimated start of construction: October 2016
- Estimated completion of construction: November 2017
Coordination with Municipalities and Agencies
- Federal Highway Administration
- Chicago Department of Transportation
- Illinois State Toll Highway Authority
- Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
- Pace
- Gateway Green
- Chicago Department of Water Management
Project Benefits
- Reduces weaving conflicts
- Reduces congestion and travel times
- Enhanced safety
- Reduces noise at the location of noise wall construction
- Improved drainage
- Improved ramp geometrics
Information from http://www.idot.illinois.gov/projects/i90-study