The Illinois Department of Transportation will begin daytime lane closures Wednesday on 159th Street over Interstate 94 in South Holland and Calumet City.
The 159th Street approach to the freeway will be reduced to one lane in either direction between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays, IDOT said. All lanes will be open outside of those working hours, the department said.
Heavy congestion is anticipated, and IDOT recommends drivers consider alternative routes to avoid the area.
The lane closures are anticipated to last until Sept. 1, and are to prepare a work zone to accommodate traffic during an upcoming reconstruction of the bridge over the expressway, which is expected to begin later this fall and take about a year to complete, IDOT said.
The work is part of the ongoing $93 million rehabilitation of the Bishop Ford Freeway from west of Chicago’s Martin Luther King Drive to 159th Street.
“As the Bishop Ford reconstruction continues, the public should continue to expect lane shifts, overnight lane closures, significant delays and allow extra time for trips through the area,” IDOT said. “Please pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.”
Work to resurface 9.5 miles of outbound lanes, a stretch that runs through Chicago, Dolton, Burnham, Riverdale, Calumet City and South Holland, began in spring and is expected to continue through December, to be followed by work on inbound lanes in 2027.
The project is set to wrap up in late 2027, according to IDOT.
More Top Picks Best Kids Bikes