Two bridges near downtown Chicago will be closed for two years for repairs

(Update: This post contains significant corrections, including photos.)

Two years of repairs on two bridges on the eastbound and westbound lanes of Route 66 in downtown Chicago are scheduled that will force detours for travelers.

Chicagoland Route 66 expert David Clark flagged this news in an email, saying the Jackson Boulevard Bridge (eastbound Route 66) and Adams Street Bridge (westbound Route 66) are just west of Chicago’s downtown Loop. Both go over Interstates 90/94.

The work mostly includes reconstructed exit and entrance ramps, two westbound or eastbound lanes, wider sidewalks and the relocation of entrance ramps to I-90/94.

Clark wrote about the interstate ramps:

The current configuration on both bridges includes ramps going down to the interstate on the north sides of the bridges that deposit cars on the left side of the Kennedy Expressway, I-90 and I-94 West. These ramps are also very short with corresponding short acceleration lanes making merging onto the expressway very hazardous. I always refer to these as the “suicide ramps.” So at the end of this process the ramps from both bridges will be relocated to allow entry to the expressway on the right side, and hopefully with longer approaches. […]
So when Adams closes, westbound 66 travelers will need to north on Jefferson to Madison, west on Madison to Halsted, then South on Halsted to rejoin Adams.
When Jackson closes, eastbound 66 will go south on Halsted to Van Buren, east on Van Buren to Jefferson, then north on Jefferson to Jackson.

The work hadn’t started as of the weekend. I would consult this website about the overall project to get an idea of whether work on either bridge has started.

(Image of the Jackson Boulevard Bridge and Adams Street Bridge in Chicago courtesy of David Clark)