The construction season in the Chicago area this year is nearly guaranteed to make you miserable – and it starts this week, with lanes closed for the reconstruction of the Stevenson Expressway.

Traffic flow on Interstate 290/Eisenhower Expressway will be choked as Stevenson users migrate to the already crowded highway. In fact, expect delays in all directions. The only highways without major work planned for this year are the Edens Expressway and the O’Hare leg of the Kennedy Expressway, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Phase I of the Stevenson job goes into full swing this week with one lane closing in each direction between Pulaski Road and Canal Street. Closings will begin on the west section, from La Grange Road to the Des Plaines River, by April 1.
And the news gets worse. Beginning March 19, the Dan Ryan Expressway will be resurfaced between 31st and 99th streets, mostly at night. And by April 1, crews will have closed lanes in both directions on I-290/Eisenhower extension for a resurfacing and bridge repair project. I-80 in Joliet will go from two lanes in each direction to one for resurfacing.