(Image provided, Illinois Department of Transportation, March 2026)
(Image provided, Illinois Department of Transportation, March 2026)
(Image provided, Illinois Department of Transportation, March 2026)
In Illinois, Region commuters are advised of a major construction project that got underway this month on the Bishop Ford Freeway starting on the outbound side. The Illinois Department of Transportation says the work will have lane and ramp closures and construction is expected to cause traffic delays over several months. The work will take place in Chicago, Dolton, Burnham, Riverdale, Calumet City, and South Holland.
The overall $93 million project consists of patching and resurfacing 9.5 miles of the Bishop Ford, replacing overhead sign structures and installing LED lights. The project is also rehabilitating the several bridges including the Bishop Ford over the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad and two over the Little Calumet River. Major travel delays are anticipated, with alternate routes strongly encouraged. Here is a link for more details.
Construction is anticipated to continue through December, when the Bishop Ford returns to three lanes in both directions. Work is set to resume next spring on the inbound side, with the project wrapping up in late 2027. The Bishop Ford Freeway, originally named the Calumet Expressway, officially opened in 1950, with the last major rehabilitation completed in 2015. an estimated 167,000 vehicles use the expressway each day.
