
Your Next Trip Into Chicago Won’t Be As Bad, For Now
The traffic in and around Chicago is terrible but there is finally some relief in sight for all the frustrated drivers.
Major Road Construction Phase Completed In Chicago
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago so I'm very familiar with the roads. That's where I learned to drive. I learned two important lessons about driving in and around the Windy City.
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Number one, the drivers in the Chicago area are crazy. They have to be to deal with every scenario that could come up on the roads. The second important thing I learned about being behind the wheel in that area is to give yourself extra time to get anywhere and everywhere because the traffic is crazy.

It doesn't matter what time of the day or which day of the week you're driving in the Chicago area, there are always lots of cars and tons of traffic. It's a crazy phenomenon. I remember my parents telling me that the highway system was obsolete right after it was first opened.
One of the main causes of traffic jams is construction. I swear there are roads still being worked on from when I was a kid. Just when you think the drive into the city couldn't get any worse, the state tears up the highway and it becomes a nightmare.
In my opinion, the worst highway into Chicago is the Kennedy Express (AKA - I-90). It takes forever to get anywhere on that road. For us folks from the Rockford area, having to take the Kennedy is a determining factor if we are not quite decided if we want to attend an event. I've skipped cool things because of the drive.
Illinois Department Of Transportation
A couple of years ago, a construction project was started on the Kennedy. Going into games, concerts, and events was a living hell. It added 30 minutes to the drive to my mom's and she doesn't even live in the city. It took a friend of mine 3 hours to get from Rockford to Soldier Field. Definitely, not worth the trouble.
There is finally some relief. The reversible express lanes are finally back open. They will help with some of that construction traffic. I thought those lanes would never be back open so this is great news for commuters into the city. Just remember, next summer brings the final phase.
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Gallery Credit: Sarah Jones