Chicago Drivers Daily Road & Traffic Alert — Friday, September 11, 2026

Chicago-area drivers should expect active construction zones and overnight lane reductions Friday. The largest impacts are on the Kennedy Expressway and I-294 near Hinsdale, the I-88 interchange and O’Hare.

Downtown Chicago and the Loop

• State Street: Southbound State remains closed between Wacker Drive and Randolph Street, with no reopening time listed by CTA. Expect delays entering the northern Loop; use Clark, LaSalle or Michigan before Wacker.

Chicago neighborhoods

• Lincoln Square: CTA routes 11 and 49B remain rerouted around Lincoln, Western, Winnemac and Foster through 3 p.m. Monday, September 14, or completion, because of the German-American Festival. The alert confirms bus reroutes but not a full road closure. Avoid the Lincoln/Western/Foster area during festival traffic.

• Jeffery Boulevard: Construction between 73rd and 75th streets continues to reroute the J14, 15 and N5 through 8 p.m. September 21 or completion. CTA does not confirm a full closure to regular vehicles. Slow down and follow temporary controls.

Major highways and expressways

• Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94): Two outbound mainline lanes remain closed at a time while the reversible lanes operate outbound. The outbound Augusta/Milwaukee, Addison and Damen exits, plus the Fullerton and Kimball entrances, remain closed; reopenings are expected from late September through late October. Follow posted detours and allow substantial extra time toward O’Hare.

Nearby suburbs

• I-88/I-294 interchange: The eastbound I-88 ramp to northbound I-294 is scheduled for a full closure from midnight to 5 a.m. Friday, with a posted detour. Both westbound I-290 ramps to I-294 also remain closed long term. Check the detour before entering the interchange.

• I-294 near Hinsdale: Friday-night work is scheduled from about 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Saturday. Northbound restrictions extend from 5th Avenue past the Hinsdale Oasis toward the BNSF tracks; southbound work runs from I-55/Wolf Road through 55th Street to Ogden Avenue. Up to two lanes close in affected segments. Travel earlier if possible.

• I-294 near O’Hare: Bridge-deck repairs between Irving Park Road and the O’Hare Interchange are scheduled from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday. Closures increase overnight, reaching four lanes in each direction from 1 to 5 a.m. and leaving one through lane. Expect major delays and consider another route.

Schedules may change because of weather or emergency conditions.

Official sources:

CTA Bus Alerts: https://www.transitchicago.com/travel-information/bus-status/ (opens in a new tab)

IDOT Kennedy Project: https://idot.illinois.gov/programs-and-projects/featured-projects/cook-county---interstate-90-kennedy-bridge-study.html (opens in a new tab)

Illinois Tollway Daily Construction Alert: https://agency.illinoistollway.com/media-center/construction-alerts (opens in a new tab)

Illinois Tollway I-290/I-88 Interchange: https://agency.illinoistollway.com/outreach/projects-in-your-community/central-tri-state-tollway-i-294/290-88-interchange-project (opens in a new tab)