Chicago Drivers Daily Road & Traffic Alert — Monday, September 21, 2026

Chicago-area drivers should expect downtown detours, neighborhood construction and major expressway work Monday. These are the most important disruptions confirmed by official agency alerts available Sunday afternoon.

DOWNTOWN CHICAGO

• Southbound State Street, Wacker Drive to Randolph Street: CTA continues to list this block as closed, with multiple routes detouring. No reopening time is provided. Expect slow traffic in the northern Loop; move to Clark or Dearborn before reaching Wacker.

CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS

• Northbound Jeffery Boulevard, 73rd–75th streets: Construction reroutes #J14, #15 and #N5 buses through October 26 at 8:00 p.m. CTA does not confirm a full roadway closure, but drivers may encounter lane restrictions and delays. Use Stony Island Avenue if traffic backs up.

• 111th Street, Talman Avenue to Rockwell Street: #112 buses remain rerouted in both directions through September 30 at 7:00 p.m. The alert does not confirm a full closure for vehicles. Allow extra time and consider 115th Street around the work area.

• Kedzie/California near Bryn Mawr and Foster: #92 and #93 buses remain rerouted through Tuesday, September 22 at 6:00 p.m. CTA does not identify a full street closure. Expect localized congestion and follow posted signs.

MAJOR HIGHWAYS AND EXPRESSWAYS

• Outbound Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94): Two main outbound lanes remain closed at a time, with traffic shifted left between Division and Addison. Ramps at Fullerton, Addison and Kimball are expected to reopen in late September; Augusta/Milwaukee and Damen remain closed longer. Follow posted detours and allow extra time toward O’Hare.

CHICAGOLAND SUBURBS

• I-88/I-290/I-294 interchange: Eastbound I-88 is subject to nightly full closures between Spring Road and I-290, and the eastbound I-88 ramp to northbound I-294 is also scheduled to close nightly. The Tollway directs drivers to its daily alert for exact times. Westbound I-290 ramps to both directions of I-294 remain under long-term closures. Use posted detours and avoid the interchange overnight when practical.

• North Tri-State Tollway: Deerfield Road over I-94 and Sanders Road over I-294 are reduced to one lane per direction through fall. Touhy and Dempster may also be reduced from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. as needed through September. Expect midday delays and reduced turning capacity.

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

Illinois Tollway roadway repairs: https://agency.illinoistollway.com/projects/tri-state/roadway-and-bridge-repairs (opens in a new tab)