Chicago Drivers Daily Road & Traffic Alert — Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Chicago-area drivers should plan for downtown closures, neighborhood reroutes and expressway work on Wednesday. These notices were checked against current official agency information available Tuesday evening.

• Downtown/Loop — Southbound State Street remains closed between Wacker Drive and Randolph Street, with no reopening time posted. Expect pressure on nearby southbound streets; move to Dearborn, Clark or another alternate before reaching Wacker.

• West and South Sides — The #73 Armitage reroute continues through October 5, with westbound buses using Kedzie, Fullerton and Pulaski. Jeffery Boulevard construction near 73rd–75th streets and 75th Street work near Stony Island continue through October 26. CTA confirms transit reroutes, not full road closures; allow extra time and watch for temporary work-zone controls.

• Cermak Road — The #21 remains rerouted through Friday evening near Michigan Avenue and 25th Street. CTA does not confirm a full street closure. Drivers should avoid curbside conflicts and follow posted signs.

• South Chicago Avenue and Western Avenue — Separate CTA reroutes near 85th Street and 35th Street are scheduled to end at 8 p.m. Wednesday. These alerts indicate local disruption but do not confirm full closures; check the block before approaching.

• Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) — Stage 2 outbound rehabilitation continues, with two mainline lanes closed at a time and the reversible express lanes operating outbound. The mid-gate remains closed, and traffic shifts between Division and Addison will slow the evening trip. Stay in lane early and add time.

• O’Hare approach/I-294 — Traffic shifts and shoulder closures continue at the O’Hare North Toll Plaza into 2026. The northbound Halsted Road ramp to northbound I-294 also remains closed with a posted detour. Use Mannheim or alternate tollway access when practical.

• North and western suburbs — Touhy Avenue and Dempster Street over I-294 may be reduced to one lane each direction from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Wednesday. Washington Street over I-88 in Naperville remains one lane each way into fall. Avoid peak construction hours where possible.

Official sources: https://www.transitchicago.com/travel-information/bus-status/ (opens in a new tab) | https://idot.illinois.gov/programs-and-projects/featured-projects/cook-county---interstate-90-kennedy-bridge-study.html (opens in a new tab) | https://agency.illinoistollway.com/systemwide/toll-plaza-repairs (opens in a new tab) | https://agency.illinoistollway.com/projects/tri-state/roadway-and-bridge-repairs (opens in a new tab) | https://agency.illinoistollway.com/projects/reagan/roadway-bridge-and-ramp-repairs (opens in a new tab)