Chicago Drivers Daily Roads & Traffic Alert — Thursday, September 10, 2026

Chicago-area drivers should prepare for several major construction-related delays on Thursday. The following items were verified from current CTA, IDOT and Illinois Tollway notices on September 9.

Downtown Chicago and the Loop

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

Chicago neighborhoods

• Jeffery Boulevard: Construction between 73rd and 75th streets is rerouting the J14, 15 and N5 buses through September 21 or completion. CTA confirms a disruption but does not confirm that Jeffery is fully closed to regular traffic. Allow extra time and watch for workers and temporary controls.

Major highways and expressways

• Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94): Two outbound mainline lanes remain closed at a time during the current construction stage, while the reversible express lanes stay outbound. Outbound exits to Augusta/Milwaukee, Addison and Damen, plus the Fullerton entrance and Kimball entrance, remain closed with reopenings expected from late September through late October. Follow posted detours and allow substantial extra time toward O’Hare.

• I-294 central corridor: Traffic shifts and lane closures remain in place between I-55 and North Avenue. Counterflow patterns affect southbound traffic from St. Charles Road to the Cermak Toll Plaza and northbound traffic from the Cermak area to North Avenue through 2026. Avoid last-second lane changes.

Nearby suburbs

• I-290/I-294 interchange: Both ramps from westbound I-290 to northbound and southbound I-294 remain closed with posted detours. The southbound connection is expected to stay closed through 2026 and the northbound connection through 2027. Butterfield Road is also one lane each way under I-294 between Calvin Avenue and I-290.

• Deerfield and Northbrook: Deerfield Road over I-94 and Sanders Road over I-294 are reduced to one lane in each direction, with one lane also closed each way on the tollways. Work is scheduled into fall. Use Landwehr Road and Willow Road to bypass the closed Techny-to-Sanders left turn.

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 Central Tri-State: https://agency.illinoistollway.com/projects/tri-state/central-tri-state-reconstruction (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)

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