Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: Kchi (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: September 23, 2013 10:22AM

I always thought of Chicago as being fairly flat. Was it strictly topography that starting with Addison the streets go over the expressway, while Belmont and east the streets go under the expressway?

Is it the Mayfair pumping station or the railroad tracks the reason why you can't go westbound off the Edens on to the Kennedy or go northbound on the Edens off of the Kennedy without the hassle of driving on the streets?

Re: Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: Mr Downtown (---.c3-0.drb-ubr1.chi-drb.il.cable.rcn.com)
Date: September 24, 2013 02:28AM

There's a subcontinental divide basically at Narragansett, but right around Addison there's actually a rock ledge (visible from the EB lanes) that had to be cut through. As for why underpasses vs. overpasses, I think the preexisting topography is only part of the story. The ease of elevating cross streets gets considered, along with the ease of closing or rerouting them during construction. There's also the question of drainage for a big cut, and storm sewer pumping stations are an important unseen part of our expressway network.

As for the Edens-Kennedy split, I think the number of users expected to connect from one to the other back in the 1940s was thought of as too few to warrant those ramps.

Re: Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: davey7 (---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: September 25, 2013 06:31PM

I recently saw something, I think on WBEZ, on why the Kennedy and Edens don't connect to the west and north bound lanes. Remember, there is a ridge where the elevation rises in that area too (as in Beverly) - Park Ridge is quite a big higher there too. The continental divide is right in there to (i.e. water flowing into Great Lakes vs. Missippi River).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2013 06:32PM by davey7.

Re: Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: the_mogra (---.hfc.comcastbusiness.net)
Date: April 16, 2015 02:06PM

the mid-'90s the Kennedy expressway was rebuilt and I recall at the time IDOT announced it was to happen, they DID in fact say those ramps--from inbound kennedy to outbound edens, plus inbound edens to outbound kennedy--were to be new add-ons. Hooray! but obviously they failed to make good on that pledge. Booo! plus to add insult to injury they eliminated perfectly good entrance ramps on the inbound kennedy at sacramento and hamlin and kostner. I know they have their reasons



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2015 02:08PM by the_mogra.

Re: Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: rjmachon (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: April 18, 2015 06:06PM

Some more info on this from,

Why the Kennedy backs up at the Edens junction
June 24, 2013
By: John R. Schmidt


http://www.wbez.org/blogs/john-r-schmidt/2013-06/why-kennedy-backs-edens-junction-107813

Re: Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: tomcat630 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: May 01, 2015 03:04AM

For the same reason the Crosstown was never built, the connections between In/Out Edens and Kennedy were never added, also. Local opposition. The neighborhoods are very affluent and blocked it.

Re: Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: the_mogra (---.hfc.comcastbusiness.net)
Date: May 01, 2015 11:34AM

I wouldn't blame neighborhoods, affluent or otherwise, besides the Mayfair neighborhood of the Edens junction could hardly be considered as such

Re: Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: Dunning1 (---.dhs.gov)
Date: May 01, 2015 03:58PM

I remember when the Crosstown Expressway was proposed, and it wasn't so much affluent neighborhoods as businesses that really objected. Industry had not fled the city back then as much as it has now, and there were a lot of large companies who would have been displaced by the projected expressway. A couple of different proposals were thrown out, one paralleling Cicero Avenue, and another with the southbound lanes over Cicero on an elevated highway, and the northbound lanes on Pulaski Road.

Re: Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: the_mogra (---.hfc.comcastbusiness.net)
Date: May 01, 2015 05:45PM

the Crosstown was to've been built using the old unused 'Belt line' railway at about 4600 west, which right-of-way was only enough space if the expressway was built double-decker--northbound on top and southbound beneath it. i'm not sure but the railroad could not be acquired for this purpose in the manner first contemplated, and it still stands today many years later

Re: Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: Jeff_Weiner (---.sub-70-194-105.myvzw.com)
Date: January 30, 2016 07:32PM

The expressways are IDOT's jurisdiction, while the tollways are under ITHA control.

Re: Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: Dunning1 (---.dhs.gov)
Date: February 01, 2016 04:59PM

btt

Re: Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: Anonymous User (---.neo.res.rr.com)
Date: February 03, 2016 12:13AM

(tu)

Re: Kennedy Expressway Underpass - Overpass
Posted by: Jeff_Weiner (---.sub-70-194-97.myvzw.com)
Date: February 11, 2016 03:26AM

the_mogra Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> so what. is IDOT allowing right-of-way provision
> in their Jane Adams I90 rebuilding now for future
> blue-line extension (to Schaumburg/Woodfield)?

The extension to Schaumburg would go west-northwest under the airport to get there. I-90 goes in thee wrong direction.

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