Benefits

Traffic Benefits - Reduce bottleneck on I-90/94 by going from 3 to 4 lanes in the northbound and southbound directions through the Jane Byrne Interchange. Double the number of lanes on the two most congested ramps by providing two lanes:

Northbound I-90/94 to Westbound I-290
Eastbound I-290 to Northbound I-90/94

Safety Benefits – The preferred alternative includes changes in access to enhance safety. These include:

Southbound traffic heading to Taylor Street will exit north of the interchange. This will enhance safety by eliminating weaving at the Taylor Street interchange.
Northbound traffic heading to one of the four downtown street ramps will exit I-90/94 south of the interchange and avoid mixing with traffic entering from I-290 and Ida B. Wells Drive. It will be physically separated from mainline I-90/94 by a barrier wall. This will enhance safety by eliminating weaving along I-90/94.
Access to the Morgan Street exit will only be available for traffic traveling from northbound I-90/94 to westbound I-290. The elimination of the weaving and merging in this area will enhance traffic flow and safety.
These modifications along with others are predicted to reduce the number of crashes by up to 25%.

Community Benefits

Reduced emissions and improved air quality.
Pedestrian and bicycle-friendly local street system and cross-street bridges by providing:

- Bicycle lanes in accordance with the City’s master bikeway plan
- Wider sidewalks (typically 10 feet) to improve the pedestrian experience

Aesthetics

Using decorative/patterned concrete on the parapet walls, bridge piers, and retaining walls.
Planting vines on retaining walls and noise abatement walls (where feasible) to soften the concrete look and to discourage graffiti.
Including more than $1 million in tree planting within adjacent areas to replace each tree removed for construction activities.
Creating green spaces behind retaining walls for community spaces and adjacent residential building use.