154th Street over the Bishop Ford bridge rehab begins May 11

CHICAGO - The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that rehabilitation of the bridge carrying 154^th Street over the Bishop Ford Freeway (Interstate 94), in Dolton, will begin, weather permitting, Monday, May 11. The project is part of the ongoing Bishop Ford rehabilitation and modernization. ​

To complete the work, 154^th Street will be fully closed just before the bridge. Traffic will be detoured to Cottage Grove Avenue, Sibley Boulevard (Illinois 83) and Torrence Avenue (Illinois 83). The public also should expect shoulder closures and various lanes shifts, along with occasional overnight lane closures on the Bishop Ford at 154^th Street, throughout construction. ​

Expect delays and allow extra time for trips through this area. Alternate routes are encouraged. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.

The overall $93 million project consists of patching and resurfacing 9.5 miles of the Bishop Ford from west of Martin Luther King Drive to U.S. 6 (159th Street), replacing overhead sign structures and installing energy-efficient LED lights. The project is rehabilitating the bridges carrying the Bishop Ford over the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad, Dolton Avenue, Greenwood Avenue and the two bridge over the Little Calumet River. The Michigan City Road, 154th Street and U.S. 6 overpasses also will be rehabilitated. ​

The work is taking place over two construction seasons, with this year's work focusing on the outbound side and anticipated to continue through December, when the Bishop Ford returns to three lanes in both directions. Construction will shift to the inbound lanes next spring, wrapping up in late 2027. ​

Over the next six years, IDOT is planning to improve 7,107 lane miles of highway and 8.4 million square feet of bridge deck as part of Rebuild Illinois, which is investing $33.2 billion into all modes of transportation. Accomplishments through Year Six of Rebuild Illinois include almost $20.8 billion of improvements statewide to 21,309 lane miles of highway, 815 bridges and 1,181 additional safety improvements.

For more information on IDOT projects, click here. Find traffic and road conditions at www.gettingaroundillinois.com. You also can follow IDOT on Facebook and X.

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