Chicago traffic

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Tin man

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Leaving Wednesday for Glacier.  Third try.....Would like info around Chicago, ref traffic construction, and best route to Madison Wis. If all is well, we will be around Chicago by Thursday.  Much construction on I80? Ohio to Il.

Thanks as always..

Jim
 
Sorry, there no good way around Chicago. Best bet is to take I-80 to I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) getting off I-294 just past O'hare onto I-90 west. Don Not take I-90 through the city! It's far easier and cheaper if you have a I-Pass, but EZ Pass works - just no discount.
An alternative to try is to stay on I-80 past the I-294 and take I-355 north to I-290 to I-90. I-355/I-290 should have a little less traffic that  I-294 but I never actually taken this route.
Remember that I-80 leave I-90 and the Indiana Tollroad at Lake Station and transit to I-94 to continue west. I-90 continues and takes the Chicago Skyway to the Dan Ryan Expressway to downtown Chicago - don't go this way.
Actually the last time I drove around Chicago (2 years ago) it was better than prior years. The Borman Expressway (I-80/94) thru Gary/Hammond is in much better shape. In the past this area has been a nightmare of traffic, construction and bad road.
 
If you have google maps on your phone, you can look at traffic --- shows in red.  That may help you dodge parts or see just how far the back-up is.  I 80 has some construction around 1 65 but sometimes it's just at night when they close lanes.
 
The Boreman is under construction still & yet again traffic backups are just nuts I don't know what time you plan on going through however we live in northern Indiana and when we leave and have to go that way I hit 80-94/Boreman at 2am I understand this might not be an option but if you can plan that way it would save you some headaches sleep on the other side, Now for a suggestion if when you go stay on 80 going west from 294 take 80 to 39 then north to Madison IMHO Safe Travels
 
Tin man said:
Would I355 to I90 work? I39 looks doable, looks like about 1 hr longer...

Jim


If the traffic is  good  on I-355 it will be good on I-294 and I-294 sames you time and tolls.


Edit: fixed quotes      -scottydl
 
We went through Chicago last year. Took two hours. Next time I'll keep a two state radius between us and Chicago.
 
Generally I'll take the 2 hours to go thru a city, rather than 3-4 hours to bypass the city.  I don't like the city traffic in an RV but sometimes it is difficult to avoid. 
 
Was just on I 65 and the Borman (aka Bor-monster) to Hammond today.  Traffic is heavy as it usually is but was moving.  i was doing about 50.  It's easiest to stay at least in the middle lane as the entrance ramps zip you right into the traffic lane with little time to merge.

The Skyway is a good alternative if you don't mind the toll.  Sometimes Chicago traffic is no worse than the tollroads and is occasionally a little slower than pedal to the metal.

I think any way you go, it's heavy traffic and luck of the draw for backups or no backups. 

Good luck -- and safe travels.
 
Timing is everything getting around Chicago. Heading West, 80 to 294 to 90 is usually ok weekdays 10 AM to 2 PM, before 6 AM and after 7PM.

I 90 West of 294 is wide open. Construction complete! Lots of smooth open lanes. I 90 has some work going on in Wisconsin, but it did not hold things up.
 
My preference has always been to take 80/94 to 355 (which becomes 290).  It avoids 90 through the city, and 294.  It's a few miles longer but the odds of getting into a major mess are much less.  From the Indiana line on 80/94 I can get to 90 (via 355) in exactly 1 hour almost every time.

I do always leave the 294 option for a last minute traffic map check as we get close.  If 294 is all green, and I'm feeling lucky, I'll give it a try.  Though, even best case the junction of 294 & 290 is always a back-up (even as I look at it right now).

There's construction on 90 around O'Hare out to 290, but it's not bad (outside of rush hour).  Once you get past 290 it's smooth sailing until WI.  There are a couple of shoulder limitations under bridges on 90 around Huntley (30 minutes past 290).  They're more tap-the-brakes then congestion.

There is a Love's just past Interstate 65 before getting into IL that is RV convenient, has a dump station, water and propane (should you need it).  And, it has IN gas prices.

Hopefully that helps!
 
Buckeye4692002 said:
My preference has always been to take 80/94 to 355 (which becomes 290).  It avoids 90 through the city, and 294.  It's a few miles longer but the odds of getting into a major mess are much less.  From the Indiana line on 80/94 I can get to 90 (via 355) in exactly 1 hour almost every time.

I do always leave the 294 option for a last minute traffic map check as we get close.  If 294 is all green, and I'm feeling lucky, I'll give it a try.  Though, even best case the junction of 294 & 290 is always a back-up (even as I look at it right now).

There's construction on 90 around O'Hare out to 290, but it's not bad (outside of rush hour).  Once you get past 290 it's smooth sailing until WI.  There are a couple of shoulder limitations under bridges on 90 around Huntley (30 minutes past 290).  They're more tap-the-brakes then congestion.

There is a Love's just past Interstate 65 before getting into IL that is RV convenient, has a dump station, water and propane (should you need it).  And, it has IN gas prices.

Hopefully that helps!

Indiana just put a $0.10/gal. gas tax into effect 1 July.
 
I just took the highway through Chicago - it was Saturday afternoon so I was hoping non rush hour traffic wouldn't be bad and I did fine on the D.C. Beltway in heavy traffic.

What I didn't plan on was the aggresssiveness of the average Chicago driver.  Holy cats - they will cut you off just for fun and putting on your turn signal is like a red blanket to a bull for them!  I needed to get in the left lane and took forever for anyone to let me in. 

In a city with a huge murder rate I highly discourage this but I wound down my window when someone cut me off and to my surprise he wound his down too - right after he floored it to cut me off (I used my signal).

I politely asked if he would mind letting me in.  He said what for?  I explained I needed to get to the left so I could make the exit.  He said No.

Normally I would write this off as a one off but people are animals there!  I will never go back through there and I hope I never see that city. 
 
We are going through that area this Sunday July 23. I plan to follow route US30 west to SR47 and north to Woodstock. Does anyone have any idea of how US30 might be? Thanks!
 
judway said:
We are going through that area this Sunday July 23. I plan to follow route US30 west to SR47 and north to Woodstock. Does anyone have any idea of how US30 might be? Thanks!


Wayne US30 though Joliet and Plainfield is slow going. I would exit I80 at US47 north to Woodstock. Other than getting through Yorkville it is good driving.
 
Thanks, Jeff. I have plenty of time, I think, so I still plan to take the US 30. we are going from Fort Wayne. We went that way except the opposite direction, three years ago. It was indeed quite slow. I am hoping Sunday traffic might help some. When we get to Woodstock we have to go back east to Volo and stay at Fish Lake. If it doesn't work out, I won't go that way again. My usual way is US 24 from FTW to SR 47 and the same route. It takes me two days that way with a stop at Caboose Lake. I only have one day.
 
judway said:
Thanks, Jeff. I have plenty of time, I think, so I still plan to take the US 30. we are going from Fort Wayne. We went that way except the opposite direction, three years ago. It was indeed quite slow. I am hoping Sunday traffic might help some. When we get to Woodstock we have to go back east to Volo and stay at Fish Lake. If it doesn't work out, I won't go that way again. My usual way is US 24 from FTW to SR 47 and the same route. It takes me two days that way with a stop at Caboose Lake. I only have one day.

That route is a lot longer than it needs to be, and going from Woodstock to Volo can be slow through McHenry. I live about 4 miles north of Volo, and I have tried just about every route imaginable, to get me home from I80. I have finally settled on what seems to work best. It will be at least 30 to 40 minutes faster than going via Woodstock.

I take I80 to I294 north, to I290 west. I290 runs you into IL 53 north, which is a multi-lane expressway. It moves well, except at the height of rush hour. When 53 ends, take the last possible exit, which is  Lake Cook Rd. west. At the 2nd stop light (about 1/2 mile from 53) turn north onto U.S. 12, which will take you right up to Volo and Fish Lake. Depending on the time of day, you may see some delay on the I294 to I290 ramp, and possibly going through Lake Zurich, but the rest will move well.

Joel
 

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