In June, weekday afternoon trips from downtown to O’Hare averaged 74 minutes between 2 and 3 p.m., the longest outbound hourly average in the data set. For drivers headed downtown, the worst hour was 5 to 6 p.m., when the trip from O’Hare to the Jane Byrne Interchange averaged 75 minutes. The analysis covered estimated weekday travel times from October 2004 through August 2026.

The Kennedy rehabilitation began in March 2023 and wrapped up in October 2025. It covered about 7.5 miles between downtown and the Edens Expressway junction, including main lanes, reversible express lanes and ramps. The state spent more than $170 million on that work. Three other major projects—at the Foster Avenue bridge, the Addison Street bridge and the Ontario and Ohio street approaches—brought the total cost of Kennedy-related work to about $225 million.

The most severe outbound congestion came in summer 2025, when work was underway on all four projects at once. The Illinois Department of Transportation said the projects were necessary and overdue, but reduced available roadway capacity by about 33%. The agency also pointed to continued changes in travel habits since the COVID-19 pandemic, including more driving compared with public transit.

The Foster Avenue bridge project, which started in 2024, has been particularly slow. The contractor, Elgin-based IHC Construction Companies, sought a deadline extension in July 2025. IDOT moved the target from the end of May to Oct. 9, but work continued. State records show the contractor has indicated it plans to seek another extension, citing weather and other delays, but has not provided a revised schedule.

IDOT said it expects the new bridge to open by the end of 2026, while electrical, sewer and landscaping work could continue into spring 2027. The original $25.2 million budget has grown to more than $28.6 million, according to project records. IDOT cited the project’s constrained urban location and the need to coordinate with the CTA Blue Line and nearby railroads. The agency said it generally announces delays after it and contractors agree on a new timetable.

The traffic data show that some travel times worsened after the main rehabilitation ended. In June 2026, weekday inbound trips averaged 72 minutes during the 4 p.m. hour, 75 minutes during the 5 p.m. hour and 63 minutes during the 6 p.m. hour—each the worst average for those hours in the 22-year analysis. For some trips between the airport and Montrose Avenue, drivers spent more than 35 minutes on the road, still about eight miles from downtown.

The effects reach beyond the expressway. Residents near Foster Avenue have reported increased cut-through traffic on neighborhood streets as drivers seek alternate routes. One resident told a 45th Ward office that surrounding streets had become snarled, while records show the alderman’s office passed concerns to IDOT.

The prolonged delays have also reshaped daily routines. Irving Park resident Taylor Sticha said a drive that once took about 25 minutes grew to as long as 80 minutes. She now rides an e-bike to her South Side job, using a route along the lakefront that takes about an hour. Other commuters described changing work and sleep schedules to avoid the worst traffic.

Transportation professor Joseph Schwieterman of DePaul University said the data point to congestion lasting well beyond conventional rush hours. The delays also underscore the challenge of traveling between O’Hare and downtown, he said, particularly without a faster rail connection.

IDOT said its own observations indicate traffic has improved overall since the main project ended, while acknowledging that Foster construction staging and major summer events may have caused temporary slowdowns. But for many drivers, the state’s promised faster commutes have yet to materialize: comparing pre-project travel times with conditions since construction began, some regular commuters have spent an estimated 290 additional hours on the road—about 12 days.