Western Avenue overpass demolition at Belmont Ave Good or Bad for traffic?

[peterj920]

CDOT decided to tear down the Western Avenue overpass over the Belmont and Clybourn intersection and replace it with a 5 way intersection.  The overpass needed work, but CDOT is touting how much traffic is going to be better once the overpass is eliminated and replaced with a 5 way intersection.  I personally think traffic is going to become more clogged without the overpass and the intersection is going to handle a lot more traffic than it currently does.  I'm guessing this is a nationwide movement in cities to eliminate interchanges along city streets in urban areas, but it seems like new traffic projects with road dieting and a project like this seems more backwards than forwards.  I have a google map link below to show the location. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9398943,-87.6878487,17.55z?hl=en

[ChiMilNet]

CDOT decided to tear down the Western Avenue overpass over the Belmont and Clybourn intersection and replace it with a 5 way intersection.  The overpass needed work, but CDOT is touting how much traffic is going to be better once the overpass is eliminated and replaced with a 5 way intersection.  I personally think traffic is going to become more clogged without the overpass and the intersection is going to handle a lot more traffic than it currently does.  I'm guessing this is a nationwide movement in cities to eliminate interchanges along city streets in urban areas, but it seems like new traffic projects with road dieting and a project like this seems more backwards than forwards.  I have a google map link below to show the location. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9398943,-87.6878487,17.55z?hl=en

I understand where many in the neighborhood welcome this from a better community and aesthetic standpoint, but I can tell you that traffic in the city on some of these streets, particularly Western Avenue, can bee close to unbearable during rush hour periods. There truly needs to be better overall dialogue about these sort of decisions. IMO, this seems like a money saving move where they got some residents of the area to buy in enough on the premise that an "eyesore" overpass will be eliminated. Honestly, it seems shortsighted overall.

[wanderer2575]

CDOT decided to tear down the Western Avenue overpass over the Belmont and Clybourn intersection and replace it with a 5 way intersection.  The overpass needed work, but CDOT is touting how much traffic is going to be better once the overpass is eliminated and replaced with a 5 way intersection.  I personally think traffic is going to become more clogged without the overpass and the intersection is going to handle a lot more traffic than it currently does.  I'm guessing this is a nationwide movement in cities to eliminate interchanges along city streets in urban areas, but it seems like new traffic projects with road dieting and a project like this seems more backwards than forwards.  I have a google map link below to show the location. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9398943,-87.6878487,17.55z?hl=en

I understand where many in the neighborhood welcome this from a better community and aesthetic standpoint, but I can tell you that traffic in the city on some of these streets, particularly Western Avenue, can bee close to unbearable during rush hour periods. There truly needs to be better overall dialogue about these sort of decisions. IMO, this seems like a money saving move where they got some residents of the area to buy in enough on the premise that an "eyesore" overpass will be eliminated. Honestly, it seems shortsighted overall.

Without knowing any facts myself, I'd be inclined to initially assume the decision was about money -- cost of rehabilitating the overpass vs. cost of removing it and configuring as a five-way surface intersection, and the lesser cost won.  Selling residents on the idea of aesthetics may have been irrelevant.  One hopes the effect on traffic flow would at least be considered, but it could be way down the priority list.

A debate for years here was over the three-level volleyball interchange at M-1 Woodward Avenue and M-102 Eight Mile Road on the Detroit/Ferndale border.  A lot of area residents didn't like the elevated Woodward bridge and wanted it removed.  Unlike the Western Avenue scenario, I don't believe there was serious consideration of completely removing the interchange and replacing it with a four-way intersection.  Rather, the alternate plan was to remove the elevated Woodward bridge and its service drives, and then construct a new Woodward bridge at street level -- the Eight Mile underpass and service drives would remain.  Rehabilitating the existing interchange was the cheaper option and that's what MDOT went with.  Granted, the possibility of making traffic flow worse wasn't a factor with this decision.

https://goo.gl/maps/TisCArqWNR42

[The Ghostbuster]

From the looks of the map layout, I'd keep the overpass as-is.

[paulthemapguy]

Without knowing any facts myself, I'd be inclined to initially assume the decision was about money -- cost of rehabilitating the overpass vs. cost of removing it and configuring as a five-way surface intersection, and the lesser cost won.  Selling residents on the idea of aesthetics may have been irrelevant.  One hopes the effect on traffic flow would at least be considered, but it could be way down the priority list.

https://goo.gl/maps/TisCArqWNR42

I also imagine the decision was made because of cost considerations, but I would add that they probably considered future upkeep costs, too.  The bridge structure for Western was crumbling, so reducing it to an at-grade intersection not only creates a more cost-effective reconstruction in the present day, but it also prevents the future of another crumbling structure requiring reconstruction down the line.

[DevalDragon]

I don't see how making more people stop at a red light can be good for traffic - Anything that helps alleviate stopping is good.

They should rebuild the bridge, but alas, Chicago is broke. And can't afford it.