Getting through/around Chicago

[hbelkins]

My wife is driving to Chicago later this month. She will be staying at a hotel in Schaumburg, near the SW corner of the I-90/I-290 interchange (East Higgins Road).

Google Maps says this is an eight-hour drive but it will most likely take longer because she stops more often than I do. Google Maps also routes her up I-65 to I-90, then I-90 (Skyway-Dan Ryan-Kennedy) all the way through Chicago to Schaumburg.

Toll booths won't be a problem because she'll be using E-ZPass.

Is this the best way for her to get from I-65 to her destination? Or would there be any advantage to taking I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) to I-290? Time of day would probably be late in afternoon rush to after afternoon rush on a Wednesday afternoon.

[Brandon]

^^ Ouch.  I'd have her go out I-80 to I-355 and go straight up to Schaumburg from there.  It avoids I-294 and the Loop.  In addition, the loop ramp from I-294 to outbound I-290 is a mess (expect to spend as much as 10 minutes or more at rush hour to take it).  Most of I-355 would be opposite traffic from I-55 to I-88, and not difficult from there north.  South of I-55, I-355 is smooth sailing with a widely ignored 65mph speed limit.  I-80 is fairly easy as well except for dropping a lane at US-45.

[mgk920]

Depending on time of day, I have been finding that since the recent Kennedy and Dan Ryan rebuilds, it is more often faster and easier to go through the city.  When you get to I-80/94 (Borman Expressway) in Gary, IN, follow I-94 west to downtown and I-90 out.  (This also avoids the needless $3+ tolls of using that part of the Skyway and Indiana Toll Road.)

Mike

[InterstateNG]

Depending on time of day, I have been finding that since the recent Kennedy and Dan Ryan rebuilds, it is more often faster and easier to go through the city.  When you get to I-80/94 (Borman Expressway) in Gary, IN, follow I-94 west to downtown and I-90 out.  (This also avoids the needless $3+ tolls of using that part of the Skyway and Indiana Toll Road.)

Mike

Time of day would probably be late in afternoon rush to after afternoon rush on a Wednesday afternoon.

Brandon's advice is the way to go.

[NWI_Irish96]

If I arrived at the I-65/80/94 interchange in NW Indiana between 3pm and 6pm, I'd take I-80 to I-355.  Otherwise I'd take I-90 right through the city.  Unless I had specific plans that evening in Schaumburg, I'd time my trip so that I hit Merrillville a bit after 5, stop there for dinner, and then take I-90 through the city after the bulk of rush hour had cleared.

[SEWIGuy]

^^ Ouch.  I'd have her go out I-80 to I-355 and go straight up to Schaumburg from there.  It avoids I-294 and the Loop.  In addition, the loop ramp from I-294 to outbound I-290 is a mess (expect to spend as much as 10 minutes or more at rush hour to take it).  Most of I-355 would be opposite traffic from I-55 to I-88, and not difficult from there north.  South of I-55, I-355 is smooth sailing with a widely ignored 65mph speed limit.  I-80 is fairly easy as well except for dropping a lane at US-45.

Having spent many times going from northern Indiana to southern Wisconsin, I much prefered taking I-294 to I-290 to get up to I-90.  I-80 can be a mess after it drops a lane, and honestly I-355 seemed much longer.  I do know that the loop ramp from I-294 to I-290 can be a pain, but I have never waited *that* long.

Taking the Skyway straight through can get you downtown quickly, but the Kennedy out toward the airport can be an absolute parking lot.

[Stratuscaster]

I've been taking the I-80 W to I-355 N route when coming back from the east/southeast, but it can bottleneck at I-294 sometimes.

Agree that the I-294 N to I-290 W ramp is painful - I try to avoid it at all costs.

Coming in on the Skyway to the Ryan isn't bad - it's that section between the Stevenson and the Eisenhower that is just awful.

[froggie]

FTR, I've taken the 294 to 290 ramp on weekday mid-afternoons without a problem.

[Brandon]

FTR, I've taken the 294 to 290 ramp on weekday mid-afternoons without a problem.

Yeah, before 3 it's not a problem.  However, as I've said, I've spent as much as 10 minutes on it to go from the gore point to the merge on I-290 during rush hour.  It is in dire need of replacement.

[hbelkins]

I am presuming that there should be no problems whatsoever for her to head back south to Kentucky along I-90 on Sunday, mid-morning to early afternoon?

I will probably suggest that she just go ahead and take I-80 to either the Tri-State or I-355 on her way up. I'm guessing that it will be in the latter part of afternoon rush when she hits town but probably better for her to be on the safe side.

Next question: parking near the House of Blues (329 North Dearborn St.)? Any recommendations? She will be attending a concert there Saturday night.

[rawmustard]

Next question: parking near the House of Blues (329 North Dearborn St.)? Any recommendations? She will be attending a concert there Saturday night.

I would suggest she take public transit. It's easily worth the money and headaches saved driving into the city and then trying to find a reasonably-priced parking spot. Goroo is probably the best site to plan for that aspect (you can specify by addresses or landmarks and specific arrival or departure times).

[mgk920]

I am presuming that there should be no problems whatsoever for her to head back south to Kentucky along I-90 on Sunday, mid-morning to early afternoon?

I will probably suggest that she just go ahead and take I-80 to either the Tri-State or I-355 on her way up. I'm guessing that it will be in the latter part of afternoon rush when she hits town but probably better for her to be on the safe side.

Next question: parking near the House of Blues (329 North Dearborn St.)? Any recommendations? She will be attending a concert there Saturday night.

Park at the CTA's Cumberland Ave park and ride ramp on the Kennedy (I-90, just 'in' from ORD) and take the CTA 'Blue Line' downtown.  Get off at the first stop on the Dearborn subway (trains make multiple stops along a very loooooong station platform there) and she'll be four blocks south of where she wants to be, the House of Blues is on the north shore of the Chicago river.  Lots less hassles and far cheaper to go in/out that way than trying to park downtown.

Enjoy!

Mike

[Brandon]

I am presuming that there should be no problems whatsoever for her to head back south to Kentucky along I-90 on Sunday, mid-morning to early afternoon?

I will probably suggest that she just go ahead and take I-80 to either the Tri-State or I-355 on her way up. I'm guessing that it will be in the latter part of afternoon rush when she hits town but probably better for her to be on the safe side.

Next question: parking near the House of Blues (329 North Dearborn St.)? Any recommendations? She will be attending a concert there Saturday night.

Park at the CTA's Cumberland Ave park and ride ramp on the Kennedy (I-90, just 'in' from ORD) and take the CTA 'Blue Line' downtown.  Get off at the first stop on the Dearborn subway (trains make multiple stops along a very loooooong station platform there) and she'll be four blocks south of where she wants to be, the House of Blues is on the north shore of the Chicago river.  Lots less hassles and far cheaper to go in/out that way than trying to park downtown.

Enjoy!

Mike

Most agreed.  It would be easier for her to do that than to use Metra from the Schaumburg area due to the station placement in the Loop.

[hbelkins]

I would suggest she take public transit. It's easily worth the money and headaches saved driving into the city and then trying to find a reasonably-priced parking spot. Goroo is probably the best site to plan for that aspect (you can specify by addresses or landmarks and specific arrival or departure times).

Probably not an option. She was contemplating a trip to Chicago a few years ago so I bought one of those touristy guidebooks for her. One of its recommendations was to NOT take public transit after dark. A female traveling alone? That advice probably goes double.

[SEWIGuy]

Then I would consider taking a taxi.  It might actually be cheaper than parking.

[agentsteel53]

yeah, there are some nasty parts of Chicago - the only reason I didn't get mugged or offered drugs is because I was driving an '89 Escort and looked like I couldn't afford either.

[hbelkins]

Just to follow up. She changed her plans and spent one night in Schaumburg, taking I-80 to I-355 to I-290 to get there. Traffic was a bit hairy in some spots, as she was in evening rush, but no major problems.

The rest of the trip, she decided to stay at the Best Western River North on Ohio Street. They have free parking, it's a very touristy area, and is a short walk to the House of Blues. She has a great view of the Rainforest Cafe. Her drive in from Schaumburg to Ohio Street on I-90 wasn't as bad as I would have expected given the time of day she was on the road.

I'm guessing that the downtown interstates won't be a problem on a Sunday mid-morning to early afternoon? She'll be departing then, and I will probably be doing that drive if I go to the Wausau meet this summer. Since I've never been to Chicago, I'll want to drive through it on the way back and I'll have the opportunity to clinch another interstate (I-94 in Illinois and Indiana).

[mgk920]

Just to follow up. She changed her plans and spent one night in Schaumburg, taking I-80 to I-355 to I-290 to get there. Traffic was a bit hairy in some spots, as she was in evening rush, but no major problems.

The rest of the trip, she decided to stay at the Best Western River North on Ohio Street. They have free parking, it's a very touristy area, and is a short walk to the House of Blues. She has a great view of the Rainforest Cafe. Her drive in from Schaumburg to Ohio Street on I-90 wasn't as bad as I would have expected given the time of day she was on the road.

I'm guessing that the downtown interstates won't be a problem on a Sunday mid-morning to early afternoon? She'll be departing then, and I will probably be doing that drive if I go to the Wausau meet this summer. Since I've never been to Chicago, I'll want to drive through it on the way back and I'll have the opportunity to clinch another interstate (I-94 in Illinois and Indiana).

And when you make the drive up here, use US 41 and US 10 between Milwaukee and Stevens Point.  You'll get to check out the US 41 construction-geek zone in the Neenah-Oshkosh area and get to drive the very nice, recently completed US 10 Appleton-Stevens Point four lanes.  With a little 'heads up' from you and any other attendees from the southeast, I'll be able to give a tour of it all.



Mike

[hbelkins]

Will probably do I-39 all the way (another clinch!) and then on the return trip, head east and then I-43 (another clinch!) to I-94. I have a cousin and co-worker who bird hunts somewhere in Wisconsin each year, and he uses I-74 to I-39 out of Indianapolis to avoid Chicago traffic.

[mgk920]

Will probably do I-39 all the way (another clinch!) and then on the return trip, head east and then I-43 (another clinch!) to I-94. I have a cousin and co-worker who bird hunts somewhere in Wisconsin each year, and he uses I-74 to I-39 out of Indianapolis to avoid Chicago traffic.

Well, you could take US 10 from Stevens Point to US 41 in the Appleton-Oshkosh area, check out the six-lane upgrades here and then follow US 41 to the Green Bay area and then do your I-43 thing.



Also, WisDOT just began preliminary work to upgrade the US 41/WI 29 interchange in the Green Bay area from its current conventional diamond to a full-speed directional 'T', piggybacked above and besides the surface streets, with US 41 being upgraded from four to six lanes through the metro area and WI 29 being upgraded to an interstate-compatible freeway from US 41 out to its WI 32 split interchange.

BTW, LOTS of big-rig drivers use the I-39/74 thing as a bypass of Chicagoland - the part of I-39 in Illinois has an unusually heavy percentage of truck traffic for a rural I-route and the ISTHA recently upgraded the I-39/90 split at Rockford to accommodate that.

Mike

[3467]

http://www.dot.state.il.us/maps/statistical.htm

You can see the total volumes on the AADT maps and for deatils there is this new GIS app

I compared growth in traffic on several downstate routes since 1980 and none was as dramitc as this I-74/39 combo

[Scott5114]

Be advised that I-39 in IL is really, really, really boring

[Sykotyk]

Be advised that I-39 in IL is really, really, really boring

I agree.

[SEWIGuy]

When we've gone to the gulf coast of Florida for vacation, we have taken I-39, I-74 and I-57.  I-39 is dull, but man...I-57 south of Campaign is a killer.

[Brandon]

When we've gone to the gulf coast of Florida for vacation, we have taken I-39, I-74 and I-57.  I-39 is dull, but man...I-57 south of Campaign is a killer.

At least there are farms and fields to look at.  I drove I-15 between Barstow and Las Vegas last October, and that was boring, IMHO.  All brown rock and dirt with no green anywhere to be seen.  It made I-80 in Nebraska look good.  I'll take I-57 and I-39 any day over that stretch of I-15.