Interstate 190 Illinois

Interstate 190 Illinois

Overview

Interstate 190 represents the western extent of the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago. The spur directly links Interstate 90 with O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Although it is primarily designed to connect to the O’Hare passenger terminals, the freeway also provides the connections from I-90 west to I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) south and from the tollway north to the inbound Kennedy Expressway along I-90 east. Passenger rail rapid transit accompanies all of I-190, serving commuters between Downtown and the airport.

The $23.89 million East River Road / Cumberland Flyover Project improved connections at the east end of Interstate 190, where the Kennedy Expressway combines with I-90 leading into Chicago. Design work was approved for the project on March 4, 2011. The East River Road contract was let on September 18, 2015. Construction completed by late 2016 rebuilt the East River Road overpass to accommodate expansion of I-90 and the new distributor roadway along eastbound.

Route Information

  • East End – Chicago, IL

  • West End – Chicago O’Hare Int’l Airport

  • Mileage – 3.07

  • Cities – Chicago, Park Ridge, Schiller Park, Harwood Heights

  • Junctions – I-294 I-90

Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

I-190 - East River Road / Cumberland Flyover Project

The Cumberland Flyover contract was let on September 16, 2016. Work on the new 845 foot long overpass spanning the CTA Blue Line and eastbound roadway for I-190 ran through November 2018. The flyover forms a distributor roadway separating traffic bound for IL 171 (Cumberland Avenue) from the convergence of I-90 and I-190. Associated construction widened Interstate 190 east from the Des Plaines River to I-90.

History

Opened to traffic on November 5, 1960, the Kennedy Expressway originates at the Jane Byrne (Circle) Interchange with the Dan Ryan Expressway and Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290). Connecting Downtown Chicago with O’Hare International Airport (ORD), the 16 mile long expressway was constructed at a cost of $237 million.1,2 Prior to 1978, the Kennedy Expressway was numbered as just I-94 from the Circle Interchange northwest to the Edens Expressway, as Illinois Route 194 from the Edens Expressway to the Northwest Tollway, and as Illinois Route 594 along the O’Hare Airport spur. I-90 at the time was routed along the Eisenhower Expressway.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) request to add Illinois Route 594 to the Interstate system in a letter dated October 25, 1978. The route was found to be constructed to Interstate standards and deemed a logical addition to the system. The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHTO) approved Interstate 190 on January 23, 1979.

Originally named the Northwest Expressway, the freeway was renamed the John F. Kennedy Expressway on November 29, 1963, one week to the minute after the famous U.S. President was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. New rapid transit rail service went into operation within the Kennedy Expressway median on February 1, 1970, shortly after commuter rail service began on the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94).1,2

The U.S. Route 12/45 Mannheim Road Project underway between Spring 2013 and Fall 2015 reconfigured the cloverleaf interchange joining Interstate 190 with the arterial route. Split into two contracts, work widened 3.2 miles of U.S. 12/45 to six overall lanes north of IL 19 (Irving Park Road) to IL 72 (Higgins Road). The $59.6 million project removed both eastbound ramps from I-190 to Mannheim Road. The connection to U.S. 12/45 was shifted onto O’Hare Road east from Bessie Coleman Road to the entrance ramps near Balmoral Avenue.

East End I-90 – Chicago, Illinois

I-190 Kennedy Expwy – East at I-90

I-190 east at I-90 - Rosemont, IL

Interstate 190 continues east from the ramps with the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) through a three quarter cloverleaf interchange (Exits 1B/A) with River Road. The Kennedy Expressway converges with I-90 in 0.9 miles. 06/13/15

I-190 east at I-90 - Rosemont, IL

Exit 1A loops onto River Road north to IL 82 (Higgins Road). An advance sign references the forthcoming exit from Interstate 90 east to IL 171 (Cumberland Avenue). 06/13/15

I-190 east at I-90 - Chicago, IL

An end shield accompanies milepost 0.33 at the wye interchange joining the Kennedy Expressway with the south end of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Construction for the Cumberland Flyover in 2017 displaced this assembly. 06/13/15

I-190 east at I-90 - Chicago, IL

Interstate 190 defaults onto I-90 east, a half mile ahead of the parclo interchange (Exit 79) with the north end of IL 171 (Cumberland Road) and adjacent IL 72 (Higgens Road). 06/13/15

I-90 Kennedy Expwy – West at I-190

I-90 west at I-190 - Chicago, IL

Interstate 190 branches west from I-90 two miles beyond Exit 80 for Canfield Road. 09/03/05

I-90 west at I-190 - Chicago, IL

The Kennedy Expressway meets IL 72 (Higgens Road) and IL 171 (Cumberland Avenue) at Exit 78 just ahead of I-190. IL 171 stems south from parallel IL 72 to Norridge and River Grove. 09/03/05

I-90 west at I-190 - Chicago, IL

Interstate 90 shifts onto the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway at Exit 78, as the Kennedy Expressway extends west along I-190 to O’Hare International Airport (ORD). 09/03/05

I-90 west at I-190 - Chicago, IL

Interstate 294 (Tri-State Tollway) meets both I-90 and I-190 just west of their separation at partial interchanges. I-190 connects with the toll road south while the I-90 mainline meets I-294 north directly. 09/03/05

I-90 west at I-190 - Chicago, IL

East River Road spans Interstate 90 west just ahead of the wye interchange (Exit 78) with I-190. The Jane Addams Memorial Tollway leads northwest from here to Elgin, Rockford and South Beloit. 09/03/05

I-90 west at I-190 - Chicago, IL

Two lanes elevate across the Northwest Tollway and Des Plaines River to a loop ramp for River Road and the village of Rosemont, and a left exit for Interstate 294 (Tri-State Tollway) south to Elmhurst, Berkeley and Oak Brook. 09/03/05

West End – O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – Chicago, Illinois

I-190 Kennedy Expwy – West at Chicago O’Hare Int’l Airport

I-190 west at US 12/45 - Rosemont, IL

Interstate 190 curves southwest from the Tri-State Tollway to the three quarter cloverleaf interchange (Exit 2A) with U.S. 12-45 (Mannheim Road). 06/20/15

I-190 west at US 12/45 - Chicago, IL

I-190 westbound passes below a CN Railroad at Exit 2A) for U.S. 12/45 (Mannheim Road) north. The speed limit reduces to 45 miles per hour here. 09/03/05

I-190 west at US 12/45 - Chicago, IL

U.S. 12/45 (Mannheim Road) combine along the east side of O’Hare International Airport (ORD), connecting I-190 with various offsite parking areas and rental car facilities. Photo by Brian Dowd (12/23/02).

I-190 west at Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport

Maintenance of the Kennedy Expressway shifts from the Illinois Department of Transportation to the city of Chicago west from the exchange with Mannheim Road. All remaining exits along westbound serve the airport. 06/20/15

I-190 west at Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport

A two lane ramp follows for Bessie Coleman Drive, which serves the International Terminal (#5), select rental car pickup/dropoff, and economy parking. The airport loop separates ahead into roadways for the upper deck / departures and lower deck / arrivals. 06/20/15

I-190 Kennedy Expwy – East

I-190 east - Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport

The airport access road continues past the passenger terminals and turns east to leave O’Hare International Airport via I-190 (Kennedy Expressway). 06/20/15

I-190 east at US 12/45 - Chicago, IL

The Kennedy Expressway passes below a pair of airport runways a quarter mile ahead of the unnumbered exit for Bessie Coleman Drive and O’Hare Way east. Bessie Coleman Drive serves Airport Return/Rental Car Pickup areas while O’Hare Way winds east to connect with U.S. 12/45 (Mannheim Road). 09/03/05

I-190 east at US 12/45 - Chicago, IL

Overheads placed by the city of Chicago direct motorists to the Bessie Coleman Drive off-ramp and the continuation of the Kennedy Expressway east to I-190, I-294 and I-90. 09/03/05

I-190 east at US 12/45 - Chicago, IL

Interstate 190 begins at the exchange with U.S. 12 /45 (Mannheim Road). Exits 2B/A for U.S. 12/45 (Manheim Road) permanently closed as part of the U.S. Route 12/45 Mannheim Road Project in 2014. The succeeding exit links with the Tri-State Tollway south. 09/03/05

I-190 east at US 12/45 - Chicago, IL

Eastbound at the former loop ramp (Exit 2A) for U.S. 12/45 (Mannheim Road) north. Exits for Interstate 294 north to Milwaukee and south to Lansing depart over the next 0.6 miles. Photo by Brian Dowd (12/23/02).

Sources:

  1. Chicago Timeline: 1960 Northwest Expressway Completed; November 29, 1963 Renamed The John F. Kennedy Expressway, http://www.chipublib.org/004chicago/timeline/kennedyx.html Chicago Public Library, updated August 1997.
  2. Encyclopedia of Chicago: Expressways by Dennis McClendon of the Chicago Historical Society.

Page updated July 19, 2021.