Morning traffic in Chicago (transferring to, living in, moving)

[WebDude]

I drive Washington DC area traffic daily, so rubbernecking with tens of thousands of my closest friends really doesn't phase me. However, I think you have a couple million more people in your metro area clogging your roads. One problem here is too many people like to drive to work alone -- they dont like carpooling, or public transportation.

I am going up towards Green Bay, so the via Rockford route will not work.

[Lookout Kid]

294 and 94 are your only real choices then. If you can decipher the radio traffic reports (which use the local names like "Dan Ryan", "Kennedy", "Edens", etc.), I'd put on AM 780 to make sure your route doesn't have any special issues like an accident or lane closures.

[chirack]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

294 and 94 are your only real choices then. If you can decipher the radio traffic reports (which use the local names like "Dan Ryan", "Kennedy", "Edens", etc.), I'd put on AM 780 to make sure your route doesn't have any special issues like an accident or lane closures.

Dan Ryan= I90/94 south of the circle interchange and I94 after the Indiana toll road(or Chicago skyway-I90) splits\merges with it

Kennedy=i90/94 north of the circle interchange and I90 after the split

294=tristate

Edens=I94 after it splits from the Kennedy

Jane Addams i90 in the far northwest burbs

294 connects with both I90 and I94, and loops around the city Chicago through some mid to far burbs. The only real stoppage barring construction on 294 is near O'Hare airport and there is no way to avoid O'Hare on your route.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by WebDude

I drive Washington DC area traffic daily, so rubbernecking with tens of thousands of my closest friends really doesn't phase me. However, I think you have a couple million more people in your metro area clogging your roads. One problem here is too many people like to drive to work alone -- they dont like carpooling, or public transportation.

I am going up towards Green Bay, so the via Rockford route will not work.

Leave early, take either the skyway or 94 into the city, follow that through the loop, and then stay right on I-94 when 90 and 94 split near Montrose ave.

Just leave early. If you can get to the Loop by 6:30, traffic shouldn't slow you down too much.

[SJaye]

If you are going to go through the city, you should take the Skyway (I-90 before it merges into the Dan Ryan). I-94 South of the Dan Ryan, the Bishop Ford is under construction on the far south side, and has been a nightmare lately. Although this is the only free route, it should not be considered under these conditions. Traffic on this road is already backed up because people don't want to pay the tolls. That being said, the Skyway bridge toll is $3, and there is a $1.25 toll on the Indiana side. So, taking 294 actually ends up being cheaper in tolls. There is construction on I-80/94 on the Indiana side, refered to as the Boreman expressway, as well as on many parts of 294, including the area just north of OHare Airport. If you are going to be approaching Chicago from I-65, I know the ramp from 65 north to 80/94 west has been quite jammed up lately.

Going through the city might not be too bad is you don't get downtown until after 9 or 9:30. This may be your best bet. You will definately hit traffic from around US Cellular Field, where traffic starts preparing for the I-55 junction through about downtown. However, if you stay right and take the 94 side of the 90/94 split you will most likely be fine, as the 90 side of this split seems to always be more jammed than the 90 side.

[chet everett]

Greenbay is too far east to consider I-39. My personal perference would be 294 instead of dealing with Dan Ryan / Kennedy.

Far fewer exits on 294 more than makes up for sligthly longer total distance -- fewer ramps = fewer chances of collisions that snarl traffic.

[SJaye]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Greenbay is too far east to consider I-39. My personal perference would be 294 instead of dealing with Dan Ryan / Kennedy.

Far fewer exits on 294 more than makes up for sligthly longer total distance -- fewer ramps = fewer chances of collisions that snarl traffic.

Have you driven on 294 recently? A sizable section of the road is under construction (http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_pageid=133,1401625&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTA L - broken link), and I was wondering if that would be a major slow down or not.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by SJaye

Have you driven on 294 recently? A sizable section of the road is under construction (http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_pageid=133,1401625&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTA L - broken link), and I was wondering if that would be a major slow down or not.

I am on 294 most days. The section between O'Hare and south end (where the Kennedy /Dan Ryan would be an alternate) is not terribly screwed up.

[WebDude]

I like that after 9:00 am deal -- which was something I was seriously considering anyway. So if I cross from Indiana around 9:00 am, I-90/94 through downtown should be about ready to settle down?

[prairiestate]

I drove from the south suburbs up to Green Bay at the end of August. It is literally non stop construction form the south suburbs of Chicago to the north suburbs of Milwaukee on 294, 94 and 43. It was a six hour drive total (without stopping).