Harrison Street Bridge closes for Circle Interchange project

Construction continues on the Morgan Street Bridge over the Eisenhower Expressway. The Halsted Street Bridge narrows to two lanes Feb. 3. Photo: S.K. Vemmer/UIC News

The Harrison Street Bridge over the Dan Ryan Expressway between Halsted and Des Plaines streets will close beginning Feb. 3, as another phase of the Circle Interchange Project begins.

The closure is expected to last for 16 months, until May 2015.

Construction on the Halsted Street Bridge over the Eisenhower Expressway between Harrison and Van Buren Street begins Feb. 3, with the work phased in to allow one lane of traffic in each direction to remain open at all times.

Access to the UIC-Halsted Blue Line Station from the Halsted Street Bridge will be open throughout this phase.

The campus community is advised to avoid the intersection of Harrison and Halsted starting Feb. 3, due to the bridge lane closures on Halsted. The Illinois Department of Transportation Detour Plan suggests the use of Van Buren Street as an alternate route.

The campus recommends other alternatives, including accessing Racine Avenue via Roosevelt Road, Jackson Boulevard and Adams, Monroe and Madison streets.

The CTA will re-route bus routes that cross the Harrison Street Bridge.

Changes continue almost daily as progress continues on the $475 million construction project aimed at improving the flow of traffic through the Circle Interchange which links the Dan Ryan Expressway to the south, Eisenhower Expressway to the west, Congress Parkway to the east and Kennedy Expressway to the north.

The Morgan Street Bridge and I-290 exit ramp were closed in September 2013. The suggested detour is Van Buren to Racine to Harrison.

The entrance and ramp to the platform of the UIC-Halsted Street Blue Line train station will remain closed until the reconstruction of the Morgan Street Bridge is complete.

The CTA entrance and exits to the Peoria Street Bridge will remain open until the Morgan Street Bridge is rebuilt and the entrance and ramp to the train station reopen.