Circle Interchange Construction Plan Riles Neighbors
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The drive through the Circle Interchange will eventually be filled with construction barrels.
The Illinois Department Of Transportation is planning a four-year construction project and despite some changes, some living nearby are still not happy with the plans.
CBS 2 Susanna Song reports from the West Loop that the expressway makeover is not sitting well with area residents.
At a public hearing last night, IDOT officials revealed major changes to the 60-year-old spaghetti bowl of ramps that merge the Eisenhower, Dan Ryan and Kennedy expressways.
Some are upset that the proposed ramp is too close to their building and they don't want to deal with all the noise and lower property values.
On Monday, CBS 2's Brad Edwards talked to residents at the Green Street Lofts in Greektown, who said the original plan was to have a new ramp only seven feet from the building.
The compromise moves it to between 20 to 26 feet away, but resident still rejected that proposal.
However, IDOT says the project is a must. The plan also calls for adding lanes on ramps and the main roadway to ease the congestion.
The Circle Interchange is one of the most congested highway bottlenecks in the country, with 400,000 drivers using it every day.
The revamp, IDOT says, will reduce delays by as much as 50 percent.
The $420 million plan has yet to be finalized and IDOT still needs to secure federal and state funding.
