Did you know that Chicago was supposed to have an additional expressway? Named the Crosstown Expressway, or I-494, it was supposed to cut southward through Chicago's North and West sides, connecting the Kennedy (I-90/94) to Midway Airport and the Stevenson (I-55). The plan was cancelled after local resident put up strong opposition to a project that would have torn down several neighborhoods. The $1.9 billion of federal funds allocated to the project were redirected to future transit development, including the Blue Line extension to O'Hare in 1984 and the construction of the Orange Line to Midway in 1993. #CivilEngineering #ChicagoTransit #DidYouKnow
interesting…..maybe additional highways in Chicagoland would be a great idea now with the amount of traffic that has doubled over the last 20 years
The north/south alignment of the Crosstown was Cicero Ave. For many years, IDOT projects were also funded by reallocated dollars from the Crosstown.
A north-south road bypassing downtown and connecting the other expressways is still desperately needed. There were also similar plans for north-south transit via the L (light rail) along an abandoned rail line near Cicero Avenue, and Metra (heavy passenger rail) further to the west.
Writer, Journalist and Editor
5dYes. In addition to the Crosstown, Daley was planning to make major changes to the CTA's train lines, including demolishing the elevated tracks in the Loop, adding subways and establishing new lines. The 1970s recession was a major factor in why the Crosstown and changes to transit weren't implemented.