Question to the Chicago area members:

On my drive to/from PA to the Boundary Waters I usually travel I-80 to I-294/I-290/I-90. Last time through in 2021 it was a construction/traffic nightmare for this country boy, nearly got taken out a time or two by idiot drivers. On my way home I stayed on I-39 South to La Salle/I-80 to avoid all that mess. I-39 adds a little time/distance, has been less congested tho, and I consider it all a wash with the toll road savings. Both ways I always seen to hit the Chicago area around 7-8 pm and traffic is never light.

I understand this is a multi-year project, so my question is: Is the project far enough along that traffic moves smoothly enough to take this route, or is I-39 the better route.

Thanks for your input.

80-355-88-39 seems a good option

I always take 90 through Indiana and into Chicago. I follow it up past Rockford, IL right into Wisconsin until it meets up with 39 in Madison. I usually time it up with the rush hour traffic in Chi-town, but I've gone through there around your timeframe and the traffic hasn't been too bad.

Because I live near the junction of I-294 and I-55, I've always taken the 294/290/90 route. The traffic is always heavy. Indeed, there are only 3 traffic conditions in the current 294/290 corridor: heavy, insanely heavy, and stopped. You just have to deal with it or take the route suggested above by sedges. Alternatively, you could take I-294 to I-88 west because I-294 traffic from I-80 north to I-88 flows well although it is heavy. Avoid rush hours (3:30 to 6:30 PM) if possible.

Keep right on going west on I-80 to I-39. Then north through Madison. May take a few more minutes, but if the traffic is slow/stopped, perhaps not as much as you think.

sedges: "80-355-88-39 seems a good option"

A friend of mine turned me on to this route. It has been much more pleasant. 80 all the way to 39 seems to take a lot more time than you think.

I drive 294 several times a month both ways.
Go out to 39.
That is the better route.

cowdoc: "

sedges: "80-355-88-39 seems a good option"

A friend of mine turned me on to this route. It has been much more pleasant. 80 all the way to 39 seems to take a lot more time than you think."

This has become my regular route.

I usually time it so i’m on 90 between 4-6am, so it works out fine.
If i were coming from out east, though it might be a few hours longer, i’d be tempted to go to Ludington and get on the SS Badger across Lake Michigan to Manitowoc, Wi and then continue the drive. For fun and four hours off driving.
The 39 option is a good alternative as others have mentioned.

Going via the Badger Ferry is a fun ride. It is more time consuming though. If you are bringing a canoe on top of your vehicle, you may want to call them first to see if they have any objections, added cost, etc.

Tom

Illinois is known as the Land of Two Seasons:

Winter and Road Construction

quark2222: "Going via the Badger Ferry is a fun ride. It is more time consuming though. If you are bringing a canoe on top of your vehicle, you may want to call them first to see if they have any objections, added cost, etc.


Tom"

Agree. Great trip. Would add time. I camped in Manistee National Forest.

Take I80 to 355 north to 90 west if you want to end up on 39 north. 355 is going to get north a lot quicker than snaking along the same distance on 39.

This is my hood, I have drove all these routes a billion times. That is the way I would go.

Thanks to all for your advice.

I'm now thinking of just staying on 90, as HighnDry suggested.
or
80-355-88-39 as sedges said.
or
355 as scat would go, though that connects to 290, hopefully beyond the construction.

90 and 355 seems like the easiest/quickest routes. I'll have to map them out.

Thanks again.

355 is like the autobahn, 4 lanes you'll never get hung up. The construction at 90/290 is miles east of 355, not a factor. Just sayin.

Just keep heading north, you'll get there.

scat:
Just keep heading north, you'll get there."

LOL!

The good news is that once you reach Rockford, IL., you will have six lanes, 3 each way north of Madison to about where I39/51 turn off. Was there in late April and no major road construction. I concur with avoiding the I294 mess.

HighnDry: " I always take 90 through Indiana and into Chicago. I follow it up past Rockford, IL right into Wisconsin until it meets up with 39 in Madison. I usually time it up with the rush hour traffic in Chi-town, but I've gone through there around your timeframe and the traffic hasn't been too bad."

I’d skip going through Chicago southbound unless you’re traveling at a really off-peak time. Two lanes are closed on 90/94 from about Montrose to the Loop.

Otherwise, I didn’t know anyone ever had an expectation there wouldn’t be construction on the tollways.

I live close to the I-80/I-55 intersection. Google maps always tries to send me up 355 to 88 or 290/90 when I am heading NW into Wisconsin. I refuse. I always take the 80 to 39 route. No tolls other than the one in Rockford, plus some of the cheapest gas in northern Illinois is near the 80/39 interchange.