Details and a timeline have been revealed for the construction of the W Chicago Avenue and N Halsted Street intersection in River West. The project comes at the same time as the adjacent Bally’s Casino received initial funding and a new design. The project is being led by the Chicago Department of Transportation.

Work will stretch from around N Green Street on the west end to N Kingsbury Street to the east, as well as from W Ancona Street to the south to the Chicago River to the north. N Halsted Street will receive part of a dedicated bus lane up to the intersection, with widened sidewalks on both sides that will relocate bike lanes to sidewalk level with tactile separators along all sides.

This will also relocate the current bus stops to the street edge, split from the main walking path at the furthest edge of the road. Chicago Avenue will see the continuation of the existing BRT lanes, however no dedicated bike lanes will be included along Chicago Avenue. With these changes, all of the intersections will have their rounded corners sharpened with tighter turning radius to increase safety.

The second major aspect will be the construction of a new tied-arch bridge for Chicago Avenue over the river, replacing a temporary bridge erected in 2018. The white arch bridge will allow for a wider crossing as well as for a continuation of the riverwalk under both sides of the river. Other small aspects will include lighting upgrades, traffic signal modernization, and added landscaping.

Comments on the design were being accepted until last month with engineering work entering its final phase. With financing already in place via TIF funds, construction is set to begin by the end of this year and wrap up by the third quarter of 2026. During this period, which will also see the construction of the casino, traffic will be redirected to surrounding streets.

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