Many roads run through the major city of Chicago, Illinois, due to its status as a major hub for transportation and trade. In this article we shall discuss these roads, and why some should be prioritized more than other roads.
First off, we shall discuss the Interstate system’s roads that pass through the city, and the first one we shall talk about is Interstate 90, also known as the Kennedy Expressway. The Interstate runs from the northwest, passing really close to O’Hare International Airport, and connecting with roads that come from that airport. That is why I-90 is the first one to be discussed, as people usually travel via air, and require the quickest route to whatever city they plan on visiting. I-90 is perfect for visitors en-route to Chicago. The expressway also interchanges with Interstate 94 near Mayfair Park, becoming concurrent with it for quite some time. It then figuratively cuts the city in half, passing near downtown Chicago, it splits from Interstate 94 near South State Street. The expressway then exits the city’s boundaries near the suburb of East Side, and reaches its southern terminus not long after.
A sort of twin road to Interstate 90 is I-94, which comes from the nearby suburb of Lincolnwood in the north, as I told earlier, it becomes concurrent for a while with I-90 near Mayfair Park. Then it splits from I-90 near Norfolk Southern Railroad Yard, where it travels in a straight line southward. It veers from this straight line in an interchange with the northern end point of Interstate 57, moving in a southeasterly direction. It exits the city borders near Little Calumet River.
On the subject of I-57, it ends inside Chicago’s borders after a 386 miles trip from Missouri, more specifically, in the community of Roseland.
Another route of importance is Interstate 55, due to its close proximity to the second most busy airport in the city, Chicago Midway International Airport. It splits the city of Chicago in half, only this time, its horizontally. It interchanges with Interstates 90 and 94, near South Archer Avenue, and passes by the Chinatown of Chicago. It then ends at its terminus on an interchange with US Route 41.
Entering into the city’s administrative boundaries is another route one should take note of when travelling to the Windy City, and that is Interstate 290. It too, like Interstate 55, cuts through the city. It, however, is a wee bit short in terms of length within the city’s borders, only being seven miles long. The eastern end of I-290 is with the interchange with I-90/I-94. After this intersection, the route starts to become elevated, and continues on as a highway until LaSalle Street.
A rather important highway for accessing much of Chicago’s coastal areas is US Route 41/20 (they both enter the city in a concurrency). The route passes through almost all of the city’s coastal zones (with the exception of Rogers Park), including the downtown coastal areas. It leaves the city on the route to Lincolnwood.