Programming Scoping Report. Circle Interchange

Transcription

1 Circle Interchange Junction of the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Dan Ryan Expressways City of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois October 3, 0 Prepared For: Illinois Department of Transportation District One 0 W Center Ct Schaumburg, IL 6096 Prepared By: AECOM 303 East Wacker Drive, Suite 900 Chicago, IL 6060

2 Table of Contents I Executive Summary II Study Methodology 3 III Existing Deficiencies 6 IV Design Constraints 7 V Alternatives 0 VI Recommendations 6 List of Tables Table Estimated Project Costs Table Estimated Short Term Improvement Project Costs Table 3 Estimated Long Term Improvement A Project Costs Table 4 Estimated Long Term Improvement B Project Costs Table 5 Opinion of Probable Costs List of Figures Figure - Existing Conditions Figure - Long Term Improvement A Improve system ramps on similar alignment Figure 3 - Long Term Improvement B Improve system ramps on similar alignment plus construct a new NB to WB fly-over Figure 4 Traffic Volumes Appendix Appendix A - Site Photos Appendix B - Detailed Geometric Discussion of Long Term Improvement Alternatives Appendix C Opinion of Probable Costs November, 0

3 I Executive Summary Circle Interchange The I-90/94 & I-90 Circle Interchange in downtown Chicago is one of the worst bottlenecks in the country for traffic congestion The Circle Interchange links the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) to the south, the Eisenhower Expressway (I-90) to the west, Congress Parkway to the east and the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) to the north The interchange experiences breakdown conditions for many hours of the day, causing substantial queuing in every direction A recent study by the American Transportation Research Institute listed the Circle Interchange as the # bottleneck in the country, based on the speed of freight vehicles The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) requested AECOM to prepare a quick, two week, traffic analysis of the interchange, and to document IDOT proposed improvements with drawings and opinion of cost estimates This memo documents the results of the analysis for the following conditions: Existing Conditions Short Term Improvement Closure of specific ramps Interim Improvement Closure of specific ramps plus improvements to NB to WB movement Long Term Improvement A Improve system ramps on similar alignment Long Term Improvement B Improve system ramps on similar alignment plus construct a new NB to WB fly-over ramp Table Estimated Project Costs Improvement Estimated Cost Short Term Improvement $84,000 Interim Improvement * Long Term Improvement A $5,338,000 Long Term Improvement B $30,090,000 * No costs have been developed for an interim improvement due to the various scenarios possible for the NB to WB movement and associated impacts to adjacent ramps November, 0

4 II Study Methodology AECOM developed the traffic analysis, improvement drawings and cost estimates using the methodology below Traffic Volumes IDOT provided traffic volumes for May 0 th, 009 The traffic volumes included mainline and ramp volumes for the project area, but not intersection turning movement volumes Subsequently, the analysis does not include ramp terminal intersections AECOM evaluated the traffic volumes and determined the highest counted volumes were in the AM peak from 7 to 8 AM The worst problems at the interchange occur in the PM peak hour, but the counted volumes in the PM peak hour are significantly lower Some of the counted PM peak freeway volumes are up to half of the AM peak hour volumes The traffic counts demonstrate that after a facility breaks down, significantly less volume passes through the network due to stop and go traffic The demand volume in the PM peak is much higher than the counted volume We did not have a method to determine the demand volume in the short timeframe, so we used the counted traffic volumes from the AM peak hour The traffic volumes are summarized on the Traffic Volume Exhibit attached as Figure 4 AECOM made several adjustments to the traffic volumes The AM peak volumes did not show significant congestion on NB I-90/94 approaching the Circle Interchange, so we increased the NB volume by 50 vehicles After the counts were taken, the NB I-90/94 exit to Monroe Street exit ramp was closed We redistributed the Monroe Street exit volume to adjacent exit ramps to rebalance the freeway traffic counts Then, we balanced all of the traffic counts in the project area, starting at the system ramps at the Circle and working outwards The analysis was developed for the existing traffic volumes We did not prepare analysis for future forecasted traffic volumes VISSIM Modeling AECOM constructed a micro-simulation model of the project area in the VISSIM software The model was constructed using 0 lane geometry with the Congress Parkway ramps open We set up the speeds in the model as 45 MPH for I-90/94 and I-90, 35 MPH for Congress Parkway, 45 MPH for service interchange entrance and exit ramps, and 35 MPH for the circle system interchange ramps We adjusted the micro-simulation driver parameters to make them very aggressive in lane changing and merging to reflect the nature of drivers in the project area Given the short timeframe given for the study, we did not calibrate the traffic model to existing field conditions Because the model is not calibrated, it is not suitable for detailed traffic operations results Rather, it can be used for qualitative 3 November, 0

5 comparisons of alternatives Future studies of the interchange should include calibration of the simulation model to give planners greater confidence in the effect of the improvements Opinion of Cost The opinion of cost for each alternative was developed using quantities calculated in MicroStation using aerial photography obtained from the USGS and Google websites as a background Existing geometry was established using the aerial photography along with City of Chicago GIS topographical information Proposed geometry was developed based initially on the improvement alternatives memorandum from Steve Brink, IDOT Bureau of Traffic Expressway Operations, dated September 9 th A more detailed discussion of the proposed geometry for each alternative is discussed in later sections Estimate Methodology This opinion of cost has been developed by identifying and quantifying major construction elements and using a combination of specific items and inclusive items that comprise multiple biddable items Certain items have not been quantified specifically, due to the lack of a detailed design, and utilize percentage costs of other proposed items Contingency The AACEI defines contingency as "a specific provision for unforeseeable elements of cost within the defined project scope; particularly important where previous experience relating estimates and actual costs has shown that unforeseeable events which will increase costs are likely to occur" Note that the contingency is not intended to cover future inflation By including a contingency, the accuracy level of the estimate has not changed For this opinion of cost, the recommendation for construction contingency is 5 percent Escalation No escalation has been applied to this opinion of probable cost All costs shown are in 0 dollars Cost Model Unit Price Development The major items that have been quantified are items easily identified based upon the limited proposed design developed No specific items have been developed to a detail that can utilize bid tabulation data (ie new pavement has not been broken into the multiple items that will constitute a proposed pavement section) The below items will constitute the majority of the construction costs and are reasonably defined at this stage of concept design These items include: Removals o Milling 4 November, 0

6 o Pavement (mainline, ramps and shoulders) o Curb and gutter o Barrier wall o Bridges o Retaining Walls New Pavement o Resurfacing o Patching o Mainline, ramps and shoulders o Curb and gutter Earthwork Lighting (Based upon existing system affected by improvements) Large directional signing relocations and panel replacements Pavement markings and small network signage Off network signage Reconstructed and new bridges Proposed retaining walls Proposed noise abatement walls Aesthetic treatments for bridges and walls Additional cost items have been calculated as a percentage of a portion of the above items The percentage method has been used due to the level of design that has taken place These items include: Drainage improvements Erosion control Roadway safety items Miscellaneous items Maintenance of traffic Design and construction engineering 5 November, 0

7 III Existing Deficiencies The Circle Interchange is highly congested, and operates in breakdown conditions for most of the day Many of the system ramps are over capacity, including NB to WB, SB to WB and EB to NB ramps Furthermore, the system ramps do not have adequate merging distance onto their respective freeways The following is a list of specific deficiencies at the Circle Interchange: NB I-90/94 to WB I-90 single lane ramp is over capacity There is significant congestion at the diverge point from I-90/94; I-90/94 on ramps to WB I-90 have a forced merge and significant weaving to the Morgan Street exit ramp; EB I-90 ramp to NB I-90/94 has a forced merge with the WB Congress Parkway ramp to NB I- 90/94 and does not have adequate merging distance; SB I-90/94 ramp to WB I-90 single lane ramp is over capacity; EB I-90 diverge to NB and SB I-90/94 has many decision points in a short distance; The NB and SB I-90/94 three through lanes in the core of the interchange are over capacity; I-90/94 north of I-90 has many exit and left entrance ramps in a short distance In the NB direction, there are 4 NB exits and 4 NB left entrances in the 7 blocks north of the Circle Interchange; EB and WB Congress Parkway east of the Circle Interchange has short merge and weaving lengths to the Canal Street ramps; WB Congress Parkway entrance onto SB I-90/94 has poor sight distance and short merge length; All system interchange ramps have poor design speed 6 November, 0

8 IV Design Constraints Located in the heart of downtown Chicago, the Circle Interchange is situated directly adjacent to the central business district to the east, Greektown to the northwest and the UIC Campus to the southwest There are a numerous physical design constraints which need to be considered throughout the design development and alternatives analysis See Figure for an aerial layout of the existing interchange and constraints mapping Some of the major design constraints include: Adjacent Businesses: The primary property owners or adjacent buildings that could potentially be impacted by the reconstruction of the interchange and are a design constraint include: IDOT Pump Station No 5 located in the NE quadrant of the interchange at the intersection of Van Buren Street and Des Plaines Street; City of Chicago Cermak Pumping Station located at 75 W Harrison Street between the NB and SB Dan Ryan lanes; Haberdasher Square Lofts located on the north side of Jackson Boulevard limits widening of the Kennedy Expressway to the east; CTA bus transfer/holding station located in the SE quadrant of the interchange at the intersection of Harrison Street and Des Plaines Street Other property owners or nearby buildings that could potentially be impacted by either the reconstruction of the interchange or modifications to ramp access include: UIC Campus located west of the Dan Ryan Expressway and south of the Eisenhower Expressway; Greektown located west of the Kennedy Expressway and north of the Eisenhower Expressway; Greyhound Bus Station located between Des Plaines Street and Jefferson Street along Harrison Street; The Old Post Office Redevelopment spans over Congress Parkway between Canal Street and the South Branch of the Chicago River CTA Tunnel & Station: The CTA Blue Line extends westward out of downtown located within the median of the Eisenhower Expressway (I-90) The CTA Blue Line UIC-Halsted Station is located just west of the Circle Interchange with pedestrian access to the station provided from the Halsted Street Bridge and the pedestrian bridge at Peoria Street that span over I-90 East of the UIC-Halsted Station, the CTA Blue Line enters two tunnel portals and extends below the Circle Interchange The Blue Line begins operation as a subway extending eastward until it curves north running below Dearborn Street There are two additional tunnel portals to the north of the two active 7 November, 0

9 Blue Line portals east of Halsted Street which were built into the line when the Congress Line and a short section of connecting subway opened in 958 These two additional tunnels were intended for projected future subway lines that were never built Additionally, there is space within the I-90 median between Halsted Street and just west of Morgan Street set aside to accommodate future tracks Over the years a number of concepts were considered for expanding subway service, yet no additional proposals have been officially advanced for the use of the extra portals at Halsted Street and they sit unused today It is uncertain as to how far the two additional tunnels extend below the interchange, but future improvements within the interchange may have to consider spanning all four (4) tunnels or modifying the tunnels to accommodate proposed bridge pier foundations To the west of the interchange, it may be feasible to work with the CTA to acquire additional right-of-way within the WB I-90 median to accommodate future improvements Interchange Geometry With the high volumes of trucks and heavy vehicles traveling through the Circle Interchange, lane widths, weave and merge lengths and both the horizontal and vertical alignments constrain the operations and safety aspects of the interchange The initial alternatives analysis reveals that the single greatest improvement to the operations of the interchange involve the addition of lanes on the NB to WB ramp and the EB to NB ramp Modifications to the horizontal curves and the vertical profiles will also benefit the operations and safety of the interchange Per BDE Chapter 39 for reconstructed urban arterials, existing structures with a vertical clearance of 4-0 may be allowed to remain in place For a freeway or expressway passing through a highly developed urban area, a 4-9 vertical clearance may be provided if a circumferential route is designated around the urbanized area and if the circumferential route has a minimum vertical clearance of 6-0 The vertical clearances at all structures will need to be evaluated, and where feasible, improvements to the vertical clearances shall be made At this time, the conceptual design has not considered improvements to vertical clearance, and in some cases, the proposed geometry may worsen clearance unless profile or structure type changes are made Based upon information contained on the IDOT vertical clearance database ( some of the existing ramp, mainline I-90 and crossroad bridges have clearances below 4-9 The physical footprint of the interchange and the highly developed surrounding area (see Adjacent Businesses above) limit significant expansion of the interchange The proposed interchange alternatives have been developed assuming no additional right-of-way will be acquired to accommodate these improvements Additionally, the CTA Blue Line subway running directly below the interchange also limits the reconfiguration of the interchange ramps In developing Long Term Improvement B with the NB to WB flyover ramp, the following elements were taken into consideration The flyover ramp crosses over both the Harrison Street and Halsted Street 8 November, 0

10 bridges maintaining a minimum vertical clearance of 4-9 To establish the cost of this alternative, the length of flyover ramp was developed with a maximum slope of 4% and assumed superstructure depth of 0 based upon a cursory design for a segmental box structure 9 November, 0

11 V Alternatives A Short Term Improvement (Ramp Closures) The geometric changes in the Short Term Improvement include: Closure of the SB Lake Street entrance to I-90/94 Closure of the WB exit from I-90 to Morgan Street As part of the Morgan Street exit removal, the striping on I-90 would be modified such that the NB to WB and SB to WB system ramps do not merge and are instead added lanes The left lane of WB I-90 is tapered out prior to the I- 90/94 entrance ramps to maintain four (4) WB I-90 lanes Consider closing WB Canal Street entrance to Congress Parkway Operational Analysis The closure of the Lake Street entrance has a minor positive effect on the traffic operations of the Circle Interchange, but likely a more substantial safety benefit The Lake Street entrance taper is very short and many drivers stop at the bottom of the entrance ramp and force their way into traffic, creating unsafe conditions The closure of the Morgan Street exit and subsequent restriping of the lanes on I-90 has a significant positive effect on the operations of the interchange The lane configuration of the proposed improvement optimizes the WB I-90 merging traffic volumes by lane On WB Congress Parkway, tapering out the left lane to create two through lanes leaves the right most lane more available for traffic merging in from I-90/94 Reducing the Congress Parkway thru lanes to two lanes allows the NB to WB and SB to WB system ramps to enter I-90 in their own lane, eliminating the forced merge Having the system ramps enter I-90 in their own lane significantly improves the merging operations because drivers are not forced to change lanes With the SB Lake Street entrance and WB Morgan Street exit closed, drivers that use those ramps will divert to other roadways For our analysis, we assumed drivers that would have used the SB Lake Street entrance would use the SB Randolph Street entrance instead We assumed drivers that would have used the WB Morgan Street exit would use the WB Ashland Avenue exit instead Realistically, drivers will spread out to more roadways with the ramp closures, but our analysis assumes the worst case of drivers all diverting to the same location Closing of the WB Canal Street entrance ramp to Congress Parkway has a minor positive effect on traffic operations The closure eliminates the weave on WB Congress Parkway between Canal Street and the ramps to I-90/94 This area is not a major contributor to the bottleneck at the Circle interchange The closure will improve operations and safety, but will not have a significant effect on congestion on I- 90/94 at the interchange Our observations and past experiences indicate that while the weave distance 0 November, 0

12 is relatively short and safety remains a concern, the vehicles who utilize this difficult to find entrance ramp are experienced drivers that do not tend to have issues making this maneuver Access to the Canal Street entrance ramp should remain open throughout the duration of the Wacker Drive Reconstruction Project and consideration given during the construction and redevelopment of the old Post Office site Alternate access locations to WB Congress Parkway and WB I-90 include Wacker Drive (upon completion of construction), Wells Street and the entrance ramp off Van Buren Street at Racine Avenue In discussing the concept alternatives with Brian Kuttab, IDOT Design Project Manager for the Dan Ryan Reconstruction and Circle Interchange Landscaping Improvement Project, he indicated that through the past public involvement efforts that significant public comment was in favor of a major overhaul and complete reconfiguration of the Circle Interchange From past experience on the closure of ramps along the Kennedy and the Dan Ryan, it has been observed that the removal of a number of these ramps has significantly improved safety within the corridor by improving many of the weave and merge transitions Also, by eliminating a number of ramps that had been constrained within a short distance, some of the turbulent traffic maneuvers have been reduced improving both the operations and safety of the facility Opinion of Cost The simple improvements for this alternative that are described in the previous sections are assumed to be made in a quick and semi-permanent fashion The assumption is made that the improvements consist of barrier wall to close off the three ramps, revised pavement marking and revised signage Barrier walls are assumed to be used to effectively block the three ramps from use The following costs include the closure of the Canal Street entrance ramp If this closure does not take place, the cost would be reduced by approximately 35% Table Estimated Short Term Improvement Project Costs Item Estimated Cost Roadway Removals Roadway Improvements $5,000 Ancillary Roadway Construction Signing and Pavement Marking $99,000 Lighting Roadway Safety Items Miscellaneous Roadway Items $5,000 Structure Removal Proposed Structures Maintenance of Traffic $7,000 Construction Contingencies $46,000 Estimated Construction Cost $6,000 Engineering/Construction Management $6,000 Total Estimated Project Cost $84,000 * Values may not add due to rounding November, 0

13 B Interim Improvement (Ramp Closures w/nb to WB Ramp Improvements) The geometric changes in the Interim Improvement include: Same ramp closures as Short Term Improvement (SB Lake Street entrance, WB Canal Street entrance and WB Morgan Street exit) Adding a lane to the NB I-90/94 to WB I-90 ramp in its current location to make it a two lane ramp Operational Analysis The traffic impacts of the ramp closures for the Interim Improvement are the same as the Short Term Improvement An additional lane on the NB I-90/94 to WB I-90 ramp significantly improves traffic flow for both the NB I-90/94 diverge and the WB I-90 merge The widening of this ramp removes one of the bottlenecks at the interchange On WB I-90, the widening of the NB to WB ramp re-introduces the forced merge at the entrance gore In consultation with Bran Kuttab, he strongly feels that the single greatest feature to improve operations and reduce congestion within the interchange would be to add a second lane to the NB to WB ramp He feels the potential may exist to widen the existing ramp up to 3 on each side of the ramp to obtain two lanes with substandard shoulders While in the field, our team observed a semi-trailer pass a stalled vehicle (see Site Photos) without slowing down which supports the fact that minor widening of the existing structure could support two lanes of traffic on an interim basis Brian also feels that an interim improvement like this would be seen very favorably by the public Opinion of Cost At this time, the cost of the interim improvement has not been studied There are numerous alternatives to allow the NB to WB movement to be modified to allow two ramp lanes The existing bridge structure carrying the ramp today is not wide enough to accommodate two lanes Additional roadway widening of the existing ramp is generally feasible, except where the ramp departs or joins other ramp movements just off the mainline There are major difficulties in these areas, including impacts to bridges that are difficult to assess at this time A more costly approach would be to build the necessary portions to accommodate this movement from the selected improvement below This may be a more prudent plan since limited portions of the improvement would be considered temporary until other improvements to the interchange are made November, 0

14 C Long Term Improvement A (NB to WB Ramp Widening) The geometric changes in the Long Term Improvement Concept A include: Adding a thru lane on NB and SB I-90/94 through the entire interchange Adding a lane on the NB to WB system ramp on a similar alignment, making it a two lane ramp Adding a lane on the SB to WB system ramp on a similar alignment, making it a two lane ramp The additional WB I-90 lane created from the improved system ramps are tapered out and dropped prior to the WB Racine Avenue entrance ramp Adding a lane on the EB to NB system ramp on a similar alignment, making it a two lane ramp The additional NB I-90/94 lanes from the improved system ramps are tapered out and dropped as an exit only to Madison Street Ramp closures included in the short term improvement Operational Analysis Long Term Improvement A has a substantial positive effect on the traffic operations of the Circle Interchange The additional lanes increase the throughput of the interchange significantly One of the major issues at the interchange is that after the interchange exceeds capacity, the number of vehicles that can pass through the interchange drops dramatically While the throughput drops, the demand stays the same, creating even more congestion, and causing the congestion to last longer Improvements that delay the onset of congestion will have a significant effect on the daily throughput of the interchange, potentially shortening the duration of the congestion Even with the throughput improvements, the latent demand at the interchange may cause continued congestion Also, the merging from the system ramps onto the west and north leg are considerably better On the west leg of the interchange, the new lanes are prioritized to favor the heavier traffic coming from I- 90/94, rather than Congress Parkway The improvement geometry for the WB I-90 merge area allows more distance to make merging maneuvers On the north leg of the interchange, the new lanes provide more priority for the EB to NB system ramp The existing NB I-90/94 adds a lane at the lower volume Jackson Street entrance ramp, which will be eliminated due to geometric constraints The Long Term Improvement geometry adds the lane with the EB to NB system ramp, which has a much higher volume The improved geometry also provides more merging distance for the WB to NB system ramp The long term improvement creates some additional weaving for vehicles who exit at both NB Madison Street and WB Ashland Avenue Drivers who are uncomfortable with the increased weaving have other options to get to their destinations, such as downstream ramps or via Congress Parkway A more detailed description of the improvements and the associated impacts are included within Appendix B and shown on Figure 3 November, 0

15 Opinion of Cost The improvements described above and in greater detail in the appendix require a considerable investment The below estimate assumes that within the area of improvement, existing pavement to be retained will be resurfaced, including shoulders Significant bridge structures are impacted, although many structures are original to the construction of the interchange with elements over 50 years old Existing bridges that carry mainline or ramp lanes that are not identified to be relocated are proposed to be reconstructed, including a portion of the eastbound and westbound I-90 structures Due to the limited nature of the study and time constraints, the unit costs and quantities identified are general in nature and will fluctuate through more detailed study and design Table 3 Estimated Long Term Improvement A Project Costs Item Estimated Cost Roadway Removals $804,000 Roadway Improvements $7,455,000 Ancillary Roadway Construction $,6,000 Signing and Pavement Marking $6,683,000 Lighting $6,437,000 Roadway Safety Items $35,000 Miscellaneous Roadway Items $,94,000 Structure Removal $,375,000 Proposed Structures $3,95,000 Maintenance of Traffic $9,033,000 Construction Contingencies $39,895,000 Estimated Construction Cost $99,474,000 Engineering/Construction Management $5,864,000 Total Estimated Project Cost $5,338,000 * Values may not add due to rounding 4 November, 0

16 D Long Term Improvement B (NB to WB Flyover) The long term improvements of Concept B are essentially the same as Concept A with the exception the NB to WB ramp which is replaced with a new flyover ramp on new alignment The geometric changes in the Long Term Improvement Concept B include: Adding a thru lane on NB and SB I-90/94 through the entire interchange Constructing a new two-lane NB to WB flyover The additional WB I-90 lane created from the improved system ramps are tapered out and dropped prior to the WB Racine Avenue entrance ramp Adding a lane on the SB to WB system ramp on a similar alignment, making it a two lane ramp Adding a lane on the EB to NB system ramp on a similar alignment, making it a two lane ramp The additional NB I-90/94 lanes from the improved system ramps are tapered out and dropped prior to the Adams Street Bridge Ramp closures included in the short term improvement Operational Analysis Long term Improvement B has a substantial positive effect on the traffic operations of the Circle interchange similar to Long Term Improvement A The major difference between the operations of Long Term Improvement A and B is on WB I-90 Long Term Improvement B separates the merging area from SB I-90/94 and NB I-90/94 into two separate merges Operationally, both options will greatly improve merging operations over the existing condition Moving the NB to WB merge into I-90 further west in Long Term Improvement B will make the weaving on WB I-90 to the Ashland Avenue exit ramp slightly more difficult Long Term Improvement B provides a higher speed connection from NB I-90/94 to WB I- 90, which also increases the throughput of that movement Additionally, during construction of the flyover ramp, traffic will be able to be maintained on the majority of the existing NB to WB ramp thus reducing delays or possibly requiring a ramp closure or staged construction as with Long Term Alternative A A more detailed description of the improvements and the associated impacts are included within Appendix B and shown on Figure 3 Opinion of Cost The improvements described above and in greater detail in the appendix require a considerable investment The below estimate assumes that within the area of improvement, existing pavement to be retained will be resurfaced, including shoulders Significant bridge structures are impacted, although many structures are original to the construction of the interchange with elements over 50 years old Existing bridges that carry mainline or ramp lanes that are not identified to be relocated are proposed to 5 November, 0

17 be reconstructed, including a portion of the eastbound and westbound I-90 structures The major changes to the estimated costs between the two long term improvements are related to the NB to WB flyover and associated impacts at the locations where the flyover connects to the system Due to the limited nature of the study and time constraints, the unit costs and quantities identified are general in nature and will fluctuate through more detailed study and design Table 4 Estimated Long Term Improvement B Project Costs Item Estimated Cost Roadway Removals $939,000 Roadway Improvements $8,486,000 Ancillary Roadway Construction $,74,000 Signing and Pavement Marking $6,668,000 Lighting $6,437,000 Roadway Safety Items $39,000 Miscellaneous Roadway Items $,403,000 Structure Removal $,489,000 Proposed Structures $47,834,000 Maintenance of Traffic $,45,000 Construction Contingencies $49,,000 Estimated Construction Cost $46,03,000 Engineering/Construction Management $63,989,000 Total Estimated Project Cost $30,090,000 * Values may not add due to rounding VI Recommendations Close the Lake Street entrance ramp and Morgan Street exit ramp on a trial basis using temporary barrier wall and temporary signage Evaluate the traffic impacts of the closure If the impacts are acceptable, the ramps may be considered for permanently closing them The improvement alternatives outlined in this memo show significant benefits to traffic operations of the Circle Interchange and should be evaluated further The analysis included in this memo does not reflect traffic demand at the interchange and was prepared in a traffic model that was not calibrated With these deficiencies, the traffic analysis cannot be considered a true analysis of the conditions at the interchange The future evaluation should include an estimation of current and future demand on the interchange, rather than counted traffic The future evaluation should also include calibration of the microsimulation traffic model to give planners more confidence in the impacts of the improvements 6 November, 0

18 3 Evaluate a short term improvement to improve the merging of the I-90 / Congress Parkway ramps onto NB I-90/94 Evaluate if two lanes from these ramps can be carried onto NB I-90/94 and then tapered out 7 November, 0

19 FIGURES 8 November, 0

20 ONE W AY Old Post Office Building S Canal St S Clinton St ONE WAY S Clinton St ONE WAY FDA Chicago District Offices 4 CO NG RESS PARKW AY 4 S Canal St Quaker Oats illinois Institute of Technology 6 Delves Group Bravo Restaurants ONE WAY NB Kennedy and Jackson Street On-Ramp IDOT Pump Station No 5 in NE Quadrant of American Color labs Looking South (Haberdasher Lofts on Left) Presidential Towers Bank of America N Halsted St Greek Islands National Hellenic Museum Meli Cafe & Juice Bar Rodity s Athena Greek Artopolis Science & Engineering Laboratory East UIC Lot 6 Plant Reasearch Laboratory Halsted Street Parking Structure UIC Lot 4 N Halsted St N Halsted St Chase Pegasus UIC Forum Philly s Best Spectrum Greek Town Bar & Grill Gyros CTA Tunnel Kabob Corner Walgreens Store Dominick s 5 Pumping Station 6 Student Recreational Facility 770 Lofts / 9 I Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Skybridge W Van Buren St W Adam s St INTERSTATE WAY S S E R P X E N A DAN RY 3 3 WAY S S RE P X DY E NNE 4 KE 9 0/ 9 I Absa Productions Haymarket Pub & Brewery ONE W AY ONE W AY ONE W AY W M onroe St W W ashi ngt on St W M adi son St 3 3 Cermak Pumping Station, 735 W Parthenon Restaurant and Banquets Weigel Broadcasting Jimmy John s Greek Town RAMP CURRENTLY CLOSED Giordano s The Rice Building Primos Chicago Pizza 3 DURING CONSTRUCTION S Green St 4 N Des Plaines St INTERSTATE Commons North Residence Hall Hull House Science & Engineering Laboratory East Commons South Residence Hall UIC Student Center East Engineering Research Facility UIC Student Center East Courtyard Residence Hall Extra Space Storage Facility 3 Haberdasher Square Lofts Staples Monroe Exit Ramp Previously Removed Academy High School for Visual and Performing Arts Lofts Lofts IDOT Pump Station No 5 Science & Engineering South RIGHT LANE CURRENTLY CLOSED City of Chicago Cermak Pumping DURING CONSTRUCTION Station along Southbound Dan Ryan Phillip Nearing 7-Eleven School Wing S Green St UIC Art & Architecture Building Science & Engineering Laboratory West Commons West Residence Hall UIC Campus Downtown Cleaners Pedestrian Walkway 4 5 S Peoria St PEORIA STREET PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE & ACCESS TO CTA STATION S Sangamon St CTA Blue Line Station at UIC CTABl ue Li ne CTA Blue Line with 4 Tunnel Portals Extending below the Circle Interchange along WB Eisenhower Looking East 4 W ER EXPR ESSW AY LEGEND CRITICAL PROPERTY CONSTRAINTS EXISITING PROPERTY CONSTRAINTS CIRCLE INTERCHANGE ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS EXISTING RETAINING WALL PROPOSED RETAINING WALL BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS Existing Conditions & 90 Constraint Map I NTERSTATE I 90 EI SENHO S Aberdeen St W Harri son St S Morgan St 4 Archdiocese of Chicago Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Archives & Records Center Old St Patrick s Church Chicago Fire Dept Engine 5 Lofts Interchange at Harrison and Des Plaines 5 Animal Sense Canine Training & Behavior 5 5 Day Studios The Frances Xavier Warde School CTA Bus Station at SE Quadrant of Metro Self Storage N Des Plaines St on i at ed St st Hal Cne UI ue Li Bl CTA White Hen Pantry ONE WAY Lofts 3 Interchange at Des Plaines and Van Buren W Van Buren St INTERSTATE ONE W AY ONE W AY R & D 659 Condominium Association Chicago Federation of Musicians INTERSTATE W Randol ph St W Lake St Hotel Blox Greyhound Lofts Heritage Green Park ONE WAY Mid-American Printing Systems Flex Lighting Park 537 N Des Plaines St Delves Group W Jackson Bl vd S Jefferson St Standard American Printing W Tayl orst AL s Beef & Catering on Adams W Roosevel trd S Jefferson St ONE WAY W Pol k St IIT Stuart School of Business W Harri son St Presidential Towers 5 Chicago-Kent College of Law TUNNEL CONSTRAINTS 3 / Figure NUMBER OF LANES AND DIRECTION ROADWAY / BRIDGE REMOVAL November, 0

21 ONE W AY Old Post Office Building S Canal St REMOVE CANAL STREET ON RAMP S Clinton St ONE WAY S Clinton St ONE WAY FDA Chicago District Offices 4 CO NG RESS PARKW AY 4 S Canal St Quaker Oats illinois Institute of Technology 6 Delves Group Bravo Restaurants ONE WAY S Jefferson St Standard American Printing Delves Group Mid-American Printing Systems Flex Lighting Park 537 Greyhound Presidential Towers 3 3 W Jackson Bl vd W Adam s St Lofts Philly s Best UIC Lot 6 National Hellenic Museum Meli Cafe & Juice Bar Weigel Broadcasting Jimmy John s Greek Town ON RAMP Giordano s The Rice Building Primos Chicago Pizza REMOVE JACKSON BLVD ON RAMP S Green St Commons North Residence Hall Science & Engineering Laboratory East Commons South Residence Hall UIC Student Center East Engineering Research Facility UIC Student Center East Courtyard Residence Hall Phillip Nearing 7-Eleven School Wing S Green St Hull House Science & Engineering South 3 Parthenon Restaurant and Banquets 3 Artopolis Halsted Street Parking Structure N Halsted St UIC Art & Architecture Building Science & Engineering Laboratory West Commons West Residence Hall UIC Campus Downtown Cleaners Pedestrian Walkway S Peoria St 5 5 S Sangamon St REMOVE MORGAN STREET EXIT RAMP LEGEND CRITICAL PROPERTY CONSTRAINTS EXISITING PROPERTY CONSTRAINTS CIRCLE INTERCHANGE ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS EXISTING RETAINING WALL PROPOSED RETAINING WALL BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS 90 5 S Aberdeen St W Harri son St S Morgan St W ER EXPR ESSW AY 4 Athena Greek UIC Lot 4 N Halsted St on i at ed St st Hal Cne UI ue Li Bl CTA- Rodity s Plant Reasearch Laboratory CTABl ue Li ne N Halsted St Greek Islands Science & Engineering Laboratory East Student Recreational Facility Chase Pegasus UIC Forum I NTERSTATE Spectrum Greek Town Bar & Grill Gyros Pumping Station 6 CTA Tunnel Kabob Corner Walgreens Store 5 4 Dominick s 4 9 0/ 9 I WAY S S E R P X E N A DAN RY Bank of America REMOVE LAKE STREET 4 I 90 EI SENHO Skybridge 4 3 INTERSTATE Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Absa Productions Haymarket Pub & Brewery W Van Buren St ONE W AY ONE W AY W M onroe St 5 INTERSTATE Cermak Pumping Station, 735 W 4 4 N Des Plaines St 3 6 Extra Space Storage Facility 6 N Des Plaines St 4 Staples IDOT Pump Station No Haberdasher Square Lofts Lofts 5 W M adi son St W W ashi ngt on St 5 Academy High School for Visual and Performing Arts Lofts 5 Old St Patrick s Church Chicago Fire Dept Engine 5 Lofts Monroe Exit Ramp Previously Removed WAY S S RE P X DY E NNE 4 KE 9 0/ 9 I Archdiocese of Chicago Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Archives & Records Center Animal Sense Canine Training & Behavior Day Studios The Frances Xavier Warde School ONE WAY W Van Buren St INTERSTATE ONE W AY ONE W AY R & D 659 Condominium Association Chicago Federation of Musicians INTERSTATE W Randol ph St W Lake St Hotel Blox White Hen Pantry Metro Self Storage ONE WAY Lofts ONE W AY Lofts Heritage Green Park N Des Plaines St SQ FT American Color labs W Tayl orst AL s Beef & Catering on Adams W Roosevel trd S Jefferson St ONE WAY W Pol k St IIT Stuart School of Business W Harri son St Presidential Towers 5 Chicago-Kent College of Law TUNNEL CONSTRAINTS Long Term Improvements Alternate A NB to WB Ramp Widening Figure 3 / NUMBER OF LANES AND DIRECTION ROADWAY / BRIDGE REMOVAL November, 0

22 ONE W AY Old Post Office Building S Canal St REMOVE CANAL STREET ON RAMP S Clinton St ONE WAY S Clinton St ONE WAY FDA Chicago District Offices 4 CO NG RESS PARKW AY 4 S Canal St Quaker Oats illinois Institute of Technology 6 Delves Group Bravo Restaurants ONE WAY S Jefferson St Standard American Printing Delves Group Mid-American Printing Systems Flex Lighting Park 537 Greyhound American Color labs Presidential Towers W Jackson Bl vd W Adam s St UIC Lot 6 National Hellenic Museum Meli Cafe & Juice Bar Weigel Broadcasting Jimmy John s Greek Town ON RAMP Giordano s The Rice Building Primos Chicago Pizza REMOVE JACKSON BLVD ON RAMP S Green St Science & Engineering Laboratory East Commons South Residence Hall UIC Student Center East Engineering Research Facility UIC Student Center East Courtyard Residence Hall Phillip Nearing 7-Eleven School Wing S Green St Hull House Science & Engineering South 3 Artopolis Parthenon Restaurant and Banquets Commons North Residence Hall UIC Art & Architecture Building Science & Engineering Laboratory West Commons West Residence Hall UIC Campus Downtown Cleaners Pedestrian Walkway S Peoria St 5 5 S Sangamon St REMOVE MORGAN STREET EXIT RAMP LEGEND CRITICAL PROPERTY CONSTRAINTS EXISITING PROPERTY CONSTRAINTS CIRCLE INTERCHANGE ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS EXISTING RETAINING WALL PROPOSED RETAINING WALL Long Term Improvements 90 BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS I NTERSTATE 5 S Aberdeen St W Harri son St S Morgan St W ER EXPR ESSW AY 4 Athena Greek Halsted Street Parking Structure N Halsted St 3 Rodity s UIC Lot 4 N Halsted St on i at ed St st Hal Cne UI ue Li Bl CTA- N Halsted St Greek Islands Plant Reasearch Laboratory CTA Tunnel Chase Pegasus Science & Engineering Laboratory East Student Recreational Facility Philly s Best Spectrum Greek Town Bar & Grill Gyros UIC Forum Kabob Corner Bank of America REMOVE LAKE STREET Lofts Walgreens Store Pumping Station 6 4 Dominick s 5 Skybridge / 9 I WAY S S E R P X E N A DAN RY Cermak Pumping Station, 735 W 5 Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Absa Productions Haymarket Pub & Brewery W Van Buren St ONE W AY ONE W AY W M onroe St W M adi son St INTERSTATE CTABl ue Li ne 6 INTERSTATE I 90 EI SENHO Extra Space Storage Facility 3 6 N Des Plaines St N Des Plaines St 5 Staples IDOT Pump Station No Haberdasher Square Lofts Lofts 5 Academy High School for Visual and Performing Arts Lofts 5 Old St Patrick s Church Chicago Fire Dept Engine 5 Lofts Monroe Exit Ramp Previously Removed WAY S S RE P X DY E NNE 4 KE 9 0/ 9 I Archdiocese of Chicago Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Archives & Records Center Animal Sense Canine Training & Behavior Day Studios The Frances Xavier Warde School 4 ONE WAY W Van Buren St INTERSTATE W W ashi ngt on St R & D 659 Condominium Association Chicago Federation of Musicians INTERSTATE ONE W AY ONE W AY Hotel Blox W Randol ph St W Lake St ONE WAY White Hen Pantry N Des Plaines St Lofts ONE W AY Lofts Heritage Green Park Metro Self Storage W Tayl orst AL s Beef & Catering on Adams W Roosevel trd S Jefferson St ONE WAY W Pol k St IIT Stuart School of Business W Harri son St Presidential Towers 5 Chicago-Kent College of Law TUNNEL CONSTRAINTS Alternate B NB to WB Flyover Ramp Figure 3 3 / NUMBER OF LANES AND DIRECTION ROADWAY / BRIDGE REMOVAL November, 0

23 94 veh 6873 veh *Assumption: Lake St SB I-90/94 on-ramp vol was unknown Assumed 50 veh based on exit vols to Lake St in the PM *Assumption: Adams St off-ramp was unknown and was assigned a vol from similar to Randolph St and Madison St b/c all one way away from downtown *Assumption: Madison SB on-ramp was unknown and was assigned a vol of 400 to be similar to Randolph and Lake St b/c all one way into downtown 778 veh (from SB I-90/94 to WB I-90) 366 veh tot 3896 veh total 778 veh (from SB I-90/94 to WB I-90) 395 veh 69 veh (from WB I-90 to SB I-90/94) *Assumption: The number of vehicles from I-90 exiting at Taylor is unknown 00 veh was assumed to be the number of vehicles exiting at Taylor 06 veh 480 veh 49 veh 360 veh 34 veh 49 veh 74 veh (from SB I-90/94 to EB I-90) 838 veh (from NB I-90/94 to EB I-90) 67 veh (from WB I-90 to NB I-90/94) 68 veh 7 veh 908 veh 8538 veh 8654 veh 44 veh 8649 veh 400 veh* 39 veh 33 veh 56 veh 853 veh 603 veh (SB I-90/94) 6634 veh 79 veh 83 veh 7040 veh 4 veh* 7407 veh veh 7707 veh 67 veh (from EB I-90 to NB I-90/94) C-D Road 33 veh Lake St 055 veh total Randolph St W Washington Blvd W Madison St W Monroe St W Adams St W Jackson Blvd 48 veh (from WB I-90 to NB I-90/94) 578 veh (from WB I-90 to SB I-90/94) Taylor St 50 veh (on-ramp to C-D to I-90) 679 veh *Assumption: 50 veh added to Washington Blvd exit since Monroe St exit was closed (which had 356 veh) *Assumption: 00 veh added to Madison St exit since Monroe St exit was closed (which had 356 veh) 838 veh (from NB I-90/94 to WB I-90) Roosevelt 8th St 579 veh on-ramp from I-55 (Stevenson) 98 veh 485 veh (from NB I-90/94 to EB I-90) Ashland Ave BALANCED TRAFFIC VOLUMES AM Peak 7:00-8:00 Wed LEGEND 3337 veh I-90 (WB I-90) 3337 veh 4045 veh 395 veh Congress Pkwy (EB I-90) 4057 veh 847 veh (from EB & WB I-90) 49 veh (exit to Taylor) 00 veh* (from EB & WB I-90 to Taylor) 59 veh total 303 veh exit to I-55 (Stevenson) I-90/94 I-90/94 50 veh* veh veh veh* 603 veh 565 veh 565 veh (NB I-90/94) 5540 veh 49 veh (from Taylor) 747 veh (from EB & WB I-90) 887 veh 560 veh 7333 veh 8696 veh 6654 veh 5673 veh 340 veh* 73 veh (exit to C-D to I-90) 549 veh 006 veh total 437 veh 74 veh 485 veh (from (from NB I-90/94 SB I-90/94 to EB I-90) to EB I-90) 674 veh 733 veh 733 veh S Canal St 859 veh 674 veh 606 veh Loomis St 767 veh 79 veh 548 veh Main Line Cross Streets Off-Ramps On-Ramps S Franklin St Racine St 4045 veh 4057 veh I-90 Morgan St 47 veh 6806 veh Figure 4 November, veh 4075 veh Traffic Volumes Circle Interchange Chicago, IL

24 Appendix A Site Photos 9 November, 0

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41 Appendix B Detailed Geometric Discussion of Long Term Improvement Alternatives 0 November, 0

42 Long Term Improvement A (NB to WB Ramp Widening) The geometric changes in the Long Term Improvement Concept A include: Additional thru lane on NB and SB I-90/94 through the entire interchange o Northbound - added lane begins at the divergence exit to I-90 and becomes the existing added lane from Jackson Avenue o Southbound begins at the exit to I-90 and ends as with a tapered lane drop on the outside between the I-90 entrance and Roosevelt Road o The northbound lane addition results in the demolition of the Jackson Avenue entrance ramp o The existing Harrison Avenue Bridge over NB I-90/94 would be reconstructed to accommodate the widened NB I-90/94 and associated ramp improvements below Additional lane on the NB to WB system ramp on a similar alignment, making it a two lane ramp o All structures carrying this ramp will be replaced o This would require the NB to EB movement be moved to a separate alignment exiting the mainline near Harrison and crossing over the NB to WB movement o The existing Halsted Avenue over WB I-90 and entrance ramps would be reconstructed to accommodate the widened ramp geometry Additional lane on the SB to WB system ramp on a similar alignment, making it a two lane ramp o This requires no changes to the existing SB geometry The additional WB I-90 lane created from the improved system ramps is tapered out and dropped prior to the WB Racine Avenue entrance ramp o The existing Peoria Street Bridge over I-90 would be partially demolished due to the widening of I-90 The existing bridge is pedestrian only, and the dominant pedestrian movement is from the CTA Blue Line station to the south (UIC campus) o The existing Morgan Street Bridge over I-90 would be reconstructed due to the widening of I-90 Additional lane on the EB to NB system ramp on a similar alignment, making it a two lane ramp o The additional NB I-90/94 lane from the improved system ramps is tapered out and dropped as an exit only to Madison Street o The structure carrying this ramp will be replaced o The added lane and reconfigured WB I-90 to NB I-90/94 movement will require that the Van Buren Street Bridge be reconstructed The additional lane will require reconstruction of the Adams Street Bridge over I-90/94 Ramp closures included in the short term improvement Both the Lake Street and Canal Street entrances are assumed to remain in place with barrier, signage and pavement marking changes The Morgan exit will be demolished to allow the additional lane on WB I-90 to be carried to near Racine Avenue Structures carrying the following movements will be reconstructed due to age, bridge type or geometry: November, 0

43 o EB I-90 over I-90/94 from west of I-90/94 to area between Des Plaines Street and Jefferson Street o WB I-90 over I-90/94 from area between Des Plaines Street and Jefferson Street to west of I-90/94 o Ramp from WB I-90 to SB-I-90/94 o Ramp from SB-I-90/94 to EB I-90 Long Term Improvement B (NB to WB on Similar Alignment) The geometric changes in the Long Term Improvement Concept B include: Adding a thru lane on NB and SB I-90/94 through the entire interchange o Northbound - added lane begins at the divergence exit to I-90 and becomes the existing added lane from Jackson Avenue o Southbound added lane begins at the exit to I-90 and ends as with a tapered lane drop on the outside between the I-90 entrance and Roosevelt Road o The northbound lane addition results in the demolition of the Jackson Avenue entrance ramp o The existing Harrison Avenue Bridge over NB I-90/94 would be reconstructed to accommodate the widened NB I-90/94 and associated ramp improvements below Constructing a new two-lane NB to WB flyover The additional WB I-90 lane from the improved system ramps tapers out and dropped prior to the WB Racine Avenue entrance ramp o This would require the NB to EB movement be moved to a separate alignment exiting the mainline near Harrison and crossing under the NB to WB movement o The existing Peoria Street Bridge over I-90 would be partially demolished due to the widening of I-90 The existing bridge is pedestrian only, and the dominant pedestrian movement is from the CTA Blue Line station to the south (UIC campus) o The existing Morgan Street Bridge over I-90 would be reconstructed due to the widening of I-90 o The structure carrying this existing ramp movement will be demolished Adding a lane on the SB to WB system ramp on a similar alignment, making it a two lane ramp o This requires no changes to the existing SB geometry o The existing Halsted Avenue over WB I-90 and entrance ramps would be reconstructed to accommodate the reconfigured ramp geometry Adding a lane on the EB to NB system ramp on a similar alignment, making it a two lane ramp The additional NB I-90/94 lane from the improved system ramps is tapered out and dropped as an exit only to Madison Street o The structure carrying this ramp will be replaced o The added lane and reconfigured WB I-90 to NB I-90/94 movement will require that the Van Buren Street Bridge be reconstructed November, 0