Ever wonder what all the Chicago Expressway nicknames mean?
Are you a traffic nerd too? Great! Lets nerd out together.
Chicago Expressways, their nicknames, and what they mean:
Edens Expressway, (I-94), runs between the Kennedy (90/94) and Lake Cook Rd.
Named after William Edens, a banker who headed the Illinois Highway Improvement Association. Edens pushed for paved roads, but ironically never drove a car.
Kennedy Expressway, (I-90/94, until Montrose/Edens Junction, then I-90 out to O'Hare), runs between the formerly *Circle now called the "Jane Byrne" Interchange* and O'Hare Airport.
Named after President John F. Kennedy
Eisenhower Expressway, (I-290), runs between downtown/Congress Pkwy and Route 53.
Named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Stevenson Expressway, (I-55), runs between Lake Shore Drive and I-355.
Named after one-term Illinois Governor, Adlai E Stevenson II. This roadway was named after him when he died, the year after the roadway opened, in 1964. Stevenson also ran for president (and lost) against Eisenhower twice, and was the US Ambassador to the U.N. from 1961 until he died.
Dan Ryan Expressway, (I-90/94), runs between 95th Street and the Circle/Jane Byrne Interchange*
Named after Cook County Board President, Dan Ryan Jr., who died the year before this expressway first opened in 1962.
Bishop Ford Freeway, (I-94), runs between I-80/294 and the Dan Ryan (I-90/94)
Named after Chicago religious activist and apostle of the National Church of God in Christ, Bishop Louis Henry Ford.
Other confusing tidbits relating to Chicago Traffic:
*Where and what is the Circle Interchange?
Where I-290, and I-90/94 come together, and also officially where I-90/94 switches from the Dan Ryan to the Kennedy. Seeing it from above, all the long ramps make it look like a ...you guessed it, a CIRCLE! (kind of). It was renamed after Chicago's 1st female mayor, Jane Byrne and is now called the Jane Byrne Interchange.
Why does Chicago use all these nicknames, instead of just using the numbers?
Because the numbers 90 & 94 run from the border of Illinois/Indiana, through Chicago, near downtown, all the way to the border of Illinois/Wisconsin. Without the nicknames, you would never know which road traffic reporters were actually talking about, unless you tried to figure it out solely based on the start and stop points, but we would be saying "90 this and 94 that" all over the place, and it would be even more confusing.
Why do traffic reporters say "Inbound" and "Outbound" for the expressways instead of the direction, for example, WB 90/94?
Because some of the directions aren't accurate. The Dan Ryan, for example, is I-90/94 E or W. But the road actually runs North and South, heading in and out of downtown Chicago. And so...we say Inbound for roads heading towards downtown Chicago, and Outbound heading out of downtown Chicago. It may not seem like it, but it simplifies things.
Chicago Expressways, their nicknames, and what they mean:
Edens Expressway, (I-94), runs between the Kennedy (90/94) and Lake Cook Rd.
Named after William Edens, a banker who headed the Illinois Highway Improvement Association. Edens pushed for paved roads, but ironically never drove a car.
Kennedy Expressway, (I-90/94, until Montrose/Edens Junction, then I-90 out to O'Hare), runs between the formerly *Circle now called the "Jane Byrne" Interchange* and O'Hare Airport.
Named after President John F. Kennedy
Eisenhower Expressway, (I-290), runs between downtown/Congress Pkwy and Route 53.
Named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Stevenson Expressway, (I-55), runs between Lake Shore Drive and I-355.
Named after one-term Illinois Governor, Adlai E Stevenson II. This roadway was named after him when he died, the year after the roadway opened, in 1964. Stevenson also ran for president (and lost) against Eisenhower twice, and was the US Ambassador to the U.N. from 1961 until he died.
Dan Ryan Expressway, (I-90/94), runs between 95th Street and the Circle/Jane Byrne Interchange*
Named after Cook County Board President, Dan Ryan Jr., who died the year before this expressway first opened in 1962.
Bishop Ford Freeway, (I-94), runs between I-80/294 and the Dan Ryan (I-90/94)
Named after Chicago religious activist and apostle of the National Church of God in Christ, Bishop Louis Henry Ford.
Other confusing tidbits relating to Chicago Traffic:
*Where and what is the Circle Interchange?
Where I-290, and I-90/94 come together, and also officially where I-90/94 switches from the Dan Ryan to the Kennedy. Seeing it from above, all the long ramps make it look like a ...you guessed it, a CIRCLE! (kind of). It was renamed after Chicago's 1st female mayor, Jane Byrne and is now called the Jane Byrne Interchange.
Why does Chicago use all these nicknames, instead of just using the numbers?
Because the numbers 90 & 94 run from the border of Illinois/Indiana, through Chicago, near downtown, all the way to the border of Illinois/Wisconsin. Without the nicknames, you would never know which road traffic reporters were actually talking about, unless you tried to figure it out solely based on the start and stop points, but we would be saying "90 this and 94 that" all over the place, and it would be even more confusing.
Why do traffic reporters say "Inbound" and "Outbound" for the expressways instead of the direction, for example, WB 90/94?
Because some of the directions aren't accurate. The Dan Ryan, for example, is I-90/94 E or W. But the road actually runs North and South, heading in and out of downtown Chicago. And so...we say Inbound for roads heading towards downtown Chicago, and Outbound heading out of downtown Chicago. It may not seem like it, but it simplifies things.
How about the Elgin/Ohare which goes to neither Elgin nor Ohare?
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