In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson kicked off the 2026 construction season highlighting projects across the city as part of his "Build Better Together" initiative.
City leaders say 15 wards saw zero traffic fatalities last year, thanks in part to added bike lanes, pedestrian islands and safer intersections.
"Spring in Chicago means residents and families can expect to see more orange cones, more crews and more equipment on our streets. And that's a good thing, Chicago. It means we are hard at work beautifying and investing in our beloved city," Johnson said.
In the suburbs, there is construction on the Bishop Ford Freeway. A two-year, $93 million project is already underway. Crews are repairing bridges and resurfacing lanes from Martin Luther King Drive to 159th Street.
Another large project is also underway on Interstate 80. Crews are tackling complex bridge and ramp work in Joliet.
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There are also delays along Illinois Route 53, Interstate 355 and Touhy Avenue near O'Hare. Soon, more resurfacing work and changes to configurations are coming; so drivers need to be prepared and slow down through work zones.
"Oftentimes, you have lane shifts; you have tapers that are not normal. You have narrower lanes. We really want drivers to pay attention to those work zone speed limits. Driving around we've seen a lot of high-speed crashes in work zones," said Jon Schumacher, district one bureau chief for the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The massive tollway rebuild on Interstate 294 is entering its second-to-last year, with continued work near North Avenue and a major overhaul of the always-congested Interstate 88/Interstate 290 interchange.
There are also dozens of smaller projects across the area, from road widening in McHenry County to resurfacing in Lake County.
Officials say all of this work is ultimately about safety and long-term improvements. But in the short-term, it means slowdowns and a lot of detours.