More gridlock expected when Nagle closes in July for railroad crossing work, as Foster over Kennedy remains shut down

by BRIAN NADIG

“Summer” is widely considered “construction season” in Chicago, and for Jefferson-Gladstone-Norwood Park residents heading to the outbound Kennedy Expressway, their commute may get a whole lot  worse in July for three weeks.

Union Pacific Railroad has announced that Nagle Avenue between Northwest Highway and Avondale Avenue will be closed to all traffic for three weeks starting Monday, July 6, for a full crossing renewal project.

Nagle is one of the alternate routes which commuters have been using to cross the Kennedy and/or access the outbound expressway ramp on Bryn Mawr Avenue, which also has been experiencing longer than usual traffic backups due to Foster Avenue closed over the Kennedy.

The Foster bridge reconstruction, which started in 2024, is not expected to be over until the end of this year at the earliest, and the outbound Kennedy ramp at Foster is scheduled to remain closed until Wednesday, Aug. 12. Northwest Highway also has been experiencing more congestion during the bridge project.

For drivers seeking to avoid Bryn Mawr, alternate routes for accessing the outbound Kennedy include Lawrence Avenue to the southeast and Harlem Avenue to the west.

Also, the Austin Avenue pedestrian bridge over the Kennedy is scheduled to be closed starting Monday, July 27, for four weeks for repairs.

The Nagle crossing project will include the complete replacement of railroad crossing panels, the removal and replacement of asphalt within the crossing, new curb , gutter and sidewalk construction, installation of new crossing gates and cantilevers, and new pavement markings in areas where roadway pavement is replaced.

Last year at the railroad crossing, a Norwood Park woman was killed when an outbound Metra train struck her vehicle that was on tracks.

A preliminary investigation at the time indicated that the crossing gates and warning lights were working properly at the time of the accident and that the vehicle was turning left from southeast-bound Avondale to northbound Nagle when it stopped on the tracks, according to Metra.

A witness reported that traffic on Avondale had a green light at the time the left turn was made, although two no left turn arrows activate on southeast-bound Avondale when the crossing gates are down. Similarly, a no right turn arrow activates for northwest-bound Avondale.

Those no turn arrows, which are in displays separate from the main stoplights, were installed a few years ago, but drivers may not always notice them and continue to turn onto Nagle even when the gates are down, according to residents.

Last year some residents also expressed concern that the unusual angle of Avondale can make it difficult for drivers turning left to see that the gates are down and the existing gate may not extend far enough across the northbound lanes on Nagle.

In 2021 a rideshare diver was killed after his vehicle was struck by a train at the crossing. A teen passenger was critically injured in the incident.

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