A complicated project at the busy intersection of Irving Park Road and York Road near O’Hare Airport is now essentially completed. (Photo by Jack McCarthy / Chronicle Media)

The worst is over after more than four years of traffic bottlenecks and headaches for motorists crossing through a notorious Bensenville intersection.

State officials last week said that projects including intersection improvements and a new railroad overpass near O’Hare Airport are now now essentially complete.

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced the end of the final phase with the completion of intersection improvements at Irving Park Road (Illinois Route 19) and York Road at the southeast edge of O’Hare property.

The projects, included a Canadian Pacific Railroad overpass, cost a combined $67 million. The improvements expected to reduce congestion, improve safety and increase economic opportunities.

Each day, more than 60,000 vehicles pass through the intersection, a key access point for cargo entering and leaving the airport, plus travelers heading for or returning from flights as well as area residents, businesses and commuters.

“DuPage County funded a significant portion of the design work for this project, which improves safety and reduces congestion at the rail crossing,” said DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin. “The 60,000 vehicles that pass through this intersection daily should now travel through without delay, especially benefiting those seeking freight access to O’Hare International Airport.”

The new railroad overpass eliminated a notorious bottleneck by lowering Irving Park Road and building a Canadian Pacific Railroad overpass separate from regular vehicle traffic.

The grade separation eliminated hours of wasted time for drivers stopped at the crossing and enabled a daily average of 25 trains to run uninterrupted at all times. 

Additional project elements include traffic signal modernization, landscaping, lighting and drainage improvements.

Some traffic impacts will continue in the coming weeks as IDOT completes miscellaneous items, such as electrical work and landscaping, and the Illinois Tollway finishes nearby Irving Park Road improvements as part its I-490 project.   

The overpass and intersection improvements by IDOT were done in conjunction with the Village of Bensenville, DuPage County, the City of Chicago’s O’Hare Modernization Program, the Canadian Pacific Railroad and Metra. 

“We’ll see huge benefits for multiple modes of transportation, paving the way for future economic development, improved freight deliveries, faster commute times and, ultimately, a better quality of life in an important part of our state,” said Randy Blankenhorn, Illinois Transportation Secretary.

—Headaches, bottlenecks come to end as Bensenville intersection project completed–