Getting past the slowdowns on the high-way: Dan Ryan, Kennedy, Eisenhower, etc.. (Chicago: construction)

[crackerjack123]

At times, I find that I need to go between Rockford and Chicago (UIC area); and Chicago (UIC area) and Rockford.

I cannot figure out the cryptic road pattern and how to avoid the slowdowns.

Could someone tell me what times during the days of the week to not be on those highways in order to avoid the slowdowns?
What are some good times to travel?

[chirack]

Where are you leaving from?

The ike would normally be a good bet, but construction has made it bad for much of the day.

Dan Ryan is the fastest expressway. However in and ofitself it won't take you to rockford(you use it to take you to an expressway to take you to rockford).

Kennedy is subject to random traffic jams. However all expressways will be at the worst between 6am and 9am in the morning and form about 4pm till about 6pm at night.
If you live very far south in the city it could be worth your while to take the bishop ford over to 294 and use 294 to loop around the traffic.

[crackerjack123]

Trip 1: Leaving from 900 West Harrison, Chicago, IL to Rockford, IL.
Trip 2: Leaving from Rockford, IL to 900 West Harrison, Chicago, IL.

I keep getting the feeling that a lot of the jams are caused by people who don't know the city and/or normally don't live in Chicago nor commute to Chicago?
Would I be right about that assumption?

I live in Chicago. I don't know the roads that well. I'm getting use to recognizing some main areas and how to travel in the city. I think if someone just threw me in a random part of the city, then I would be able to get back to where I need to without asking for advice. I wouldn't want to do the same with a car, because I don't want to get into any accidents.

Because I am thinking that if I knew the city's in-and-outs, then I could move off the highway, get into city roads, and just travel through the city to get to my destination. Would traveling through the city roads be a better way to avoid the jams? I did that last time. I was a little unsure of myself but used the Willis Tower as a landmark for the direction I was heading. I eventually found Damen and got over to the UIC area.

[chirack]

If you want to skip the expessways north ave and roosevelt are good subs for 290, but niether takes you out to rockford. Honestly when you are going that far, the expressway system is best. However from you location I would take the kennedy. You can use western if you do not wish to contiue to head downtown and wish to take the street, but nine time out of ten it is faster to take the Kennedy downtown than to drive up westren or damen to the Kennedy.

Chicago streets are laid out on a grid system with state and madison being the zeros. If you know the number of your street, you know which direction to head from anywhere. If you are heading north from state and madison then the streets will increase in number north(i.e. 500N, 1000N). If you are heading south of state and madison they will increase south(500 S. 1000 S.). Like wise east and west (4000W, 200 W.).

Harrison is 600 S. The only really tricky part is that on the northside state becomes broadway and we pretend like state still exsists.(i.e. the contours of the city would cause state to run into the lake).

[cump]

Doesn't State end at North Ave, which is 1600 north? And doesn't Broadway begin at Diversey, which is 2800 north, 1 1/2 miles north of there (and about 3/4 mile west???

[chirack]

Originally Posted by cump

Doesn't State end at North Ave, which is 1600 north? And doesn't Broadway begin at Diversey, which is 2800 north, 1 1/2 miles north of there (and about 3/4 mile west???

You are right...always get mixed up on that side of town.