EDGEWATER (WBBM Newsradio) -- People driving through Chicago's North side will soon see a change to a busy and dangerous five-way intersection that elected leaders say will make it safer for drivers and people trying to walk in the area.
Elected leaders and Chicago Department of Transportation workers broke ground Monday on a project that will rework Ridge Avenue where it meets Wayne Avenue and Hollywood Avenue in Edgewater, and add a first-in-the-city beacon to allow people to signal when they want to walk across Ridge.
The push for changes came following the 2021 death of 63-year-old Sharon Lowrie, who was hit and killed by a car as she tried to cross Ridge Avenue. Chris Littrell lives in Lowrie's former condo building on Wayne, and said he and his dog Rooney no longer cross Ridge on their regular walks around the neighborhood.
"It'll be really nice," Littrell told WBBM Newsradio as he watched the ceremonial groundbreaking. "If we want to walk north to ... Senn High School or walk anywhere north, it'll be easier to get across."
"Our neighbors want to not just be stuck here but cross the other side of Ridge," said State Sen. Mike Simmons (D-7th District), who touted the benefits of the "High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk" (HAWK) beacon to be installed in the next several months to help people cross Ridge Avenue. "We know from other states that there's a 55-percent reduction in pedestrian crashes."
CDOT says drivers will see Ridge Avenue reduced to one lane while crews work to reconfigure the meeting of Hollywood, Ridge and Wayne and install the HAWK beacon. The work is expected to continue into next spring.
New patterns, pedestrian beacon to come to Ridge Avenue
New patterns, pedestrian beacon to come to Ridge Avenue
