(abbreviated '''I-190''') is an intrastate
Interstate Highway that runs for three miles (5 km) from
I-90 to
O'Hare International Airport . This portion used to be signed
Illinois State Route 594 , and was changed to Interstate 190 around 1978 after
Illinois State Route 194 was changed to Interstate 90 in the mid to late 1970's. Interstate 190 is the westernmost leg of the
Kennedy Expressway .
O'Hare Airport originally opened in
1942 , and was expanded to its current size in
1962 .
Interstate 190 is a short highway, but it has ramp access to all roads that cross it. The table below lists all exits on the Interstate (''emphasized'' destinations are not explicitly specified on the road sign):
Not all exits are mirrored (for example, getting to south U.S. 12/45 traveling eastbound requires exiting at Bessie Coleman Drive, but not traveling westbound), but each road is accessible.
There is no specific sign indicating Interstate 190's western terminus at O'Hare. Interstate-standard freeway ends roughly at the ramps to the upper (Departure) and lower (Arrival) loops. The freeway then resumes shortly after both loops merge to cross an emergency fire lane.
Interstate 190 is one of the only Interstates in the nation to be numbered backwards. The eastern terminus, Interstate 90, is considered to be the origin point of the highway. Both exit numbers and mileage markers on roadside light fixtures ascend traveling westbound.
- There are no extension projects for this route in progress, nor are any anticipated. Interstate 190's current western terminus is completely surrounded by airport terminal buildings.
- As of late 2005 , the intersection with Mannheim Road is being reconstructed to remove unsafe conditions and bring the route closer to Interstate standards. In the late 1990 s, the Illinois Department Of Transportation restriped Interstate 190 at Interstate 294. This action increased the number of lanes west of I-294 from two to three. In the process, the speed limit was reduced from 45 to 35, and yield signs were erected at the ends of the ramp from northbound Mannheim Road to westbound I-190 — the busiest ramp at that Intersection. This created a hazardous condition, often leading to high-speed crashes should drivers waiting on the ramp become impatient or underestimate the speed of westbound traffic. Often, an IDOT Minuteman (rapid response vehicle) would be stationed on the ramp waiting to tow away vehicles that would be involved in a crash during rush hour.
:The improvements are designed to widen bridges and create significantly more merging space so that collision hazards are mitigated. In addition, the Mannheim Road bridge over Interstate 190 had outlived its useful life.
- While Interstate 190, as the eastern access to O'Hare is not planning to be extended, the Elgin O'Hare Expressway is planned to be the new western access to O'Hare.
