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The Illinois Department of Transportation will resurface approximately 7 miles along I-290/IL-53 from Higgins Road (IL-72) to Rand Road (US-12).  Traffic on southbound I-290/IL-53 will have permanent daytime lane closures until August 27th.  Traffic on northbound I-290/IL-53 will be impacted with permanent lane closures from August 27th to October 29th, 2010.  Motorists should expect delays and use caution in the work zone.

IDOT appreciates your patience and urges the motoring public to begin taking the necessary steps such as alternate route planning, car pooling, flexible work schedules, and public transportation to avoid anticipated travel delays.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has closed the Martin Luther King Drive bridge over I-80/94 (Borman Expressway) to all traffic.

INDOT suspects that cracks found on the bridge's concrete beams have compromised its load bearing capacity. To restore this crossing to traffic, INDOT plans to replace the bridge beams and concrete driving surface that form the bridge superstructure as a corrective measure as soon as possible. 

Traffic is being rerouted to State Road 53 (Broadway), a state maintained route, via 21st and 37th Avenues.

The bridge was constructed in 2004 as a design-build project to span the widened Borman Expressway.  INDOT is looking at various aspects of the design and construction to understand why problems appeared in the bridge only six years after it was constructed.  Crews will be inspecting other bridges constructed during the same timeframe in this immediate area as a precautionary measure to ensure the integrity of their condition.

The right southbound lane on the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) is currently closed from Washington St to the Eisenhower (I-290) Expressway ramps.

This lane configuration change will affect traffic to the Eisenhower significantly and drivers should expect major traffic delays. It is required to complete the construction of the inbound (SB) Kennedy Expressway exit ramp at Jackson Blvd.

• The far right lane on the inbound Kennedy Expressway will be closed from Washington Street to the Eisenhower Expressway. Traffic in this lane will be directed to exit at Washington Street.

The lane will remain closed until Fall of 2010 in conjunction with the Congress Parkway Bridge Rehabilitation.

Gateway Traveler Information System Honored as ITS-Midwest 2009 Project of the Year At its 2009 Annual Meeting held in Indianapolis, Indiana; the Intelligent Transportation Society-Midwest Chapter composed of the state societies in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio honored the Gateway Traveler Information System website and related operations as ITS-Midwest Project of the Year.

As regular visitors to the site can attest, the scope of available information has been dramatically increased as the Gateway expanded staff for 24/7/365 coverage. Besides the addition of Michigan to the coverage area, the Gateway now boasts information from the Mississippi River to the Ohio border in the four state (Illinois-Indiana-Michigan-Wisconsin) coverage area.

The roadwork and incident information are augmented by impacts from special events such as parades, marathons, and other celebrations. The data on area Interstates and limited access highways is supplemented by arterial information. Though congestion and travel times are not available for these arterials, construction and incidents resulting in blockage are displayed to give drivers in the area the most comprehensive picture of traffic conditions and thereby aid them in making truly informed travel choices.

Through an initiative created by IDOT, seven public transportation agencies have launched a public education campaign called Drive Less, Live More. Partners include the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA), Metra and Pace. This campaign is designed to provide drivers with easy access to information that provides alternatives to driving. A key part of the campaign is the www.drivelesslivemore.com web site which was funded under a CMAQ grant from the FHWA. The web site features a trip planner, transit system maps and schedules, travel advisories and a commute-cost calculator.

In addition to the website, the campaign will also feature billboards, radio advertising and promotions to promote driving alternatives such as  public transit, vanpools, biking and rollerblading.

Early Input Needed for Planning and Development of Upcoming Multi-Year Transportation Program

OTTAWA, IL -Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig today announced that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will seek early input into the development of its upcoming Multi-Year Road Program for Highway Improvements for Fiscal Years 2012-2017 by hosting 20 informational and feedback sessions in communities throughout the state.

The public meeting for the Kankakee Urbanized Area will be held on September 7, 2010, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Kankakee City Library (4th floor conference room), 201 W. Merchant Street, Kankakee to give residents and businesses in the area a chance to better understand and weigh in on project priorities over the next five to seven years.

"With a robust construction season in full swing, we want to get an early start on our plans for our upcoming road program," said Secretary Hannig. "It is important to us that we hear from the public about the projects that are important to their communities."

The proposed Multi-Year Program (MYP) is based on conservative estimates of local, federal and state funding, including funding from Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital program, enacted in 2009. The Multi-Year Program for the current FY 2011-2016 totals about $12.84 billion and focuses on maintenance of the current road system.

The public meeting will be conducted on an informal basis and no formal presentation is planned. IDOT staff will be present to answer any questions related to the state highway program, planning and project development process.

The public will have an opportunity to comment on the development of the proposed MYP, existing programming procedures, and other information. The meeting also will provide information to prospective contractors about programs in place to assist small business enterprises, including businesses owned and operated by minorities and women, and other programs undertaken by IDOT.

Comment sheets will be provided for those in attendance who wish to provide a written statement. Comments received at this meeting or sent to District 3 Office by close of business on November 1, 2010, will be included in the meeting record. The same material will be available for review and inspection at the District 3 Office at 700 East Norris Drive in Ottawa, Illinois, 61350 after the mentioned meeting dates.

These meetings will be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Anyone needing special assistance should contact Tom Magolan at 815-434-8472. Persons planning to attend who will need a sign language interpreter or other similar accommodations should notify the Department through its TTY/TTD number at 800-526-0844 at least five days prior to the meeting.
 

• Northbound I-294 traffic over the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) is reduced to three lanes shifted to the right with a work zone on the left for bridge rehabilitation work.  The southbound bridge over I-88 maintains four lanes in a split configuration with two lanes shifted to the left and two to the right with a work zone in between.  There is no impact to entrances or exits. 

• The eastbound Edens Spur is reduced to one lane between Waukegan Road and the Edens Expressway for bridge and pavement rehabilitation and resurfacing work.

• Southbound I-355 traffic between the Army Trail Toll Plaza and Butterfield Road is shifted into a construction express lane configuration with two local lanes to the right and an express lane traveling on the left shoulder. 

• Between the Army Trail Toll Plaza and Butterfield Road, southbound traffic planning to exit at North Avenue, Roosevelt Road, Butterfield Road or Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) must remain in the local lanes.  The next available exit is Ogden Avenue.
• Northbound traffic between Butterfield Road and the Army Trail Toll Plaza is shifted to the right with a work zone on the left.

• I-355 traffic in both directions between 83^rd Street and 75^th Street and between Maple Avenue and Butterfield Road is shifted to the right with a work zone on the left.

• www.illinoistollway.com – Projects by Roadway section – for details by road
• 1-800-TOLL-FYI – Daily lane closure information
• Roadway and electronic signs
• www.travelmidwest.com – Travel times
• Sign up for E-mail updates

• Up-to-the-minute traffic by road – www.nbcchicago.com
• Construction eNewsletter – www.illinoistollway.com

The Fall 2010 bridge lift season begins Saturday, September 18.

Each year, in the spring and fall, CDOT raises the movable bridges along the South and Main Branches of the Chicago River to accommodate recreational boats traveling to and from their storage yards and the Lake Michigan harbors.  Federal law requires that the city open the bridges for these boats.  CDOT coordinates with local boat storage yards each year to create a schedule that accommodates boats while creating the least amount of impact on downtown street traffic.

During these spring and fall "boat runs," bridges are raised sequentially, typically one at a time.  A bridge lift takes an average of 8-12 minutes.

Effective November 1, 2010 through April 15, 2011, the Chicago River Locks will remain closed for repairs. Therefore, there will be no bridge lifts in November.

Wednesday bridge lifts impact the downtown area between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Saturday bridge lifts impact the downtown area between 9 and 11 a.m.

Click on the link below for the Fall 2010 bridge lift calendar.

Fall 2010 bridge lift calendar

Illinois State Police District 15 and the Illinois Tollway will offer free child safety seat inspection events at Illinois Tollway Oases to help families prepare for worry-free Labor Day Holiday weekend travel. Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be on hand to check child safety seats and help with proper installation and use.

Events are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, August 31, at the Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294/I-80); Wednesday, September 1, at the Belvidere Oasis on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90); and Thursday, September 2, at the Lake Forest Oasis on the Tri-State Tollway (I-94).

During the events tourism and visitor information will be available to point drivers in the direction of recreation and must-see destinations accessible along the Tollway. Event-goers can learn more about family vacation ideas around Northern Illinois. Tourism and travel organizations will have special vacation package giveaways. During the events, Illinois Tollway Oases vendors will be offering special discounts on food and samplings of delicious treats, including McDonald’s ice-cream cones, Taco Bell frozen fruit drinks and Kronos Gyros combo meals.

These are the final safety seat events scheduled to take place at the Tollway Oases this year, providing parents and caregivers the opportunity to get help along the road with safety seat inspections and installations. Previous events were held prior to the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holiday weekends. Information on additional safety seat events is posted on the Tollway Web site www.illinoistollway.com.

Child Safety Seat Inspection Events
Safety seat events are quick, easy and can make a big difference. Properly installed safety seats not only eliminate a potential distraction for drivers, but also significantly reduce the risk of injury or greater tragedy for children in the event of an accident. And yet, 80 percent of child safety seats in Illinois are installed improperly. The events also offer a convenient way for drivers to make sure they comply with Illinois law, which requires a person transporting a child under age 8 to properly secure the child in an appropriate child-restraint system.

To participate in the event, bring your child safety seats, children and the vehicle in which the child safety seats will be installed. Information on recalls and recall detection, correct positioning, correct sizing to protect the child most effectively, plus additional safety information and resources will be offered at these events.

“District 15 is committed to ensuring safety for drivers and young passengers on the Illinois Tollway. Even small errors can make the difference in whether a child is injured in a car accident,” said District 15 Commander John Jesernik. “Some of the more common problems our inspectors pinpoint include too much slack in harness straps, not properly anchoring the car seat, improper seat size for the child’s weight and the need for, or use of, booster seats for older children.”

Child Safety Seat Basics
The safest place for infants, toddlers and young children to ride is in the back seat with the appropriate child safety seat for their age and size. The Child Passenger Protection Act was established to protect the health and safety of children through the proper use of approved child-restraint systems.

Infants should ride rear facing until at least 20 pounds and 12 months of age, longer if possible, to protect their developing muscles and bones. Rear-facing child safety seats protect the growing babies’ head, neck and back in a crash. Toddlers and young children up to 4 years old should ride in a child safety seat with an internal harness until they reach the maximum harness limit of up to 40 pounds.

A booster seat is the most effective way to position a safety belt properly on a young child's growing body. Safety belts are designed for adults who are at least 80 pounds and 4 feet 9 inches tall. Until age 8, most children have not developed strong hipbones and their legs and body are too short for the adult safety belt to fit correctly without use of a booster seat.

The Illinois Tollway will begin sending out violation notices in September to Indiana customers who traveled the Tollway without paying over the past two years. Some drivers were not notified of violations due to problems matching Indiana license plates and verifying license plate ownership, coupled with the violation system’s inability to identify backlogged violations.

The Tollway Board of Directors concurred today with the recommendation made earlier this week by the Tollway’s Customer Service Working Group directing that violation notices be issued to Indiana residents covering a two-year period from July 2008 to June 2010.  In addition, Tollway leaders called for an independent third-party audit of the violation enforcement system to ensure that the necessary checks and balances are in place and to determine if additional improvements are needed.

Violation Notices Scheduled for Indiana Drivers

The State of Indiana elected to change the format of its license plates in 2007, prompting the Illinois Tollway to work closely with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles to ensure accurate identification of vehicles with Indiana license plates.  However, despite this collaborative effort, the Tollway’s violation enforcement process failed to issue notices to Indiana customers in a timely manner.

What to Do With a Violation Notice

The Illinois Tollway sends notices to violators accumulating three or more toll violations over a two-year period. Violation notices require payment of all missed tolls and $20 fines are assessed for every unpaid toll.  I-PASS customers receiving violation notices are expected to bring their accounts up to date and pay missed tolls in return for a waiver of fines. Violators have 21 days to either pay the fines or request a hearing to contest the violation notices.  If notices or hearing findings are ignored, additional penalties can apply, including increased fines of $50 to $70 per violation and referral to collection agencies.

• For customers with I-PASS – If you were an I-PASS customer with an account in good standing at the time of the violations included on your notice, you may have received violations because your I-PASS account information is out-of-date. You do not need to schedule a hearing.  You have 21 days to call 800-UCI-PASS or visit a Tollway Customer Service Center to update your account. To resolve the violation notice, you will be asked to pay missed tolls and fines will be waived.

• For customers without I-PASS – You have 21 days to either pay the fines or request a hearing to contest the violation notices.  If notices or hearing findings are ignored, additional penalties can apply, including increased fines of $50 to $70 per violation and referral to collection agencies.  Violations can be paid online at www.illinoistollway.com, mailed using the enclosed form or dropped off at a Tollway Customer Service Center.

• For customers who seek to request a hearing – You have 21 days from the issue date of the violation notice to contest the violations by requesting an administrative hearing. An administrative hearing can be conducted in person or by mail. Administrative hearings are less formal than a state court trial but follow a basic structure to ensure fairness and due process of law. Administrative hearing dates can be requested by calling 800-UCI-PASS or submitting an e-mail online site at www.illinoistollway.com.

• For customers who seek to pay their violation notices – You have 21 days to either pay or request a hearing to contest the violation notices.  If notices or hearing findings are ignored, additional penalties can apply including increased fines of $50 to $70 per violation and referral to collection agencies.  Violations can be paid online at www.illinoistollway.com, mailed using the enclosed form or dropped off at a Tollway Customer Service Center.

New electronic message boards up around the Lansing area this construction season are warning drivers of potential slowdowns or delays, as well as providing information on alternate routes in and around construction. The 22 electronic signs display real-time travel information for highways bordering Lansing, including I-96, US-127, I-496 and I-69. This is the first time such technology is being used in the state.

The Grand Haven Bascule Bridge operates from March 15 through December 15 each year on the following schedule for openings:

Commercial Boat Traffic:Upon proper notification the bridge will be opened to all commercial boat traffic.

Recreational Boat Traffic: The bridge will be operated between 6:30 am and 8:30 pm when a recreational vessel is present to pass under the bridge according to the following schedule.

        Weekdays, Weekend

• 6:30 am, 6:30 am
• 7:30 am, no opening 7:30 am
• 8:30 am, 8:30 am
• 9:30 am, 9:30 am
• 10:30 am, 10:30 am
• 11:30 am, 11:30 am
• 12:30 pm, no opening 12:30 pm
• 1:30 pm, 1:30 pm
• 2:30 pm, 2:30 pm
• 3:30 pm, 3:30 pm
• 4:30 pm, 4:30 pm
• 5:30 pm, no opening 5:30 pm
• 6:30 pm, 6:30 pm
• 7:30 pm, 7:30 pm
• 8:30 pm, 8:30 pm

Between the hours of 8:30 pm and 6:00 am the bridge will be opened upon notification from a recreational vessel.

The MDOT Grand Region Office can be contacted at 616-451-3091.

IN-912 (Cline Ave) is closed to traffic between US-41 (Calumet Ave) in Hammond, IN, and Michigan Ave in East Chicago, IN.

NB IN-912 (Cline Ave)-Follow US-12 (Columbus Dr) West to US-12/20 (Indianapolis Blvd)  West to US-41 (Calumet Ave) South.

SB IN-912 (Cline Ave)-Follow US-41 (Calumet Ave) North to US-12/20 (Indianapolis Blvd) East to US-12 (Columbus Dr) East.

IN-912 (Cline Ave) is open to traffic from Ridge Rd in Highland, and Griffith to Michigan Ave in East Chicago.  Traffic can access the Casinos and Steel Mills from NB IN-912 (Cline Ave)-

• Majestic Star Casinos at Buffington Harbor-NB IN-912 (Cline Ave) to Us-12 (Columbus Dr) and follow signs
• Ameristar Casino-Continue North on IN-912 (Cline Ave_ north of US-12 (Columbus Dr) and follow signs for casino ramp
• Arcelor Mittal Steel Mill-Continue north on IN-912 (Cline Ave), north of US-12 (Columbus Dr) and follow signs for mill ramp at Michigan Ave

In an effort to improve services that we provide to our valued customers and users, the Gateway Traveler Information System has implemented a user survey. The survey asks about your preferences in using the GCM Travel web site and the Illinois Traffic Alert System and seeks input from you on which new features that you would like to see on the site. The survey is completely anonymous and takes less than two minutes to complete. The results will help us to focus our ongoing efforts on the features that our users find most useful. Please take a moment to fill out our User Survey and help us to provide better service. In addition, feel free to send any other comments you have about the site to GCM Webmaster.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and its partner,  the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), have developed the Illinois Traffic Alert System. You may register to receive customized traffic reports containing vehicle speeds, travel times, construction, congestion and incident information through your e-mail inbox, cell phone text messaging or other e-mail enabled mobile device. The system is initially being deployed in the Chicagoland area as part of IDOT's congestion mitigation effort. When you register, follow the instructions in order to:

1. Choose the roadway segments about which you want to be notified
2. Select the two times of day when you want to receive alerts
3. Select the days of the week you want to receive alerts
4. Customize alerts so you will receive them only if the average speed on the road is below what you select
5. Customize the type of data you want to receive: incidents, construction, congestion and/or travel times

IDOT has launched a new Construction Zone Website which has information on construction sites, contracts and estimated completion dates. The site includes a map of all projects and is searchable by various criteria. The Construction Zone may be accessed via http://www.dot.state.il.us/dashboardpublic/

Road closure info is also available by phone at 1-800-452-IDOT (4368).

Keep Us Alive Drive 45 is our commitment to keep workers and motorists safe in work zones. Each year, many people are killed in construction zone accidents, both commuters and workers. Please abide the posted speed limit in work zones.When workers are present, it's 45 M.P.H. - It's The Law.

Join us in our pledge to increase awareness and promote safe driving in our work zones by displaying an orange ribbon.Together we can make our roadways a safer place to commute and work. With your help, we can see to it that a construction zone is not an end zone.