Travel Midwest Construction Announcements

Work at Business 24 to take two weeks

EAST PEORIA – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that replacement of overhead lighting at the U.S. 24/Business U.S. 24 interchange between East Peoria and Washington begins Jan. 21, weather permitting. 

The work is expected to last about two weeks and will affect only the outside shoulders in each direction on both roads. 

Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. To avoid the work area, when feasible, use of alternate routes should be considered. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment. 

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that replacement of overhead lighting along Interstate 74 between I-474 and I-155 in Tazewell County begins Jan. 17, weather permitting.  

Month-long closure planned for Burlington Avenue in Western Springs

DOWNERS GROVE, IL – A portion of Burlington Avenue north of Spring Rock Park in Western Springs is scheduled to close for about four weeks for retaining wall work as part of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project.

Weather permitting, at 7 a.m. on Monday, January 3, 2022, Burlington Avenue between Waldo Erickson Drive, located inside Spring Rock Park, and Central Avenue is scheduled to close to traffic for about a month. Motorists will retain access to residences and business along the road, and access to Spring Rock Park will be available via the Elm Street entrance.

Construction signage will be in place in advance to alert drivers to the closures. The temporary closures are necessary to safely accommodate the removal of a temporary retaining wall. Up-to-date closure information will be available on the Illinois Tollway’s Daily Construction Alert.

The Illinois Tollway is coordinating the work with the Village of Western Springs and the Western Springs Park District, as well as police and fire departments.

This work is part of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Bridge Project.

The Illinois Tollway is reconstructing the BNSF Railway Bridge, which carries the triple-track railroad over I-294 between Hinsdale and Western Springs, to accommodate the reconstruction and widening of the Central Tri-State Tollway. The existing bridge will be replaced with a longer, wider two-span steel beam structure that will accommodate four tracks and will allow for reconstruction and widening of the Tollway underneath. The new fourth track on the bridge will be used for maintenance purposes by BNSF

The work is part of the Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. Construction information about the BNSF Bridge Project is available in the Projects section on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com.

December 22, 2021 - The Kane County Division of Transportation is pleased announce the activation of the new traffic signals at the intersection of Longmeadow Parkway and IL 25 in Carpentersville, Illinois. This activation will now allow the use of Longmeadow Parkway between IL 25 and IL 62. New traffic signals at Longmeadow Parkway and Bolz Road were activated on Friday December 18th, making this a signalized intersection. The County wishes to thank you for your patience, continued support and cooperation during the construction of this portion of the Longmeadow Parkway Corridor.    

Gantries equipped with hoists and cranes to move and install beams for new southbound bridge

DOWNERS GROVE, IL – As part of the construction of a new southbound Mile Long Bridge on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294), the Illinois Tollway will begin using an innovative gantry system this month to move and install bridge beams behind barrier wall in the work zone, without disrupting traffic.

Construction of the new bridge as part of the Tollway’s $500-million Mile Long Bridge Project is anticipated to continue through 2022. The massive gantry system will be used in place of traditional construction cranes to install beams in the area over the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal.

The innovative gantry system includes three main gantry frames each approximately 28 feet tall and 145 feet long. The gantries extend from the existing southbound bridge structure across to the newly constructed northbound bridge structure. In addition, a rail system was installed on the both existing bridge structures to allow the gantries to move from north to south during beam placement.

Each of the gantries is equipped with overhead movable hoists and cranes. Each hoist moves east and west across the gantry and can lift up to 30 tons using a crane that drops down to pick up beams from the delivery truck below and then lift the beams into position on the bridge piers.

During beam placement, each gantry is controlled by a crane operator. Gantries are positioned on each end of the beam as they are hoisted into place, and the third gantry can be used to hold the beams in place while the other two gantries move to deliver the next beam segment into place.

The gantry system allows four lanes of traffic to remain open in both directions on the bridges currently carrying northbound and southbound traffic as 30 steel beams are installed in the area over the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal.