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Anticipating increased traffic over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Illinois Tollway reminds drivers to stay focused on the road, slow down in construction work zones and “Give Them Distance” when vehicles are on the side of the road with lights flashing.

“With more than 9 million vehicles turning to the Tollway system over the extended Thanksgiving holiday weekend, we’re asking our customers to do their part to stay safe when driving,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Liz Gorman. “Construction is ongoing on parts of the Tollway as we continue our work to deliver roadway improvements to improve travel and mobility.”

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Wednesday, November 21, through Monday, November 26, the heaviest travel is expected on Wednesday, when nearly 1.9 million vehicles are projected to use the 294-mile Tollway system. On an average day, more than 1.6 million vehicles use the Illinois Tollway.

As construction continues, prior to Thanksgiving the Tollway expects to reopen two lanes in both directions on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) between Illinois Route 56 in Sugar Grove and Peace Road in DeKalb. Ongoing lane reductions will be in place on the I-88 corridor from Peace Road to Illinois Route 251 in Rochelle.

In addition, the Tollway anticipates restoring Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) mainline traffic to its original configuration between Balmoral Avenue in Rosemont and Wolf Road in Franklin Park, as well as reopening the ramps connecting Irving Park Road to northbound I-294, in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

What’s Travel Like?

To prepare for trips short or long, drivers can check out Traveler Quick Links on the Tollway’s website to sign up for and access Tollway Trip Tweets with roadway incident information and weather conditions at Tollway Trip 90, Tollway Trip 88, Tollway Trip 355, Tollway Trip 94/294 and Tollway Trip 390.

Holiday Work Zones  

To accommodate Thanksgiving holiday travel on the Illinois Tollway, construction activity will be restricted to better serve Tollway customers. Temporary construction and maintenance lane closures will be suspended from noon on Wednesday, November 21, through 9 a.m. on Monday, November 26. Work may continue behind barriers with long-term lane closures remaining in place to keep construction projects on schedule. Ongoing construction includes:

Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80)

• On the Edens Spur, between Pfingsten Road and the Edens Expressway, traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction.
• On I-294, traffic is shifted in both directions at the Cermak Road Toll Plaza.
• At 159th Street Interchange the ramps carrying traffic from westbound 159th Street to southbound I-294 and from northbound I-294 to westbound 159th Street are closed with posted detours.

Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88)

• Between I-290 and York Road, traffic is shifted in both directions. Westbound drivers must travel in the right lane on I-88 to access the cash side of the York Road Toll Plaza as well as the 22nd Street exit ramp.
• On the ramp connecting eastbound I-88 to northbound I-355 one lane is closed.
• Between Peace Road and Illinois Route 251, traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction in segments.

Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355)

• Between Boughton Road and Butterfield Road, traffic is shifted in both directions.  

Americans plan to travel pretty far to get their turkey fix this Thanksgiving, so says the American Automobile Association (AAA).

It’s projected that more than 54 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles this Thanksgiving, which would be the most since 2005 and almost a five percent increase over 2017.

With that many people on the roads, things certainly could get pretty congested out there. If poor weather is involved, the impact could be greater.

The good news on the weather front is that Wednesday and Thursday (Nov. 21-22) look pretty clean in Northwest Indiana, though there is a chance of rain over the weekend when people are likely to be returning home.

Also, with construction season winding down, impacts on major thoroughfares from construction should be pretty minimal. In the Northwest District:

• I-80/94: The left shoulder is closed in both directions between Colorado and Clay streets, just east of Gary in Lake County.
• I-65: The shoulders are closed in both directions between IN-2 and IN-14 in Lake, Newton and Jasper Counties.
• US-41: The right lane is closed in both directions between 77th and 93rd avenues in St. John and also between 45th and Main streets in Highland.
• US-20: One lane is flowing in each direction between US-35 and IN-39 in La Porte County.

Whether any delays on the road are from weather, construction or just general holiday congestion, INDOT wants to urge drivers to drive carefully, leave extra time to get to your destination and be alert on the roadways.

Also, drivers can monitor INDOT Northwest’s social media platforms: facebook.com/INDOTNorthwest and @INDOTNorthwest on Twitter. Another great tool for travelers is trafficwise.in.gov (TrafficWise) and indot.carsprogram.org (CARS 511), where drivers can access information about road conditions, closures, etc.

Work to move traffic into its winter configuration on the northern section of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project between Balmoral Avenue in Rosemont and Wolf Road in Franklin Park is scheduled to begin with a final traffic shift this week. Once the shift is complete, the ramps connecting Irving Park Road to northbound I-294 will also reopen.

Electronic message signs and construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers to the traffic shift. The temporary lane closures and traffic shifts are necessary to provide a work zone and safely accommodate traffic.

Weather permitting, on Monday, November 19, traffic between Balmoral Avenue and Wolf Road is scheduled to be reduced to a single lane in both directions beginning at 10 p.m. During this time delays are expected. By 6 a.m. on Tuesday, November 20, all lanes will be reopened and shifted back into their pre-construction configuration.

The ramps connecting Irving Park Road to northbound I-294 in Schiller Park, which have been closed since July, are scheduled to reopen the evening of Tuesday, November 20.

While major advance work is complete, some shoulders will remain closed and off-peak mainline and local lane closures will be needed to wrap up median, signage and roadway lighting work. No additional traffic shifts or long-term lane reductions will be scheduled until construction on the project resumes in 2019.

Work on the Central Tri-State began earlier this year to repair, resurface and widen I-294 to five lanes between Balmoral Avenue and Wolf Road in Franklin Park, as well as to reconstruct barrier walls, medians and shoulders in this area.

Construction in this area was coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, Chicago Department of Aviation, Village of Schiller Park, Village of Rosemont and Village of Franklin Park, as well as local fire and police departments.

The Central Tri-State Tollway is being reconstructed to provide congestion relief, update old infrastructure to meet current and future transportation demand and address regional needs. This work is part of the Tollway’s 15-year program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. More than 220,000 vehicles use the Central Tri-State Tollway daily.

A detailed planning and refinement process is underway to complete design and construction plans for reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294), including reconfiguring the I-290/I-88 Interchange at I-294, rebuilding the Mile Long Bridge and the BNSF Railway Bridge as well as integrating Flex Lanes and SmartRoad technology. The Central Tri-State Concept includes findings and draft recommendations being considered and evaluated by the Tollway as it moves forward in the reconstruction of the Central Tri-State.

Maps, construction and detour information about the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project is available on the Tollway’s website at illinoistollway.com via the Interactive Tollway Map and under “Projects Overview” in the Explore Projects section.

MADISON MARATHON FALL RACE DETOURS 

Sunday, November 11 

Due to the race, Routes 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 22 and 80 detour at various times throughout the day on Sunday, November 11. Service is impacted from as far west as University Bay Dr., to as far east/north as the North Transfer Point. 

After all race detours end at 3:10 p.m., buses will use the Capitol Loop Detour for the remainder of the day. 

Complete Info ¦ Print Bus Flyer (PDF)

 Route 80

• Buses do not serve the Memorial Union, Dayton, Lake, Observatory or Walnut until 10:00 a.m. Board on University at Randall or University at Orchard.

 Route 22

• All Route 22 trips operate as Route 21 trips until 1 p.m.

 Routes 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 13 - until 3:10 p.m.

• Routes 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 travel via Regent St. through the UW campus.
• Buses detour through the downtown area via Wilson or Doty St.
• Route 13 detours via Frances. Board on Park at University (SB).
• Routes 2 and 5 detour from Johnson/ Gorham and Sherman via E. Washington and Pennsylvania.

 Route 80 Map ¦ Downtown Maps ¦ Campus Area Maps ¦ Northside Map  

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING

Proposed Changes to Routes 37 & 38

Wednesday, November 28, 6 p.m.

City County Building - Room 354

210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Metro Transit and the Transportation Commission will hold a public hearing to discuss proposed Route 37 and 38 service updates that would go into effect in March of 2019.

Interested persons are encouraged to attend the public hearing to give feedback. Consideration will be given to views and comments expressed at the public hearing as well as to all written comments received.

Complete Info ¦ Informational Booklet (PDF) ¦ Give Feedback  

Extended lane closures on Lawrence Avenue planned for bridge replacement work

Lane closures are scheduled to begin this week on Lawrence Avenue in Schiller Park for bridge work as part of reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).Construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers to the closures.

Weather permitting, beginning on Friday, September 28, Lawrence Avenue will be reduced to a single lane in both directions under I-294. Lane closures are expected to continue on an as-needed basis through November. Delays are expected.

The closures are needed to create a safe work zone for workers and drivers removal and replacement of the I-294 bridge over Lawrence Avenue is underway. Because the work is happening on I-294, drivers on Lawrence Avenue may not always see that workers are present. When there is no active work on I-294, all lanes on Lawrence Avenue will be reopened until the closures are needed again. 

In 2018, the Illinois Tollway is beginning work to repair, resurface and widen I-294 to five lanes between Balmoral Avenue and Wolf Road in Franklin Park, as well as reconstructing barrier walls, medians and shoulders in this area as part of the Central Tri-State Tollway Project.

Construction in this area is being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, Village of Schiller Park, Village of Rosemont and Village of Franklin Park, as well as local fire and police departments.

The Central Tri-State Tollway is being reconstructed to provide congestion relief, update old infrastructure to meet current and future transportation demand and address regional needs. This work is part of the Tollway’s 15-year program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. More than 220,000 vehicles use the Central Tri-State Tollway daily.

A detailed planning and refinement process is underway to complete design and construction plans for reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294), including reconfiguring the I-290/I-88 Interchange at I-294, rebuilding the Mile Long Bridge and the BNSF Railway Bridge as well as integrating Flex Lanes and SmartRoad technology. The Central Tri-State Concept includes findings and draft recommendations being considered and evaluated by the Tollway as it moves forward in the reconstruction of the Central Tri-State.

Maps, construction and detour information about the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project is available on the Tollway’s website at illinoistollway.com via the Interactive Tollway Map and under “Projects Overview” in the Explore Projects section.

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.