Illinois Tollway Notes

[ilpt4u]

I'm pretty sure there is no corresponding "I-94 Ends/Begin I-80/294"  where 94 breaks off of I-80 to head north along the Bishop Ford and I-294 begins

[edwaleni]

An old friend of mine who grew up in Niles said I-94 didn't technically exist until the Northwest Expressway (now the Kennedy) was completed from the circle to Foster. He said the maps showed what "it was going to be" as I-94, but that until it was done it was signed US-41. From his memory, I-294 was done 12-18 months before the 90-94 combo through downtown was. But he is pretty old now and said it might not be exactly that. He remembers Mayor Daley getting involved to move 90-94 east to save St Stanislaus and all of the homes that were demolished in Chicago to get those expressways built. That is why he said it took so long to build. I-294 was mostly rural in 1956 and got done fast. 90-94 was urban and had more impediments.

[edwaleni]

I'm pretty sure there is no corresponding "I-94 Ends/Begin I-80/294"  where 94 breaks off of I-80 to head north along the Bishop Ford and I-294 begins

If it ever existed, it would have been at mile marker zero.



This is what it looks like now. Again if it existed, it was probably removed when ISTHA added the fourth lane and redid the exits between the Lincoln Oasis and the Bishop Ford.

That reconstruction was pretty extensive and all of the bridges were replaced so as to fit the additional ramps and lane.

[Brandon]

I'm pretty sure there is no corresponding "I-94 Ends/Begin I-80/294"  where 94 breaks off of I-80 to head north along the Bishop Ford and I-294 begins

Actually, there is, but it is Begin I-294; I-80/94 Ends, with a corresponding sign in the opposite direction.

[edwaleni]

I'm pretty sure there is no corresponding "I-94 Ends/Begin I-80/294"  where 94 breaks off of I-80 to head north along the Bishop Ford and I-294 begins

Actually, there is, but it is Begin I-294; I-80/94 Ends, with a corresponding sign in the opposite direction.

Here is this one.



But less than a mile later, just before the Bishop Ford (I-94) merges in, you see this:



Then just before the Indiana border, you get these 2 random signs.

[US20IL64]

An old friend of mine who grew up in Niles said I-94 didn't technically exist until the Northwest Expressway (now the Kennedy) was completed from the circle to Foster. He said the maps showed what "it was going to be" as I-94, but that until it was done it was signed US-41. From his memory, I-294 was done 12-18 months before the 90-94 combo through downtown was. But he is pretty old now and said it might not be exactly that. He remembers Mayor Daley getting involved to move 90-94 east to save St Stanislaus and all of the homes that were demolished in Chicago to get those expressways built. That is why he said it took so long to build. I-294 was mostly rural in 1956 and got done fast. 90-94 was urban and had more impediments.

90 was routed on the Congress/Eisenhower X-Way 1956 until 1978/9. Then was moved co-sign with 94 to junction, etc.. Edens was built in early 50's before Interstate Act and was 41 for a time, from Foster. Then 41 moved to Lincoln Av,

[edwaleni]

An old friend of mine who grew up in Niles said I-94 didn't technically exist until the Northwest Expressway (now the Kennedy) was completed from the circle to Foster. He said the maps showed what "it was going to be" as I-94, but that until it was done it was signed US-41. From his memory, I-294 was done 12-18 months before the 90-94 combo through downtown was. But he is pretty old now and said it might not be exactly that. He remembers Mayor Daley getting involved to move 90-94 east to save St Stanislaus and all of the homes that were demolished in Chicago to get those expressways built. That is why he said it took so long to build. I-294 was mostly rural in 1956 and got done fast. 90-94 was urban and had more impediments.

90 was routed on the Congress/Eisenhower X-Way 1956 until 1978/9. Then was moved co-sign with 94 to junction, etc.. Edens was built in early 50's before Interstate Act and was 41 for a time, from Foster. Then 41 moved to Lincoln Av,

Correct. Sorry I was flip-flopping between legacy signage and current signage a little too freely.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://wgntv.com/news/hinsdale-oasis-pavilion-now-closed/

The Hinsdale Oasis over-the-road structure is now permanently closed on September 13. Gas stations will still be available like the O'Hare Oasis.

[JoePCool14]

https://wgntv.com/news/hinsdale-oasis-pavilion-now-closed/

The Hinsdale Oasis over-the-road structure is now permanently closed on September 13. Gas stations will still be available like the O'Hare Oasis.

RIP. Another cool legacy of the tollway gone.

[ChiMilNet]

https://wgntv.com/news/hinsdale-oasis-pavilion-now-closed/

The Hinsdale Oasis over-the-road structure is now permanently closed on September 13. Gas stations will still be available like the O'Hare Oasis.

RIP. Another cool legacy of the tollway gone.

What was originally 7 is down to 4 total (Lincoln, Lake Forest, Belvidere, and DeKalb remain while O'Hare, Hinsdale, and Des Plaines are gone, with not even the gas stations remaining for Des Plaines). The good news for those is that they are unlikely to be removed anytime in the foreseeable future.

[lstone19]

What was originally 7 is down to 4 total (Lincoln, Lake Forest, Belvidere, and DeKalb remain while O'Hare, Hinsdale, and Des Plaines are gone, with not even the gas stations remaining for Des Plaines). The good news for those is that they are unlikely to be removed anytime in the foreseeable future.

DeKalb is not, and never was, over the road.

Having lived in Illinois in the 60s, there were originally only five. Lincoln was added in the late 60s IIRC and DeKalb with the extension west of Aurora.

[US20IL64]

DeKalb is a trumpet interchange, works well.

Lincoln opened in 1973 and its original décor fit that year, perfectly. Very "leisure suit" and brown, compared to the 1958 era Oases. Re-done in the 2000's.

The O'Hare/Hinsdale 7-11/Mobil stations now need to be upgraded to what Des Plaines was before demolition. Bigger restrooms, for one thing.

One good thing is Ogden Av interchange is easy off/on, no extra tolls, with places to go for gas/food/lodging. Hinsdale should promote it a bit more.

[I-39]

https://wgntv.com/news/hinsdale-oasis-pavilion-now-closed/

The Hinsdale Oasis over-the-road structure is now permanently closed on September 13. Gas stations will still be available like the O'Hare Oasis.

RIP. Another cool legacy of the tollway gone.

What was originally 7 is down to 4 total (Lincoln, Lake Forest, Belvidere, and DeKalb remain while O'Hare, Hinsdale, and Des Plaines are gone, with not even the gas stations remaining for Des Plaines). The good news for those is that they are unlikely to be removed anytime in the foreseeable future.

I think it's the Lincoln Oasis will one day come down as well, when that stretch of road inevitably needs to be widened to five lanes in each direction. That is probably a decade or two off though.

[Joe The Dragon]

lake forest for even longer?

[SSOWorld]

https://wgntv.com/news/hinsdale-oasis-pavilion-now-closed/

The Hinsdale Oasis over-the-road structure is now permanently closed on September 13. Gas stations will still be available like the O'Hare Oasis.

RIP. Another cool legacy of the tollway gone.

What was originally 7 is down to 4 total (Lincoln, Lake Forest, Belvidere, and DeKalb remain while O'Hare, Hinsdale, and Des Plaines are gone, with not even the gas stations remaining for Des Plaines). The good news for those is that they are unlikely to be removed anytime in the foreseeable future.

I think it's the Lincoln Oasis will one day come down as well, when that stretch of road inevitably needs to be widened to five lanes in each direction. That is probably a decade or two off though.

That section will not be widen in our lifetime unless you are able to figure out away to fill the quarry and shoulder up the bed - it's impossible due to the hundred-foot high wall the Tollway runs on.  Because of that, that oasis won't be moved anytime soon.

Lake Forest, on the other hand, must be ripped out because it's undercrossing lost its shoulders to 4-lane 94 under it.  another set of lanes, it's gone.

Des Plaines was unfortunate due to it being the most disposable feature in the area (otherwise private property is domained to the agency for 490 to connect.)

[Joe The Dragon]

waukegan toll needs to be all ETC 4 lanes each way.


Now maybe they can do 5 lanes each way no shoulders over the quarry

[Revive 755]

I think it's the Lincoln Oasis will one day come down as well, when that stretch of road inevitably needs to be widened to five lanes in each direction. That is probably a decade or two off though.

That section will not be widen in our lifetime unless you are able to figure out away to fill the quarry and shoulder up the bed - it's impossible due to the hundred-foot high wall the Tollway runs on.  Because of that, that oasis won't be moved anytime soon.

The quarry section east of the railroad overpass but west of State Street appears well within the span length of a suspension bridge.

[US20IL64]

Hope they can build more trumpet type Oases, with room for 5 lanes under ramps.

[JoePCool14]

Hope they can build more trumpet type Oases, with room for 5 lanes under ramps.

As much as I'd love this, I don't think the tollway can legally–or has any interest in–construct new oases. The ones that we have are all we'll have. Best to support them while they're there.

Also, regarding the DeKalb oasis: that one is very interesting for the mere fact it's different from the rest in the system. I got my first chance to visit it over the summer. The layout inside is very weird, and unfortunately there's lots of empty space. There is one nice seating area where you can sit right outside the Interstate which is cool.

[ET21]

Good thing I stopped at Hinsdale one last time this summer, used to be my go-to for an early dinner before heading out to Aurora/Sugar Grove/DeKalb for parties/school/friends houses.

[US20IL64]

I worked one summer at DeKalb Oasis McDonald's, while at NIU. They said at time they were a 'test site', to see if able to open in other Oases. It did work out, although some had BK or Wendy's.

I can see now why can't build new ones, too. But, can build more full interchanges, as was done to Elmhurst Rd.

[abefroman329]

I am hoping for more lanes where the booths were, such as Irving Park exit on 294. Big back up to the one I-Pass lane on right.

More lanes where the booths were would be helpful in spots where you have to go through the former cash tolls area in order to exit [294 S at Irving Park, 294 N at Touhy, others I'm not familiar with because I don't drive through there often].  I saw that they've removed the physical booths from the lanes at Irving Park, but I'm not sure what the plan is from there, whether they'll leave the infrastructure in place in case the permanent decision becomes temporary or do something else.

[Joe The Dragon]

toll roads that take cash are going away from taking it all over the place.

[edwaleni]

My Hinsdale Oasis story.

Family coming back from trip in Indiana and rolling up the tollway. This was back in 1975 and the Tri-State is going through a construction/widening cycle from I-80 up to O'Hare.

My mother declares she needs a potty stop right before 159th Street, but dad can't exit due to the traffic and lane shifts.

Cicero Ave didn't have any services near the exit back then, you would have to drive up into Alsip and my dad was not up for that.

My mom was furious. Next try was 95th Street, (Bridgeview). My Dad had already set his mind on Hinsdale, but my mom had other thoughts. (like "right now")

We pass 95th Street and an argument immediately follows as to why it is so hard to find a reasonable bathroom. There just wasn't a lot of commercial development near these tollway exits back in 1975.

We finally make it to Hinsdale and my mom runs as fast as I have ever seen her to make the dash inside to the Oasis bathrooms. (She made it)

Ever since then, anytime we came up to the Hinsdale Oasis, the call out for bathroom time was always made as if by auto pilot.

The old saying "When mama ain't happy, nobody happy" certainly applied in this case.

In defense of my dad, he didn't like cash tolling. Bathroom stops cost money back then on the older Tollway rules.

Today, its no big deal, but back then carrying enough quarters and dimes for the change buckets was always a pain.

[abefroman329]

Today, its no big deal, but back then carrying enough quarters and dimes for the change buckets was always a pain.

Yeah, but they were a great way to get rid of the pennies in your spare change!  I think the hoppers might have even been set up to accept an amount slightly lower than the posted toll.