I-90 rebuilding and widening

[Joe The Dragon]

Not really sure why they aren't building the West Bypass first, it would have made more sense to do so so IL-390 doesn't dead end into another arterial.

IL 390 will be ending at IL 83 for a little while, which is a major six lane arterial of higher quality than Thorndale or US 20.  There's probably also some factor based on the traffic IL 390 would feed into the West Bypass.  Without IL 390, the West Bypass is pretty much a pricier pair of ramps between I-294 and I-90 that is already competing with a free I-290.

The I-290 to I-294 ramps suck. Also the I-90 to I-290 ones are bad at times as well. And I-290 has the I-355 and eoe traffic on it.

[quickshade]

http://www.nwherald.com/2016/08/19/go-ahead-for-i-90-interchange-in-marengo-headed-toward-a-county-board-vote/ajssddl/?page=1

Pending the final decision by the board on sept 6th which looks to approve it the interchange is a go. Next year the overpass will be rebuilt (no matter the decision by the board) and the ramps will be rebuilt in 2018. They really like to cite the fact that McHenry county is the largest by population without direct access to an interstate.

[Great Lakes Roads]

http://www.nwherald.com/2016/08/19/go-ahead-for-i-90-interchange-in-marengo-headed-toward-a-county-board-vote/ajssddl/?page=1

Pending the final decision by the board on sept 6th which looks to approve it the interchange is a go. Next year the overpass will be rebuilt (no matter the decision by the board) and the ramps will be rebuilt in 2018. They really like to cite the fact that McHenry county is the largest by population without direct access to an interstate.

It's about time! My grandparents live in Marengo, and we have to get off onto U.S. 20 to Marengo. This interchange is badly needed, and it will be a nice change for McHenry County, the city of Marengo, and of course, me!

[ChiMilNet]

It seems that East of the I-290/IL 53 Interchange that I-90 is generally starting to take shape (especially the pavement and lighting installed down the middle), and it looks like a safe bet that most of it will be done and ready to be opened within the next couple months. I wonder if it's possible the 4th lane in each direction and all pavement opens on this stretch before the portion West of I-290/IL 53.

[bahnburner]

Interesting article.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160815/news/160819486/

Tollway's 'mother ship' chews up concrete, spits out savings on I-90
Marni Pyke
posted: 8/15/2016 5:30 AM

Inching along on the Jane Addams Tollway in construction land, two questions arise.

Which movie dystopia is the dusty landscape dotted with hills of rubble more reminiscent of -- the gritty highways of "Mad Max" or the decimated District 13 in "The Hunger Games?" And what are those piles of rock for, anyway?

The first question is a matter of opinion, but here's the answer to the second.

The massive widening and rebuild of the Jane Addams (I-90) is winding up this year. And in a sense, the road is building itself.

"Our efforts are focused on minimizing the environmental impacts associated with our road building," tollway Chief Engineer Paul Kovacs said.

That means recycling and reusing the existing concrete and asphalt as a base material for the new road bed with the help of some nifty equipment.

The star of the show is the "mother ship," or mobile crusher, a huge and ungainly machine.

"It's a unique and fantastic way of keeping the existing materials on site and turning them into the proper size so they can be reused again," Kovacs said.

The tollway builds its roads with concrete and uses asphalt for shoulders and resurfacing. Workers start by breaking up the existing pavement into large chunks. The material then is mounded separately in the rows familiar to I-90 drivers.

Enter the mother ship.

Mile by mile as the roadwork moves east, a backhoe loads the pieces of concrete into the mobile crusher's feeder. They're pulverized into 4-by-6-inch chunks and whisked onto a conveyor belt that spits the finished product onto the road bed, making for a solid base.

A layer of recycled, ground-up asphalt follows later, then three inches of warm asphalt.

"After we have a stabilized base, we build a new concrete layer on top to create this ... sandwich," Kovacs said. "The new concrete pavement is typically 13 inches thick."

The tollway tailors the depth of concrete to the type of traffic, adding the thickest layer where truck traffic is heaviest, such as on the Central Tri-State Tollway.

The agency has used its I-90 rebuild as a laboratory to test mixing old asphalt shingles and pavement with new.

As a result, recycled asphalt comprises about one-third of the new asphalt laid on the mainline and about 50 percent of material used for the shoulder.

"It's environmentally a very good approach to road-building and it also has a very important component of saving us a lot of money," Kovacs said, adding the agency has saved about $200 million since 2006 by recycling and reusing.

"We don't have to buy the new materials, we don't have to haul in new materials and remove old materials, and we don't have to pay any (landfill) disposal fees."

One more thing

The final stretch of the Jane Addams revamp should wrap up at the end of the year. The I-90 project, costing $2.5 billion, is part of the agency's $12 billion, 15-year building program.

Also came across a picture from Aug. 12 on a facebook car spotting group of an ATM structure installed on I-90. Anyone who routinely drives the eastern segment of I-90, post pics if you can to keep us up to date of the changes. Thread is worthless without pics!



Also have a question. Is this how the surface will end up, or will they do a final 'smoothing' of the surface? Reason I ask is because to me the ride on there just wasn't as smooth as on the I-94 Tri State tollway, which is amazingly smooth (as in 85-90 mph feels like 65 mph) compared to other tollways like I-294. I guess rolling resistance is what I'm referring to. Or it could just be psychological due to the road being narrower and lacking shoulders during construction.

[Joe The Dragon]

Interesting article.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160815/news/160819486/

Tollway's 'mother ship' chews up concrete, spits out savings on I-90
Marni Pyke
posted: 8/15/2016 5:30 AM

Inching along on the Jane Addams Tollway in construction land, two questions arise.

Which movie dystopia is the dusty landscape dotted with hills of rubble more reminiscent of -- the gritty highways of "Mad Max" or the decimated District 13 in "The Hunger Games?" And what are those piles of rock for, anyway?

The first question is a matter of opinion, but here's the answer to the second.

The massive widening and rebuild of the Jane Addams (I-90) is winding up this year. And in a sense, the road is building itself.

"Our efforts are focused on minimizing the environmental impacts associated with our road building," tollway Chief Engineer Paul Kovacs said.

That means recycling and reusing the existing concrete and asphalt as a base material for the new road bed with the help of some nifty equipment.

The star of the show is the "mother ship," or mobile crusher, a huge and ungainly machine.

"It's a unique and fantastic way of keeping the existing materials on site and turning them into the proper size so they can be reused again," Kovacs said.

The tollway builds its roads with concrete and uses asphalt for shoulders and resurfacing. Workers start by breaking up the existing pavement into large chunks. The material then is mounded separately in the rows familiar to I-90 drivers.

Enter the mother ship.

Mile by mile as the roadwork moves east, a backhoe loads the pieces of concrete into the mobile crusher's feeder. They're pulverized into 4-by-6-inch chunks and whisked onto a conveyor belt that spits the finished product onto the road bed, making for a solid base.

A layer of recycled, ground-up asphalt follows later, then three inches of warm asphalt.

"After we have a stabilized base, we build a new concrete layer on top to create this ... sandwich," Kovacs said. "The new concrete pavement is typically 13 inches thick."

The tollway tailors the depth of concrete to the type of traffic, adding the thickest layer where truck traffic is heaviest, such as on the Central Tri-State Tollway.

The agency has used its I-90 rebuild as a laboratory to test mixing old asphalt shingles and pavement with new.

As a result, recycled asphalt comprises about one-third of the new asphalt laid on the mainline and about 50 percent of material used for the shoulder.

"It's environmentally a very good approach to road-building and it also has a very important component of saving us a lot of money," Kovacs said, adding the agency has saved about $200 million since 2006 by recycling and reusing.

"We don't have to buy the new materials, we don't have to haul in new materials and remove old materials, and we don't have to pay any (landfill) disposal fees."

One more thing

The final stretch of the Jane Addams revamp should wrap up at the end of the year. The I-90 project, costing $2.5 billion, is part of the agency's $12 billion, 15-year building program.

Also came across a picture from Aug. 12 on a facebook car spotting group of an ATM structure installed on I-90. Anyone who routinely drives the eastern segment of I-90, post pics if you can to keep us up to date of the changes. Thread is worthless without pics!



Also have a question. Is this how the surface will end up, or will they do a final 'smoothing' of the surface? Reason I ask is because to me the ride on there just wasn't as smooth as on the I-94 Tri State tollway, which is amazingly smooth (as in 85-90 mph feels like 65 mph) compared to other tollways like I-294. I guess rolling resistance is what I'm referring to. Or it could just be psychological due to the road being narrower and lacking shoulders during construction.

also off center lanes in the work zone. Also it's kind of hard to take pics at 65-70 MPH.

[quickshade]

Your off center from the lanes so that might be part of the problem. Also keep in mind the shoulder isn't for driving on (outside one) so that might be part of the problem.

I have a meeting next week closer to downtown, if I have time and can find some safe places to snap pictures i'll try to do that.

[ET21]

I think I-88 used the same recycling procedure when that was redone. Cool machines

[quickshade]

http://www.nwherald.com/2016/09/06/mchenry-county-board-gives-ok-to-interstate-90-and-route-23-interchange/a9s260i/

Interchange was approved, will be out to bid later this fall, bridge will be rebuilt next year (2017) and ramps should be added the year after (2018).

[ET21]

Very nice!

[Great Lakes Roads]

http://www.nwherald.com/2016/09/06/mchenry-county-board-gives-ok-to-interstate-90-and-route-23-interchange/a9s260i/

Interchange was approved, will be out to bid later this fall, bridge will be rebuilt next year (2017) and ramps should be added the year after (2018).

YAY! Let's see which interchange options they'll choose!!

[Revive 755]

A few recent observations from a trip on WB I-90 near dusk:

* There are a few overhead sign structures with signs on them resting on the ground near the I-294 interchange - I think they will be installed over the EB lanes.

* It appears some of the ATM structures may have indications mounted over the right shoulder.

* There are a couple short stretches near Arlington Heights Road where traffic is shifted towards the median.  It also appeared in these sections that traffic was using completed/post construction WB lanes, with permanent striping and reflectors installed.

* Some of the permanent overhead sign assemblies have been installed for the I-290/IL 53 interchange.  A couple of the signs appear to be a variation on the arrow-per-lane design with a greened-out thru-right arrow and a right arrow - the sign structure did not include ahead arrows for all lanes of I-90.  One of these sign structures also had a sign for the future exit to Meacham Road on it, with an orange closed banner diagonally across it.

[quickshade]

Also of note, EB I90 from the Elgin toll plaza to just past the Fox River bridge is now shifted onto the new eastern lanes. Traffic is shifted to the far outside lanes and shoulder while crews finish the center median that approaches the bridge and after the bridge, once thats done and shoulder pavement is completed that section will be done.

Drove it this weekend and a lot of the mainline pavement is down, with the center median being a work in progress. There was still 2 or 3 areas though that looked nowhere near ready to even begin paving, but I did notice crews working till almost 8 P.M the other day on one of the live webcams.

[tribar]

I drove on this the other day and most of it looked no where close to being finished.  A few areas (Arlington Heights Rd, Fox River Bridge) looked closer than others but overall I think this project will end up stretching into June or July of next year.

[johndoe780]

I drove on this the other day and most of it looked no where close to being finished.  A few areas (Arlington Heights Rd, Fox River Bridge) looked closer than others but overall I think this project will end up stretching into June or July of next year.

I drive this route everyday, most of the concrete is already poured, but there's a few sections left where concrete is yet to be poured.

I just see them working on finishing up the lights, putting up the smart technology signs, and finish painting the lanes.

I think they'll finish by the end of the year. They still have 3 more months left. ITHSA never had a projected finish date of the entire project by the end of the year. They stated that the 4 lane widening would be done at the end of the year, but the new interchanges would be wrapped up in 2017. The interchanges are no where near being done yet.

[Joe The Dragon]

they plan to have some of the new ramps open by then end of the year.

[Revive 755]

There are currently two message boards on Meacham Road, one for each direction, giving the toll rates  for the future ramps for WB I-90 (45 cents for I-Pass, 90 cents for paying online), and a message board on WB I-90 also giving the future toll rate.  The message boards also mention November, but didn't specify an exact date or what half of the month.

[ChiMilNet]

There are currently two message boards on Meacham Road, one for each direction, giving the toll rates  for the future ramps for WB I-90 (45 cents for I-Pass, 90 cents for paying online), and a message board on WB I-90 also giving the future toll rate.  The message boards also mention November, but didn't specify an exact date or what half of the month.

I drove the Meacham Road overpass yesterday, and it basically appears to be done. It looks like mainly there is some overall minor work at the end of the ramps that needs to finish, and traffic signal/remaining light pole installation, and this will basically be ready to go. This could very well be ready by the beginning of November, if they work at a decent pace.

Also, I have noticed that they pavement and toll gantry on the Eastbound Roselle Rd off-ramp appears to be coming together pretty well now. I would predict that should be ready by the end of November/Early December. I just get the feeling the Eastbound off-ramp at Barrington Rd. might be delayed (the new Eastbound on-ramp and Westbound off-ramps are just taking forever for some reason, and that loop is in the way of the new Eastbound off-ramp). However, the Westbound on-ramp looks like it may have a chance of being ready there. If they at least have those two by the end of the year, plus Meacham Rd, it will make a difference overall (in that the combination of Roselle Rd. and Barrington Rd. will essentially be a "full" interchange for the time being).

[Joe The Dragon]

There are currently two message boards on Meacham Road, one for each direction, giving the toll rates  for the future ramps for WB I-90 (45 cents for I-Pass, 90 cents for paying online), and a message board on WB I-90 also giving the future toll rate.  The message boards also mention November, but didn't specify an exact date or what half of the month.

I drove the Meacham Road overpass yesterday, and it basically appears to be done. It looks like mainly there is some overall minor work at the end of the ramps that needs to finish, and traffic signal/remaining light pole installation, and this will basically be ready to go. This could very well be ready by the beginning of November, if they work at a decent pace.

Also, I have noticed that they pavement and toll gantry on the Eastbound Roselle Rd off-ramp appears to be coming together pretty well now. I would predict that should be ready by the end of November/Early December. I just get the feeling the Eastbound off-ramp at Barrington Rd. might be delayed (the new Eastbound on-ramp and Westbound off-ramps are just taking forever for some reason, and that loop is in the way of the new Eastbound off-ramp). However, the Westbound on-ramp looks like it may have a chance of being ready there. If they at least have those two by the end of the year, plus Meacham Rd, it will make a difference overall (in that the combination of Roselle Rd. and Barrington Rd. will essentially be a "full" interchange for the time being).

and with them tolling the Roselle Rd and Barrington Rd on ramps that used to be free will they de toll the I-290 exit?  some kind or virtual ticket discount?

[hobsini2]

Joe, I couldn't tell you that but I do think that the wise idea would be to have the 290 ramps be a full toll free interchange due to the frequent backups of the current ramps.

[quickshade]

Joe, I couldn't tell you that but I do think that the wise idea would be to have the 290 ramps be a full toll free interchange due to the frequent backups of the current ramps.

But the tollbooth isn't the problem on the ramp, its that the ramp goes from 2 lanes to 4 lanes for the tollbooth down to a one lane merger, uphill, onto the local lanes of which many people are trying to exit. So getting rid of the tollbooth does nothing unless you expand the ramp to at least 2 lanes and change how you merge onto 290.

[Revive 755]

and with them tolling the Roselle Rd and Barrington Rd on ramps that used to be free will they de toll the I-290 exit?  some kind or virtual ticket discount?

It would be nice for them to remove the toll plaza from the EB exits to I-290 and IL 53, but they are not.  The plaza for the exit to NB 53 was rebuilt as part of the widening project - if you look in the 2012 Streetview on the EB C-D roadway (link) you can see the old plaza with a canopy, but the more recent aerial imagery shows the new plaza without the canopy.

But the tollbooth isn't the problem on the ramp, its that the ramp goes from 2 lanes to 4 lanes for the tollbooth down to a one lane merger, uphill, onto the local lanes of which many people are trying to exit. So getting rid of the tollbooth does nothing unless you expand the ramp to at least 2 lanes and change how you merge onto 290.

I think part of the problem with the toll plaza on the ramp to EB I-290 is having large trucks having to stop in the cash lane, then very slowly accelerating up the one lane section of the ramp, so there might be some improvement if the plaza was removed.

[johndoe780]

There are currently two message boards on Meacham Road, one for each direction, giving the toll rates  for the future ramps for WB I-90 (45 cents for I-Pass, 90 cents for paying online), and a message board on WB I-90 also giving the future toll rate.  The message boards also mention November, but didn't specify an exact date or what half of the month.

I drove the Meacham Road overpass yesterday, and it basically appears to be done. It looks like mainly there is some overall minor work at the end of the ramps that needs to finish, and traffic signal/remaining light pole installation, and this will basically be ready to go. This could very well be ready by the beginning of November, if they work at a decent pace.

Also, I have noticed that they pavement and toll gantry on the Eastbound Roselle Rd off-ramp appears to be coming together pretty well now. I would predict that should be ready by the end of November/Early December. I just get the feeling the Eastbound off-ramp at Barrington Rd. might be delayed (the new Eastbound on-ramp and Westbound off-ramps are just taking forever for some reason, and that loop is in the way of the new Eastbound off-ramp). However, the Westbound on-ramp looks like it may have a chance of being ready there. If they at least have those two by the end of the year, plus Meacham Rd, it will make a difference overall (in that the combination of Roselle Rd. and Barrington Rd. will essentially be a "full" interchange for the time being).

and with them tolling the Roselle Rd and Barrington Rd on ramps that used to be free will they de toll the I-290 exit?  some kind or virtual ticket discount?

I saw this today when getting on the Barrington rd ramp today compared to the 59 ramp on my usual commute going I-90 eastbound. What the heck is the point of this toll? I can easily bypass it by driving 2 miles west on 59.

[Joe The Dragon]

There are currently two message boards on Meacham Road, one for each direction, giving the toll rates  for the future ramps for WB I-90 (45 cents for I-Pass, 90 cents for paying online), and a message board on WB I-90 also giving the future toll rate.  The message boards also mention November, but didn't specify an exact date or what half of the month.

I drove the Meacham Road overpass yesterday, and it basically appears to be done. It looks like mainly there is some overall minor work at the end of the ramps that needs to finish, and traffic signal/remaining light pole installation, and this will basically be ready to go. This could very well be ready by the beginning of November, if they work at a decent pace.

Also, I have noticed that they pavement and toll gantry on the Eastbound Roselle Rd off-ramp appears to be coming together pretty well now. I would predict that should be ready by the end of November/Early December. I just get the feeling the Eastbound off-ramp at Barrington Rd. might be delayed (the new Eastbound on-ramp and Westbound off-ramps are just taking forever for some reason, and that loop is in the way of the new Eastbound off-ramp). However, the Westbound on-ramp looks like it may have a chance of being ready there. If they at least have those two by the end of the year, plus Meacham Rd, it will make a difference overall (in that the combination of Roselle Rd. and Barrington Rd. will essentially be a "full" interchange for the time being).

and with them tolling the Roselle Rd and Barrington Rd on ramps that used to be free will they de toll the I-290 exit?  some kind or virtual ticket discount?

I saw this today when getting on the Barrington rd ramp today compared to the 59 ramp on my usual commute going I-90 eastbound. What the heck is the point of this toll? I can easily bypass it by driving 2 miles west on 59.

They need to toll the 59 ramps and beverly rd ramps and remove the ones at I-290 / IL-53 or redo the system like the EOE

[hobsini2]

Joe, I couldn't tell you that but I do think that the wise idea would be to have the 290 ramps be a full toll free interchange due to the frequent backups of the current ramps.

But the tollbooth isn't the problem on the ramp, its that the ramp goes from 2 lanes to 4 lanes for the tollbooth down to a one lane merger, uphill, onto the local lanes of which many people are trying to exit. So getting rid of the tollbooth does nothing unless you expand the ramp to at least 2 lanes and change how you merge onto 290.

Getting rid of the tollbooth on the 290 ramps eliminates the need for that kind of ramp configuration. So yes the issue does have to do with those plazas.