Wednesday, a professional engineering group I belong to (Illinois Society of Professional Engineers - Salt Creek Chapter) had its monthly meeting. We usually have a guest speaker, and this month was Peter Foernssler, PE, SE, ISTHA Deputy Chief of Program Implementation for ISTHA's Move Illinois Program. Mr. Foernssler discussed the program and its goals. Move Illinois is a $12 billion 15 year program designed to upgrade the existing system ($8.23 billion) and add to the system ($3.83 billion).
The program will widen I-90 (Jane Addams/Northwest Tollway) to eight lanes with a wide left should for possible use by buses from the Kennedy Expy to Elgin (Randall Rd) and to six lanes from there to the existing six lane section by Rockford. ISTHA sat on any rebuilding/widening schemes for I-90 while Metra tried to figure out what the heck they wanted to do. ISTHA is done with waiting and will do the rebuild and widening. This will start in 2012 and should be done by 2014. The other tollways will be updated and upgraded as well as maintained.
Part of this money is for studying the IL-53 extension into Lake County and studying the Illiana Expy. IDOT, so far, has the lead on the Illiana and the Prairie Parkway, but that is very much subject to change. The IL-53 study should be finished by May 2012, and is the #1 project to ease congestion (even over any transit project) by CMAP.
ISTHA will also take over the Elgin-O'Hare Expy from IDOT. First, in 2013, the existing EOE will be widened from four to six lanes. Then, tolls will be applied to the existing EOE in 2015. The second phase will be building the east extension toward O'Hare. This will be combined with rebuilding the I-290 interchange for high-speed ramps between the two (no more Breezewood-tpye situation between IL-53 and I-290). The third phase will be the South O'Hare Bypass to I-294, then the forth phase will be the North O'Hare Bypass to I-90. The entire EOE extension will be complete by 2024. At the eastern end, there will be stub ramps for the proposed western terminal to be built at O'Hare. In addition, the EOE will be entirely electronic tolling. No cash lanes or change baskets will be placed on the EOE.
Another part is for the new I-294/I-57 interchange. This will be built in two phases. The first will be ramps between Nbd I-57 and Nbd I-294 and Sbd I-294 and Sbd I-57 to be built in 2012. This is viewed as the most important movement in the entire interchange. Then, the other four ramps will be built (Nbd I-294 to Nbd I-57, Sbd I-57 to Sbd I-294, Sbd I-57 to Nbd I-294, and Sbd I-294 to Nbd I-57).
As for the Prairie Parkway, ISTHA wants to learn from previous mistakes (as they did when they built the I-355 extension). He noted two such mistakes: 1) building I-355 in 1989 as four lanes instead of six (corrected with the extension) as they had to come back two years later and add the lanes, and 2) not building the Fox Valley Expy back in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Hence, they are watching the Prairie parkway studies closely so as to avoid the mistakes of the Fox Valley Expy.
In addition, it was interesting to note that 85% of ISTHA customers use the I-Pass/EZ-Pass system. They are also looking into systems to work with better interoperability with other toll roads.
Interesting stuff indeed!
As for the EOE, was there any discussion on the fate of its west end? Also, for those without transponders, will they be doing the 'mail a bill with a small surcharge' thing like the ON 407 does (granted that ISTHA's transponder tolls are already only half that of cash tolls and that I do see I-PASSes on a lot of Wisconsin-plated cars even around here - over two hours' drive time from the nearest Illinois Tollway, but there are many other places, like Iowa and on west, with no nearby tollways at all)? In addition, would it be set up as an electronic 'ticket' tollway with the gantries being retrofitted only at the entrances and exits instead of using all-lane 'barrier' gantries?
Also, was there any discussion about a potential McHenry County extension from the planned Lake County/IL 53 North Tollway (you mean that we may actually see IL 53 being built within our lifetimes! :jumping: )?
Mike
More info: http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_pageid=133,2980078&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
Quote from: Brandon on November 19, 2011, 07:23:22 AM
ISTHA will also take over the Elgin-O'Hare Expy from IDOT. First, in 2013, the existing EOE will be widened from four to six lanes. Then, tolls will be applied to the existing EOE in 2015. The second phase will be building the east extension toward O'Hare. This will be combined with rebuilding the I-290 interchange for high-speed ramps between the two (no more Breezewood-tpye situation between IL-53 and I-290). The third phase will be the South O'Hare Bypass to I-294, then the forth phase will be the North O'Hare Bypass to I-90. The entire EOE extension will be complete by 2024. At the eastern end, there will be stub ramps for the proposed western terminal to be built at O'Hare.
Wouldn't it be better to complete one or both of the bypass routes before bringing the EOE eastward to a dead end near O'Hare?
Well, it'll at least end at York Road, I would guess.
QuoteThe program will widen I-90 (Jane Addams/Northwest Tollway) to eight lanes with a wide left should for possible use by buses from the Kennedy Expy to Elgin (Randall Rd) and to six lanes from there to the existing six lane section by Rockford. ISTHA sat on any rebuilding/widening schemes for I-90 while Metra tried to figure out what the heck they wanted to do. ISTHA is done with waiting and will do the rebuild and widening. This will start in 2012 and should be done by 2014.
A bit aggressive on the schedule, if you ask me. Unless they've already done the environmental documentation. But wouldn't this create a bottleneck near O'Hare, since the Kennedy would still just be 6 lanes?
Quote from: froggie on November 21, 2011, 07:30:32 AM
QuoteThe program will widen I-90 (Jane Addams/Northwest Tollway) to eight lanes with a wide left should for possible use by buses from the Kennedy Expy to Elgin (Randall Rd) and to six lanes from there to the existing six lane section by Rockford. ISTHA sat on any rebuilding/widening schemes for I-90 while Metra tried to figure out what the heck they wanted to do. ISTHA is done with waiting and will do the rebuild and widening. This will start in 2012 and should be done by 2014.
A bit aggressive on the schedule, if you ask me. Unless they've already done the environmental documentation. But wouldn't this create a bottleneck near O'Hare, since the Kennedy would still just be 6 lanes?
Aggressive? Not in the least, IMHO They've done the studies, and it's ready to go. As for the bottle neck, they will most likely peel off a lane at O'Hare as they did for I-88 at I-294/I-290.
Since the ISTHA doesn't take federal money, they do not have to perform Environmental Impact Statements. They have piggybacked on some IDOT EIS's like the I-355 South Extension. Especially if a project is within their current right-of-way, the acquisition of USACE permits, etc. is a relatively straightforward process that can be expedited. When the tollway decides to do something, it can move with relatively high speed, unlike the agencies like IDOT and Metra that are so dependent on federal funding.
As far as the Prairie Parkway, there is no project as gift-wrapped for the tollway anywhere. They have an EIS Record of Decision, right of way plans, 30% engineering plans, most of the soil and bridge studies done, and 10% of the land acquired. But the tollway is putting most of their eggs in the I-90 and Elgin O'Hare baskets for now.
They do have to follow other federal and state laws like the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act which they have done in the case of the DesPlaines River Bridge and the Hinds Emerald Dragonfly.
I was reading the Sierra Club thread and I cant think of any project in Illinois stopped for environmental reasons,dealyed maybe,but most were NIMBY.
I suspect the Toll authority is being conservative financially in putting off these projects. I guess the lesson they learned from the Foxway was to protect the ROW for future use
Quote from: mgk920 on November 19, 2011, 11:21:27 AM
As for the EOE, was there any discussion on the fate of its west end?
I got it out of a D1 IDOT engineer recently that the EOE could get westward extension beyond 2017, but it would be as a boulevard except for a possible interchange with Country Farm Road.
It also came up that there are issues with giving the Illiana to ISTHA since it seems [my interpretation here] that Indiana really wants to use a public-private partnership to build the facility [/my interpretation here] and the Indiana section alone would not be long enough to work as a public-private partnership.
Quote from: mgk920 on November 19, 2011, 11:21:27 AM
Interesting stuff indeed!
As for the EOE, was there any discussion on the fate of its west end? Also, for those without transponders, will they be doing the 'mail a bill with a small surcharge' thing like the ON 407 does (granted that ISTHA's transponder tolls are already only half that of cash tolls and that I do see I-PASSes on a lot of Wisconsin-plated cars even around here - over two hours' drive time from the nearest Illinois Tollway, but there are many other places, like Iowa and on west, with no nearby tollways at all)? In addition, would it be set up as an electronic 'ticket' tollway with the gantries being retrofitted only at the entrances and exits instead of using all-lane 'barrier' gantries?
Also, was there any discussion about a potential McHenry County extension from the planned Lake County/IL 53 North Tollway (you mean that we may actually see IL 53 being built within our lifetimes! :jumping: )?
Mike
I too would love to see the new IL 53 extension, and if it does happen, I'll be sure to check it out in a future visit to Chicago.
Anyone know what the tollway is planing with this on I-294:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.672046,-87.763858&spn=0.001701,0.004128&t=k&z=19&vpsrc=6 (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.672046,-87.763858&spn=0.001701,0.004128&t=k&z=19&vpsrc=6)
Almost looks like the start of a new toll plaza.
Quote from: Revive 755 on December 18, 2011, 01:05:33 AM
Anyone know what the tollway is planing with this on I-294:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.672046,-87.763858&spn=0.001701,0.004128&t=k&z=19&vpsrc=6 (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.672046,-87.763858&spn=0.001701,0.004128&t=k&z=19&vpsrc=6)
Almost looks like the start of a new toll plaza.
No idea, but it's not a toll plaza. I'd suspect that it might be part of a weigh-in-motion sensor.
I don't think this has been posted before, but here is somewhat detailed map of the EOE and O'Hare Bypass routes:
http://www.elginohare-westbypass.org/Shared%20Documents/Overview_BestPerformingAlternatives.pdf (http://www.elginohare-westbypass.org/Shared%20Documents/Overview_BestPerformingAlternatives.pdf)
Quote from: Revive 755 on March 04, 2012, 01:28:36 AM
I don't think this has been posted before, but here is somewhat detailed map of the EOE and O'Hare Bypass routes:
http://www.elginohare-westbypass.org/Shared%20Documents/Overview_BestPerformingAlternatives.pdf (http://www.elginohare-westbypass.org/Shared%20Documents/Overview_BestPerformingAlternatives.pdf)
Fascinating! :nod:
Among the other goodies, it shows
-A 'diverging diamond' as an option for the interchange at I-90 (Northwest Tollway)/Elmhurst Rd;
-A 'Texas' frontage road arrangement for the EOE on the section along Thorndale east of Medinah Rd; and
-A 'SPUI' at the West ORD Bypass Tollway/Irving Park Rd interchange.
Mike
I'm not seeing this "SPUI" at WB ORD/IL-19. It looks just like it does today. Traffic exits off WB ORD onto the WB frontage road and reaches a standard signalized intersection at IL-19/Irving Park Road.
Quote from: Stratuscaster on March 04, 2012, 11:36:03 AM
I'm not seeing this "SPUI" at WB ORD/IL-19. It looks just like it does today. Traffic exits off WB ORD onto the WB frontage road and reaches a standard signalized intersection at IL-19/Irving Park Road.
Zoom waaaaaaaay in and you'll make it out. It's on the bypass tollway on the southwest side of the airport.
Mike
That would explain why I didn't see it. I was looking at the EOE/IL-19 interchange - not the ORD/IL-19 interchange.
D'oh!
Rumor has it that the map is wrong regarding the EOE/I-290 interchange, with the interchange to be a cloverstack instead of a 3/4 stack. The EOE would also be passing under IL 53/Rowhlwing, instead of over.
That seems odd, only because right after IL-53/Rohlwing, Thorndale Ave goes EB over I-290.
Now, if they plan on ripping out the entire I-290/Thorndale interchange and rebuilding it from the ground up, then it might make more sense.
I need to stare at the map more when I'm not sleepy or on cold medication.
Quote from: Revive 755 on March 06, 2012, 06:11:12 PM
Rumor has it that the map is wrong regarding the EOE/I-290 interchange, with the interchange to be a cloverstack instead of a 3/4 stack. The EOE would also be passing under IL 53/Rowhlwing, instead of over.
Considering that Rohlwing is below the grade of the current EOE and that Thorndale goes over I-290, rumor is wrong.
I bet the rumor was from TollRoadsBlog.
Quote from: Brandon on March 06, 2012, 09:54:34 PM
Quote from: Revive 755 on March 06, 2012, 06:11:12 PM
Rumor has it that the map is wrong regarding the EOE/I-290 interchange, with the interchange to be a cloverstack instead of a 3/4 stack. The EOE would also be passing under IL 53/Rowhlwing, instead of over.
Considering that Rohlwing is below the grade of the current EOE and that Thorndale goes over I-290, rumor is wrong.
And let's not forget the "ghost mainline" west of Rohlwing Rd goes up in elevation.
EIS for Phase 2 has 53 over EOE:
http://elginohare-westbypass.org/DEIS_2012/Section_2_Alternatives/Section_2.2_Description%20of%20the%20Alternatives.pdf (http://elginohare-westbypass.org/DEIS_2012/Section_2_Alternatives/Section_2.2_Description%20of%20the%20Alternatives.pdf)
(scroll to Page 6/23)
According to a toll authority employee, should the West Bypass get a number, it would very likely be a IL 490 or IL 494. From what I gathered, the EOE would probably stay unnumbered.
Quote from: Revive 755 on March 04, 2012, 01:28:36 AM
I don't think this has been posted before, but here is somewhat detailed map of the EOE and O'Hare Bypass routes:
http://www.elginohare-westbypass.org/Shared%20Documents/Overview_BestPerformingAlternatives.pdf (http://www.elginohare-westbypass.org/Shared%20Documents/Overview_BestPerformingAlternatives.pdf)
In that pdf, I see that the Des Plaines Oasis looks to be removed for the interchange of the western beltway connecting to the Jane Addams, is this a definite or just one of the proposed interchange options? If it was to be removed, does the tollway plan on placing it further down the road or remove it all together?
If ISTHA was to remove the Des Plaines Oasis and build it further down the road, it would likely need to be built somewhere between Barrington Rd and Roselle Rd because the area between Arlington Hts Rd and I-290/53 is adjacent to a forest preserve and not enough room between the interchanges due to the IL 58 Golf Rd underpass.
More for the rumor mill: The other day I managed to hear part of a conversation regarding the numbering of either the Elgin O'Hare east extension or the O'Hare West Bypass. Seemed to be some debate over using an odd first digit or an even first digit.
Interesting that for a route that will supposedly not be an interstate those in charge seem to want to stick with the interstate numbering rules
Quote from: Revive 755 on September 15, 2012, 12:50:09 AM
More for the rumor mill: The other day I managed to hear part of a conversation regarding the numbering of either the Elgin O'Hare east extension or the O'Hare West Bypass. Seemed to be some debate over using an odd first digit or an even first digit.
Interesting that for a route that will supposedly not be an interstate those in charge seem to want to stick with the interstate numbering rules
Wouldn't be the first time for ISTHA. They did get I-355 for the North-South Tollway when it opened as a tollway (no federal funding). I'd be surprised if they did not use an I-xxx number for the Elgin-O'Hare Expy and the O'Hare Ring Road.