Illinois Tollway Notes

[ilpt4u]

Maybe this is ISTHA sending a very subliminal message about plans to upgrade the 90/290/53 interchange to the 1st Illinois 4-Level Stack...

[Joe The Dragon]

Maybe this is ISTHA sending a very subliminal message about plans to upgrade the 90/290/53 interchange to the 1st Illinois 4-Level Stack...

maybe with the bears Arlington heights

[The Ghostbuster]

I believe this is the location of the future Bears Stadium: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0930025,-88.0123458,1064m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyMy4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D. In any event, I agree that the Interstate 90/Interstate 290/IL 53 interchange should be converted into a 4-level stack interchange with two-lane ramps.

[kphoger]

I believe this is the location of the future Bears Stadium: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0930025,-88.0123458,1064m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyMy4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

Purchased by the Chicago Bears in February 2023
Grandstand demolition completed September 2023
But whether the Bears end up actually building there...

[NWI_Irish96]

I believe this is the location of the future Bears Stadium: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0930025,-88.0123458,1064m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyMy4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

Purchased by the Chicago Bears in February 2023
Grandstand demolition completed September 2023
But whether the Bears end up actually building there...

This would be a nice spot for a new stadium:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5681392,-87.3995954,820m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyMy4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

[The Ghostbuster]

Perhaps.

[edwaleni]

I believe this is the location of the future Bears Stadium: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0930025,-88.0123458,1064m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyMy4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

Purchased by the Chicago Bears in February 2023
Grandstand demolition completed September 2023
But whether the Bears end up actually building there...

This would be a nice spot for a new stadium:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5681392,-87.3995954,820m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyMy4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Building a Bears stadium in Gary/Hammond has all the possibilities of building a stadium over the border in Wisconsin. Never going to happen.

[NWI_Irish96]

I believe this is the location of the future Bears Stadium: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0930025,-88.0123458,1064m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyMy4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

Purchased by the Chicago Bears in February 2023
Grandstand demolition completed September 2023
But whether the Bears end up actually building there...

This would be a nice spot for a new stadium:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5681392,-87.3995954,820m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyMy4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Building a Bears stadium in Gary/Hammond has all the possibilities of building a stadium over the border in Wisconsin. Never going to happen.

You don't think they'd do it if the money was right? To keep it road related, the state could promise upgrades to the Burr and Grant interchanges on the Borman, and upgrades to Cline Ave including the interchange with the Toll Road, plus shuttle service from the Airport South Shore Station.

[kphoger]

They've been on the fence about even building in the suburbs at all instead of Chicago proper—let alone out of state.

[SEWIGuy]

I believe this is the location of the future Bears Stadium: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0930025,-88.0123458,1064m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyMy4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

Purchased by the Chicago Bears in February 2023
Grandstand demolition completed September 2023
But whether the Bears end up actually building there...

This would be a nice spot for a new stadium:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5681392,-87.3995954,820m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyMy4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Building a Bears stadium in Gary/Hammond has all the possibilities of building a stadium over the border in Wisconsin. Never going to happen.

You don't think they'd do it if the money was right? To keep it road related, the state could promise upgrades to the Burr and Grant interchanges on the Borman, and upgrades to Cline Ave including the interchange with the Toll Road, plus shuttle service from the Airport South Shore Station.

No. The Arlington Heights location is perfect. Right off the highway and a Metra line with infrastructure already in place. Plus plenty of additional space to develop a la the Titletown District in Green Bay.

That's why their threats to go elsewhere were ignored. Everyone knows that location was going to work.

[Revive 755]

This would be a nice spot for a new stadium:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5681392,-87.3995954,820m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyMy4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Building a Bears stadium in Gary/Hammond has all the possibilities of building a stadium over the border in Wisconsin. Never going to happen.

I'd say it's a still very low probability, but more likely than a stadium in Wisconsin. It would be a little farther to the next city with a pro football team, and there's decent growth in the Crown Point - St. Johns - Kreitzburg area.

EDIT:  For some reason I was thinking there was a football team in Milwaukee when I typed this.  The distances for the IL-WI border on I-94 to Green Bay and the IL-IN border on I-80/94 to Indianapolis don't look all that different (about 155 versus 160).

[edwaleni]

I'd say it's a still very low probability, but more likely than a stadium in Wisconsin. It would be a little farther to the next city with a pro football team, and there's decent growth in the Crown Point - St. Johns - Kreitzburg area.

Agree on the area growth and with the Westlake Line going in, it will boom even more. But the other thought I could never imagine. You can see where "Chicago-Gary Airport" ended up.

[ChiMilNet]

I was traveling along portions of I-294 earlier this month for the first time in a couple of years and saw how the portion North of Lake Street is esentially done. Definitely, this makes for a nice improvement. Other than what's on the tollway website, which is a bit inconsistent with its updating (though way better than IDOTs website), any idea of when acvtually the ramp from NB I-294 to WB I-290 will be done? I maintain that alone will make a huge difference in that Hillside Interchange area.

[CtrlAltDel]

any idea of when acvtually the ramp from NB I-294 to WB I-290 will be done? I maintain that alone will make a huge difference in that Hillside Interchange area.

Not particularly soon. The mainline of 294 will be bridged to overpass that ramp, and I don't think they've gotten very far with that to date.

[Brandon]

any idea of when acvtually the ramp from NB I-294 to WB I-290 will be done? I maintain that alone will make a huge difference in that Hillside Interchange area.

Not particularly soon. The mainline of 294 will be bridged to overpass that ramp, and I don't think they've gotten very far with that to date.

ISTHA has built the bridges for I-294 over the ramp.

[CtrlAltDel]

any idea of when acvtually the ramp from NB I-294 to WB I-290 will be done? I maintain that alone will make a huge difference in that Hillside Interchange area.

Not particularly soon. The mainline of 294 will be bridged to overpass that ramp, and I don't think they've gotten very far with that to date.

ISTHA has built the bridges for I-294 over the ramp.

Have they? I haven't been able to see them either while driving or online.

That would put the project much further ahead than I thought, which is nice.

[Brandon]

any idea of when acvtually the ramp from NB I-294 to WB I-290 will be done? I maintain that alone will make a huge difference in that Hillside Interchange area.

Not particularly soon. The mainline of 294 will be bridged to overpass that ramp, and I don't think they've gotten very far with that to date.

ISTHA has built the bridges for I-294 over the ramp.

Have they? I haven't been able to see them either while driving or online.

That would put the project much further ahead than I thought, which is nice.

You can see them from the current ramp to I-290 west.  What ISTHA needs to do is to dig out the approach from there to the bridges.

[ET21]

Yeah they've been busy getting the bridge beams on the mainline done over 290 and tearing down the old SB 294-EB 290 ramp. Begging for that circle ramp to finally go away. Cheat code recently during heavy traffic is using the 290 ramp to access the right lane for NB 294, no one uses it past 290 so you can get through easier.

They did do a shift on SB 294 between 47th and I-55 to the right on mostly new concrete though it seemed incomplete due to the holiday.

[SSOWorld]

I was traveling along portions of I-294 earlier this month for the first time in a couple of years and saw how the portion North of Lake Street is esentially done. Definitely, this makes for a nice improvement. Other than what's on the tollway website, which is a bit inconsistent with its updating (though way better than IDOTs website), any idea of when acvtually the ramp from NB I-294 to WB I-290 will be done? I maintain that alone will make a huge difference in that Hillside Interchange area.

Will still be the Hillside Strangler

[Brandon]

I was traveling along portions of I-294 earlier this month for the first time in a couple of years and saw how the portion North of Lake Street is esentially done. Definitely, this makes for a nice improvement. Other than what's on the tollway website, which is a bit inconsistent with its updating (though way better than IDOTs website), any idea of when acvtually the ramp from NB I-294 to WB I-290 will be done? I maintain that alone will make a huge difference in that Hillside Interchange area.

Will still be the Hillside Strangler

Very true.  The problem with the Hillside Strangler isn't I-294, it's I-290 east of I-294.  When IDOT rebuilt the Mannheim Road interchange and between I-294 and Mannheim Road, they shrank the freeway don a lane just before 25th Street.  All this did was to move the traffic jam eastward from Wolf Road to 25th Street.

[kphoger]

Does it still smell like rotten eggs down around there?

[Henry]

I was traveling along portions of I-294 earlier this month for the first time in a couple of years and saw how the portion North of Lake Street is esentially done. Definitely, this makes for a nice improvement. Other than what's on the tollway website, which is a bit inconsistent with its updating (though way better than IDOTs website), any idea of when acvtually the ramp from NB I-294 to WB I-290 will be done? I maintain that alone will make a huge difference in that Hillside Interchange area.

Will still be the Hillside Strangler

Very true.  The problem with the Hillside Strangler isn't I-294, it's I-290 east of I-294.  When IDOT rebuilt the Mannheim Road interchange and between I-294 and Mannheim Road, they shrank the freeway don a lane just before 25th Street.  All this did was to move the traffic jam eastward from Wolf Road to 25th Street.

I can hear a certain former member reply that this is all the more reason for the Hypotenuse to be built!

[hobsini2]

Does it still smell like rotten eggs down around there?

Not near as bad as it once was. Same goes for 55 by Argo.