I-490 (Western O'Hare Bypass)

[mgk920]

I (in my own warped world) can see IL 594 eventually being extended to feed into US 41 in Indiana (and being promoted to become 'I-41').

Mike

[NWI_Irish96]

I (in my own warped world) can see IL 594 eventually being extended to feed into US 41 in Indiana (and being promoted to become 'I-41').

Mike

Did you mean IL 394? That's something that really does need to happen. Call it "Illiana Light"

There's a path to connect IL 394 to 109th Ave. It could even be an extension of US 231 if you wanted.

[3467]

There was a little spur in the 2000 CATS plan that came out after all the freeway dreams of the previous 2 decades came crashing down.
The history of the Illiana is Indiana interested Illinois not and then it flips....

[JoePCool14]

I (in my own warped world) can see IL 594 eventually being extended to feed into US 41 in Indiana (and being promoted to become 'I-41').

Mike

As fictional as this is, I very much like this idea. This would help things on the Borman, although it would require immense work.

[ET21]

There are some signs of progress on Google Maps (like the future 90/490 trumpet interchange), but for a new tollroad being constructed, the Satellite View of the corridor looks pretty barren at present: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.977281,-87.9146754,10078m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

Yikes. Now I'm wondering if they'll even finish it in 2027.

Was looking at some articles about it and they still are aiming for a late 2027 opening. Have a feeling it won't be until 2028

[Sani]

The most recent satellite imagery of I-490/O'Hare in Google Earth is just over a year old (03/14/2025), although the south end at I-294 is from the fall (10/26/2025). Unfortunately, the most recent photos in the Flickr album are from July of 2024. I get that drone footage is difficult to impossible, given the proximity to O'Hare, but you'd think they could have at least uploaded some more photos from the ground by now.

[ilpt4u]

GSV from the west end of Jarvis Ave/between the Addams Tollway/90 and Touhy/IL 72 shows the bridge connecting the Trumpet at I-90 all but complete to across and south of Higgins Creek near Touhy. Dated June 2025

https://maps.app.goo.gl/GAk3coGrSUjYYGpq7

[Revive 755]

GSV from the west end of Jarvis Ave/between the Addams Tollway/90 and Touhy/IL 72 shows the bridge connecting the Trumpet at I-90 all but complete to across and south of Higgins Creek near Touhy. Dated June 2025

https://maps.app.goo.gl/GAk3coGrSUjYYGpq7

From recent travels, there's still not much else readily visible going on at Touhy/IL 72.

There is some work along IL 19/Irving Park.  Some of the WB IL 19 shoulder is closed off with a jersey wall, and there's work on the future I-490 overpass near York Road.

Based on one of the signs already up, I'm wondering the plans is (was?) to get an extension open to IL 19?  Does not appear to be enough space for a normal sized 3di shield on that sign, and there's already a border to suggest it is not part of a larger APL panel.

[Great Lakes Roads]

There are some signs of progress on Google Maps (like the future 90/490 trumpet interchange), but for a new tollroad being constructed, the Satellite View of the corridor looks pretty barren at present: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.977281,-87.9146754,10078m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.

Yikes. Now I'm wondering if they'll even finish it in 2027.

Was looking at some articles about it and they still are aiming for a late 2027 opening. Have a feeling it won't be until 2028

I can confirm that it won't open until 2028...

The next part of I-490 to be let to contract is the segment just north of IL-390 (~MP 3.9) to the I-90 interchange (~MP 6.3).

[mgk920]

I (in my own warped world) can see IL 594 eventually being extended to feed into US 41 in Indiana (and being promoted to become 'I-41').

Mike

As fictional as this is, I very much like this idea. This would help things on the Borman, although it would require immense work.

I would be very happy if it was just connected as an upgradable non-stop direct feed.  Make the connection now and worry about any needed upgrades later.

Mike

[Rick Powell]

There's a path to connect IL 394 to 109th Ave. It could even be an extension of US 231 if you wanted.

The former mayor of Crete was trying to get a bi-state study done to connect Exchange Street in IL to 109th Avenue in IN, but the effort didn't go anywhere. There is a Will County study for an east-west truck route in progress utilizing Crete-Monee Road, but the east end will either be at IL 394 or IL 1. Exchange Street at the state line is kind of a captive corner for trucks: it is posted at 10 tons going east on 101st street and 15 tons going north and south on State Line Road, with the only "legal load" leg being the west at Exchange which is Will County Highway 49. There is no place for a semi-truck to legally cross the state line in the 20 miles between US 30 on the north and IL 17/IN 2 on the south.

[ET21]

Of all websites, WeatherUnderground has a faint outline of where I-490 is going, including all the ramps and even labels a section as finished (the part with the runway light gantries). Link below if you'd like to take a look.
https://www.wunderground.com/wundermap

[Sani]

"OpenStreetMap Americana," a project to create a version of OpenStreetMap that resembles historic road atlases in the U.S., has a decent outline of where the highway is going: https://americanamap.org/#map=12.43/41.97573/-87.94092

[NE2]

"OpenStreetMap Americana," a project to create a version of OpenStreetMap that resembles historic road atlases in the U.S., has a decent outline of where the highway is going: https://americanamap.org/#map=12.43/41.97573/-87.94092

Or if you prefer a slightly different look that emphasizes numbered routes, http://www.aaroads.com/aamaps

[edwaleni]

When I drove down Touhy Ave last week I was trying to figure out what the delay was for ISHTA continuing I-490 south of I-90. I finally found out why.



They are waiting on Cook County to finish the Touhy Ave overpass over the UP railroad and its eventual bridging over I-490 with an exit facility. The blue line on the ISTHA project map.

The shoofly is under construction with a relocation of Mt Prospect Road farther East with the O'Hare Freight entrance.

Once the Touhy Overpass is done to Elmhurst Road, ISTHA can start grading and laying pavement to the next section south of Touhy.