Illinois Tollway Notes

[hobsini2]

https://agency.illinoistollway.com/documents/d/guest/2025_bridgingthefuture_onepager

I-355 Widening - North Avenue to Roosevelt Road

NB I-94 Widening – Deerfield Road to IL 22

WB I-88 Widening – IL 83 to Highland Avenue

I-88 Widening – IL 47 to IL 56

I also see they talk about 294 from 95th St south to 394. I wouldn't be surprised if that is the next major construction project when 95th to O'Hare is done.

[cwm1276]

https://agency.illinoistollway.com/documents/d/guest/2025_bridgingthefuture_onepager

I-355 Widening - North Avenue to Roosevelt Road

NB I-94 Widening – Deerfield Road to IL 22

WB I-88 Widening – IL 83 to Highland Avenue

I-88 Widening – IL 47 to IL 56

I also see they talk about 294 from 95th St south to 394. I wouldn't be surprised if that is the next major construction project when 95th to O'Hare is done.

I90 resurfacing, hopefully the whole stretch from Rockton Rd to I39.

Looks like the 88 widening is only design at this time.

[I-55]

https://agency.illinoistollway.com/documents/d/guest/2025_bridgingthefuture_onepager

I-355 Widening - North Avenue to Roosevelt Road

NB I-94 Widening – Deerfield Road to IL 22

WB I-88 Widening – IL 83 to Highland Avenue

I-88 Widening – IL 47 to IL 56

I also see they talk about 294 from 95th St south to 394. I wouldn't be surprised if that is the next major construction project when 95th to O'Hare is done.

I evaluate the portion between I-80 and the Borman/Kingery as the top need for the tollway system for managing traffic right now. The merge from I-80 to I-294 towards Indiana is too tight and needs expanded. Obviously the quarry provides the biggest challenge to widening, but if they'll rebuild the Mile Long Bridge they'll figure something out here. I think the portion from the 163rd St plaza north to 95th street is fine as is (as a Friday afternoon driver) and could maybe use some rehab but an overhaul isn't necessary yet. I could see them reconstructing to add flex lanes but I'd go ahead and add a fifth travel lane while they do that anyways.

[Revive 755]

^ But if the keep widening towards the I-94/IL 394 interchange they are just worsening the bottleneck to the east.

There are multiple news stories about a possible 50 cent per toll increase to fund transit in Chicagoland.

[I-55]

^ But if the keep widening towards the I-94/IL 394 interchange they are just worsening the bottleneck to the east.

Not necessarily, as with a fifth lane (or even a sixth) they can drop it off into the exit lanes at the 394 interchange. The biggest problem is the merge from I-80 onto 294 not having any room, so really C/D lanes would help a lot.

There are multiple news stories about a possible 50 cent per toll increase to fund transit in Chicagoland.

If so that would change the per mile rate for Class I E-ZPass from about $0.06/mile to $0.08/mile, which is still cheap compared to PTC or NJTP (closer to $0.15/mile). Much better than WV Turnpike going from $1.10 pre-covid to $4.50 per toll plaza now.

[ET21]

https://agency.illinoistollway.com/documents/d/guest/2025_bridgingthefuture_onepager

I-355 Widening - North Avenue to Roosevelt Road

NB I-94 Widening – Deerfield Road to IL 22

WB I-88 Widening – IL 83 to Highland Avenue

I-88 Widening – IL 47 to IL 56

IL 47 to IL 56 is an odd one... there's never been traffic issues to require three lanes in that spot. It made sense when they did the three lanes from the Fox River to the Sugar Grove spur because a lot of people would take that and Orchard Road.

[I-55]

https://agency.illinoistollway.com/documents/d/guest/2025_bridgingthefuture_onepager

I-355 Widening - North Avenue to Roosevelt Road

NB I-94 Widening – Deerfield Road to IL 22

WB I-88 Widening – IL 83 to Highland Avenue

I-88 Widening – IL 47 to IL 56

IL 47 to IL 56 is an odd one... there's never been traffic issues to require three lanes in that spot. It made sense when they did the three lanes from the Fox River to the Sugar Grove spur because a lot of people would take that and Orchard Road.

The 2023 AADT was only 31k, to me this could be a prophetic widening in the event a major employer builds a facility out there. I've seen several projects that didn't make sense in Indiana become "justified" shortly after construction by either new employers moving in or major expansions to existing facilities.

[Brandon]

^ But if the keep widening towards the I-94/IL 394 interchange they are just worsening the bottleneck to the east.

Not necessarily, as with a fifth lane (or even a sixth) they can drop it off into the exit lanes at the 394 interchange. The biggest problem is the merge from I-80 onto 294 not having any room, so really C/D lanes would help a lot.

The bigger bottleneck is probably the Thornton Quarry.  Judging from the aerial photographs, there's not much room on either side of the current roadway for more lanes there.  Then there's the railroad bridge just east of the quarry.

[Brandon]

There are multiple news stories about a possible 50 cent per toll increase to fund transit in Chicagoland.

If so that would change the per mile rate for Class I E-ZPass from about $0.06/mile to $0.08/mile, which is still cheap compared to PTC or NJTP (closer to $0.15/mile). Much better than WV Turnpike going from $1.10 pre-covid to $4.50 per toll plaza now.

The problem is, it would be a tax above and beyond any actual toll, and ISTHA wouldn't see a penny of it.  That 50 cent surcharge would go entirely to the RTA.

I'm not overly concerned yet as this bill has a lot of opposition within the General Assembly.

[Revive 755]

IL 47 to IL 56 is an odd one... there's never been traffic issues to require three lanes in that spot. It made sense when they did the three lanes from the Fox River to the Sugar Grove spur because a lot of people would take that and Orchard Road.

The 2023 AADT was only 31k, to me this could be a prophetic widening in the event a major employer builds a facility out there. I've seen several projects that didn't make sense in Indiana become "justified" shortly after construction by either new employers moving in or major expansions to existing facilities.

There's already one large development proposed for IL 47 around I-88, see https://www.sugargroveil.gov/sugar-grove-llc-development-information.

[edwaleni]

^ But if the keep widening towards the I-94/IL 394 interchange they are just worsening the bottleneck to the east.

Not necessarily, as with a fifth lane (or even a sixth) they can drop it off into the exit lanes at the 394 interchange. The biggest problem is the merge from I-80 onto 294 not having any room, so really C/D lanes would help a lot.

The bigger bottleneck is probably the Thornton Quarry.  Judging from the aerial photographs, there's not much room on either side of the current roadway for more lanes there.  Then there's the railroad bridge just east of the quarry.

Lets hope that ISTHA doesn't have to go through what IDOT had to go through on the Joliet Road fiasco with subsidence. 

The west rail bridge is the former Milwaukee Road line (Chicago Heights Subdivision) that ran to Terre Haute, Indiana. CSX took it over to service the quarries and now its down to a single customer north of the quarry. It is a bike trail south of the quarry, so I would say it is a very high candidate for removal. The quarries have removed all of their sidings and the rails are rusty and dirt covered south of I-294.

The east bridge is the former Chicago & Eastern Illinois (C&EI) and it also has the same problem of impeding into the shoulders. This is now a joint line of UP/CSX/INDR and part of the Villa Grove Subdivision. This line is very active as it is not only's UP's secondary route to/from St Louis with auto parts, but it is also used by CSX for traffic headed to/from Atlanta and Florida. INDR (Indiana RR) also uses it for container stacks to/from Indianapolis.

Replacing this bridge would be just like the BNSF replacement in Hinsdale. The east side of the ROW is residential, but the west side is industrial or public park space.

For the trivia minded, serious consideration was given to having a major sports stadium inside the Thornton quarry, specifically for the Chicago Bears in the late 80's/early 90's. Some glorious planning around having exit ramps in and out of the quarry based stadium were envisioned. Obviously it never happened.

[SEWIGuy]

^ But if the keep widening towards the I-94/IL 394 interchange they are just worsening the bottleneck to the east.

Not necessarily, as with a fifth lane (or even a sixth) they can drop it off into the exit lanes at the 394 interchange. The biggest problem is the merge from I-80 onto 294 not having any room, so really C/D lanes would help a lot.

The bigger bottleneck is probably the Thornton Quarry.  Judging from the aerial photographs, there's not much room on either side of the current roadway for more lanes there.  Then there's the railroad bridge just east of the quarry.

Lets hope that ISTHA doesn't have to go through what IDOT had to go through on the Joliet Road fiasco with subsidence. 

The west rail bridge is the former Milwaukee Road line (Chicago Heights Subdivision) that ran to Terre Haute, Indiana. CSX took it over to service the quarries and now its down to a single customer north of the quarry. It is a bike trail south of the quarry, so I would say it is a very high candidate for removal. The quarries have removed all of their sidings and the rails are rusty and dirt covered south of I-294.

The east bridge is the former Chicago & Eastern Illinois (C&EI) and it also has the same problem of impeding into the shoulders. This is now a joint line of UP/CSX/INDR and part of the Villa Grove Subdivision. This line is very active as it is not only's UP's secondary route to/from St Louis with auto parts, but it is also used by CSX for traffic headed to/from Atlanta and Florida. INDR (Indiana RR) also uses it for container stacks to/from Indianapolis.

Replacing this bridge would be just like the BNSF replacement in Hinsdale. The east side of the ROW is residential, but the west side is industrial or public park space.

For the trivia minded, serious consideration was given to having a major sports stadium inside the Thornton quarry, specifically for the Chicago Bears in the late 80's/early 90's. Some glorious planning around having exit ramps in and out of the quarry based stadium were envisioned. Obviously it never happened.

Wow, that would have been an awful idea.

[NWI_Irish96]

For the trivia minded, serious consideration was given to having a major sports stadium inside the Thornton quarry, specifically for the Chicago Bears in the late 80's/early 90's. Some glorious planning around having exit ramps in and out of the quarry based stadium were envisioned. Obviously it never happened.

I don't remember this. I do remember Lake County, IN, trying to entice the Bears to build in Gary on the site now occupied by the Hard Rock Casino.

[Rick Powell]

The problem is, it would be a tax above and beyond any actual toll, and ISTHA wouldn't see a penny of it.  That 50 cent surcharge would go entirely to the RTA.

I'm not overly concerned yet as this bill has a lot of opposition within the General Assembly.

The "toll surcharge" didn't make it into the final package that was approved by the GA before adjournment.