Community Corner

7 Million Drivers Expected on Illinois Tollways Memorial Day Weekend

The Illinois Tollway expects the highest traffic volume on the Tollway Friday.

Driver’s hitting the toll roads in Illinois will not be alone, by any means. The Illinois Department of Transportation expects 7 million drivers to be on the toll roads throughout the state over the holiday weekend.

Friday is expected to be the busiest travel day of the entire Memorial Day weekend, and drivers are being cautioned to drive safely through construction zones throughout the Illinois Tollway system. 

The Illinois Tollway is expecting 1.6 million drivers to be on the state’s Tollway Friday. On an average day there are about 1.4 million drivers, according to the Illinois Tollway.

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Construction is restricted over the holiday weekend and temporary lane closures are being suspended in order to help travelers on the Tollway. A 45 mph speed limit is in effect in all construction zones, whether or not workers are present. The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $375.

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“While there is a lot of construction activity happening on the Illinois Tollway this summer as part of our new Move Illinois capital program, we’ve made every effort to limit the impact of this work on our customers,” Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur said in a news release.  “There will be more vehicles on our roadways this Memorial Day weekend than average, so we remind customers to stay alert, obey the posted speed limit and avoid distractions while behind the wheel.”

Drivers using the Tollway over the Memorial Day weekend may encounter slower traffic in the following construction areas:

Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80)

  • Tri-Level Bridge ramps carrying northbound I-294 traffic to westbound I-90 and eastbound I-190 to westbound I-90 are closed for bridge reconstruction work. Traffic is detoured north through the cash side of the Touhy Toll Plaza, exit at Touhy west, turn right at River Road and re-enter I-294 southbound to reach westbound I-90.  Drivers will not be double tolled.
  • Between Half Day Road and Lake Cook Road, traffic is shifted to the left in both directions for pavement rehabilitation work.
  • Between 95th Street and Balmoral Avenue, traffic shifts and shoulder closures are in place for pavement repairs and resurfacing.  Traffic splits are also in place over the Mile Long Bridge and the bridges at 87th Street and Roberts Road for bridge repairs.
  • Between I-57 and Kedzie Avenue, I-294 traffic in both directions is reduced to three lanes for the reconstruction of the I-294 bridges over 147th Street. 

Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88)

  • Between Illinois Route 56 and Blackberry Creek, traffic is shifted to the right in both directions for pavement repairs and resurfacing.
  • Between Annie Glidden Road and the DeKalb Toll Plaza and between Locust Road and Illinois Route 251, traffic is reduced to one lane in both directions for pavement repairs and resurfacing. 

Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90)

  • Between the South Beloit Toll Plaza and Rockton Road, traffic is reduced to two lanes in each direction for an IDOT project between Rockton Road and the state line.

Daily Tollway lane closure information is avaible by calling 1-800-TOLL-FYI and real-time travel tmes are available online.


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