Traffic Shift Rescheduled on Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Mile Long Bridge--Updated
DOWNERS GROVE, IL – Temporary, overnight lane closures are scheduled over the next two weekends on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between Archer Avenue (Illinois Route 171) and the Mile Long Bridge for sign truss removal. In addition, work to shift traffic in both directions has also been rescheduled to next week.
“The Illinois Tollway is committed to ensuring the roadway remains safe for both drivers and workers during construction, which is part of our overall commitment to roadway safety,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director José Alvarez. “We ask drivers to be attentive in work zones by watching for changing traffic patterns and using caution, especially when workers are present.”
Weather permitting, overnight Sunday, October 13, into Monday, October 14, intermittent, full closures of northbound I-294, each lasting 15 minutes, will be scheduled between midnight and 2 a.m. for sign truss removal. Lane closures are scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. with traffic reduced to a single lane in advance of the full closures. Similar closures are scheduled for the southbound lanes the following week, Sunday, October 20, into Monday, October 21.
In addition, beginning the week of October 14, overnight lane closures will be scheduled on northbound I-294 between Archer Avenue (Illinois Route 171) and the Mile Long Bridge to prepare for a long-term traffic shift. The first lane is scheduled to close at 7 p.m. with a second lane closing at 8 p.m. and a third closing at 1 a.m. All lanes are scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. each day in advance on the morning rush hour.
When work to shift traffic is complete, all traffic on the south end of the Mile Long Bridge will be shifted to the right. Currently, traffic in both directions is already shifted between 75th St and I-55 on the north end of the Mile Long Bridge. Traffic in both areas will remain in this configuration through fall to accommodate construction in the median to prepare for the 2020 construction season.
Additional closures and traffic shifts will be scheduled later this year to shift traffic into its winter configuration.
The Mile Long Bridge is one of the first major construction segments for the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project with an estimated to cost of between $550 million and $650 million. Currently, up to 150,000 vehicles travel across the Mile Long Bridge daily. Construction is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2023.
The Mile Long Bridge Project includes building two, new side-by-side bridge structures near Countryside, Hodgkins, Willow Springs and Justice to carry I-294 northbound and southbound traffic over three water resources and local roads, a major distribution center for UPS, a segment of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and the Canadian National Railroad.
The new 4,800-foot-long bridge structures will increase capacity from four lanes to five lanes in each direction to accommodate reconstruction and widening of the Tri-State Tollway between Balmoral Avenue and 95th Street. In addition, the inside shoulders on the bridge will be built to serve as Flex Lanes to provide for transit, assist emergency vehicles and serve as an alternate lane to reduce traffic congestion when warranted.
The design of the new bridge structures took into consideration the sensitive aquatic ecosystem, navigable waterways and existing railroad and roadway operations underneath the structure. Each of the new structures will have fewer piers to reduce the environmental impact on the waterways and industrial areas below. Each bridge will have 27 spans supported by 26 piers, compared to the existing structures each with 53 piers. The spans will be made up of a total of nearly 600 steel or concrete beams of various lengths.
The Illinois Tollway is coordinating work on the Mile Long Bridge Project with the Village of Hodgkins, Village of Countryside, Village of Willow Springs, Village of Justice, Cook County, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), IDNR Office of Water Resources and the Illinois Nature Preserve Commission, as well as numerous businesses located near the Mile Long Bridge.
The work is part of the Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.
Construction information about the Mile Long Bridge Project is available in the “Projects by Roadway” section in the Explore Projects section on the Tollway’s website at
illinoistollway.com.
10/10/2019 1:37 PM
(Updated 10/10/2019 1:38 PM)
New Lane Configuration on I-55 at Weber Road
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that as part of the ongoing reconstruction of the Weber Road interchange, I-55 traffic will be shifted to the right, weather permitting, starting in the southbound lanes the evening of Tuesday, June 11, and in the northbound lanes the evening of Wednesday, June 12.
The change will occur overnight both nights between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Motorists on I-55 can expect delays, changing lane configurations and intermittent full stops.
The lane shifts are necessary to construct a center pier for a new Weber Road bridge that will allow the interchange to be converted into a diverging diamond design. Exit and entrance ramps will remain open during this stage of the work, which will be in place until early December.
The overall project involves adding a third lane to each direction of Weber Road between 135th Street/Romeo Road and 119th Street/Rodeo Road, with modernized traffic signals and a barrier median. The entire project wraps up in 2021.
Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.
6/7/2019 11:22 AM
(Updated 10/10/2019 10:16 AM)
Overnight lane closures on Eisenhower Expressway
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that cleaning and painting of the Metra bridge over the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) near Irving Park Road (IL-19), in Itasca, will require overnight lane closures starting this evening.
In order to complete the project, lane closures will be in place between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. while the work is being done.
The work is expected to be complete by the end of October.
Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.
6/11/2019 2:23 PM
(Updated 10/10/2019 10:16 AM)
Lane Closures and Shifts on I-55 South of Arsenal Road
6/19 UPDATE: Equipment issues have been resolved and the project is now due to go into stage with the closure of the northbound I-55 lane by 5 a.m. Monday, June 24.
6/13 UPDATE: Due to delays in the delivery of equipment, the closure of a northbound lane on I-55 will not take place Monday. It is now scheduled to occur in early July, with I-55 still being reduced to one lane in each direction in early August. Work on the project site still will begin on Monday, however. Motorists are advised that the area will be an active work zone and should proceed accordingly.
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that replacement of the bridge decks and other improvements to I-55 over the BNSF Railroad and Grant Creek south of Arsenal Road in Will County will begin June 17.
In order to complete the project, northbound I-55 initially will be reduced to a single lane to accommodate the widening of the shoulders.
After the shoulders are widened, the southbound bridge will be closed and I-55 reduced to one lane in each direction on the northbound lanes. The revised configuration is expected to be in place from August until late November, when I-55 returns to two lanes in each direction.
Work will resume next spring with the closure of the northbound bridge and traffic crossing over to the southbound lanes to again accommodate one lane in each direction.
There will not be a detour, but I-80 and IL-47 is the recommended alternative route. Digital message boards will be in place to display real-time traffic information.
The entire project is expected to be complete by fall 2020.
Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment. Illinois State Police will be patrolling this work zone to enforce posted speed limits.
6/11/2019 4:53 PM
(Updated 10/10/2019 10:16 AM)
Rescheduled I-80 Bridge Inspection Next Week
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that the rescheduled routine inspection of the westbound I-80 bridge over the Des Plaines River, in Joliet, will require daily lane closures beginning, weather permitting, Tuesday, May 28. The inspection was originally scheduled the week of May 6, but postponed due to weather.
Daily lane closures will take place between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. A minimum of two lanes will remain open while inspections are taking place.
The bridge inspection is expected to be completed Thursday, May 30, weather permitting.
Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.
Click here to find details on other construction projects in IDOT’s District 1. Updates on the impacts to traffic are available at www.travelmidwest.com.
The inspections are being done in conjunction with an upcoming yearlong maintenance project on both bridges. Any additional issues discovered during the inspections will be addressed once construction begins in the field later this summer.
The larger project, currently under contract, involves steel repairs and bearing replacements. The process for fabricating new parts as already begun, with work on the bridges expected to start in June or July. The repairs will be taking place under both structures, with any necessary lane closures scheduled at night to avoid disrupting traffic during the daytime hours.
The project will be finished next summer.
Click here to find details on other construction projects in IDOT’s District 1. Updates on the impacts to traffic are available at www.travelmidwest.com.
5/1/2019 1:49 PM
(Updated 10/10/2019 10:16 AM)
Overnight Kennedy Lane Closures
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that the cleaning and painting of three railroad bridges over the Kennedy Expressway (I-90) between Milwaukee Avenue and Cicero Avenue, in Chicago, will require intermittent, overnight lane closures beginning, weather permitting, April 1.
The closures will be in place between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. while the work is being done.
The project is expected to be complete by the end of October.
Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits and be on the alert for workers and equipment.
3/22/2019 3:35 PM
(Updated 10/10/2019 10:16 AM)
