Travel Midwest High Priority Announcements

Ongoing ramp closures with detours and overnight lane closures continuing for ComEd transmission line work

Overnight ramp and lane closures are scheduled to begin next week and continue into March on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) at the I-290 Interchange to provide a work zone to safely accommodate work related to the relocation of ComEd transmission lines for Illinois Tollway construction. Delays are expected.

Electronic message signs and construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers to the overnight closures and detours. All work is weather dependent. Up-to-date information regarding lane closures will be available in the Illinois Tollway’s Daily Construction Alerts.

Drivers can anticipate ongoing overnight ramp and lane closures continuing through 2021 on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), as well as I-290 and some local roads, as ComEd continues to relocate transmission lines for Illinois Tollway’s reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway. The Illinois Tollway and Illinois Department of Transportation are working to schedule this work during overnight hours to reduce the impact on daily commuters.

“As part of the Illinois Tollway’s dedication to safety, we are committed to prioritizing the safety of both drivers and workers during construction,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director José Alvarez. “We understand the inconvenience that this approach to roadwork can cause, so we are always working to find ways when possible to reduce the impact of this disruption to our customers.”

Overnight Sunday, February 28 into Monday, March 1, lane closures, including intermittent 15-minute full roadway closures in both directions are scheduled on I-294 and I-290 near North Avenue, where both interstates run parallel to one another, for the removal of a ComEd utility wire that crosses both roadways.

On I-294, two northbound lanes are scheduled to close at 10 p.m., with a third lane closure at midnight, and two southbound lanes are scheduled to close at 11 p.m. with a third lane closing at 1 a.m. On I-290, two lanes in both directions are scheduled to close at 11 p.m. with a third lane in both directions closing at midnight. On both I-294 and I-290, intermittent 15-minute full closures will begin after 1:00 a.m.

In addition, temporary closure of the ramp connecting northbound I-290 to Lake Street and the ramp connecting North Avenue to southbound I-290 will be needed during the full roadway closures.

All lanes and ramps on both I-294 and I-290 are scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. on Monday, March 1. If this work cannot be completed during this time, similar closures will be scheduled during the week of March 1.

Additional scheduled overnight lane and ramp closures in March include:

• On Monday, March 1 at 9 p.m., the ramp connecting eastbound Lake Street to northbound I-294 is scheduled to close. A detour will be posted routing traffic to Railroad Avenue, North Avenue, Mannheim Road and Irving Park where drivers will be able to access northbound I-294. The ramp is scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. on Tuesday, March 2. Similar closures are also scheduled Tuesday into Wednesday, March 3.
• On Wednesday, March 3, I-294 in both directions is scheduled to be reduced to a single lane overnight with the first lane closing at 7 p.m. Full roadway closures, each lasting 15 minutes, are scheduled to begin at midnight. All lanes are scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. on Thursday, March 4. Similar closures are scheduled Thursday into Friday, March 5.
• On Friday, March 5, I-294 in both directions is scheduled to be reduced to two lanes overnight with the first lane closing at 7 p.m. All lanes are scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. Similar closures are scheduled nightly over the weekend through 5 a.m. Monday, March 8.
• During the week of March 8, the ramp connecting eastbound Lake Street to northbound I-294 is scheduled to close for three nights with. A detour will be posted. The ramp will reopen by 5 a.m. each following morning.
• During the week of March 15, I-294 in both directions is scheduled to be reduced to a single lane overnight, with intermittent 15-minute full closures planned. Two nights of these closures are needed.

All work and schedules are weather dependent and additional overnight closures will be scheduled during March, as needed.

Construction updates, project information, maps and detour information for work that is part of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project are available in the Projects section on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com .

Construction in this area is being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, as well as local fire and police departments.

The Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project is reconstructing and widening the roadway between Balmoral Avenue and 95th Street to provide congestion relief, update old infrastructure to meet current and future transportation demand and address regional needs. This work is part of the Tollway’s 15-year program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. More than 220,000 vehicles use the Central Tri-State Tollway daily.