TRAFFIC SHIFTS AND OVERNIGHT RAMP CLOSURES SCHEDULED TO CONTINUE IN AUGUST AS PART OF THE I-290/I-88 INTERCHANGE PROJECT AT I-294

On-going temporary closures needed to safely accommodate ramp and bridge work and maintain access for traffic

DOWNERS GROVE, IL – Overnight ramp closures with detours and traffic shifts will continue this weekend and throughout August for the Illinois Tollway’s ongoing work to reconstruct the I-290/I-88 Interchange at the Tri-State Tollway (I-294).

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

Multiple nights of closures will be put in place as needed on the ramps connecting I-294 and I-290, including closure and detour of the ramps connecting northbound I-294 and the eastbound Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) to westbound I-290.

Beginning Friday, July 29, at midnight two nights of overnight closures with detours will be scheduled on the ramps connecting northbound I-294 and eastbound I-88 to westbound I-290 for bridge, guardrail and barrier wall work. During the ramp closures posted detours will direct I-294 traffic and I-88 traffic eastbound on I-290 to Mannheim Road and then route traffic through the interchange to access westbound I-290. The ramps are scheduled to reopen by 7 a.m. on Saturday, July 30. Similar closures are scheduled overnight Saturday into Sunday, July 31.

During the week of August 1, a long-term traffic shift is scheduled to begin on the ramp carrying northbound I-294 traffic to westbound I-88. All lanes will remain open, but shoulders will not be available. Traffic is scheduled to remain in this configuration into September.

Throughout August, additional closures will be scheduled as needed at the I-290/I-88 Interchange at I-294, including lane closures on I-290, as well as the overnight closures and detours of the ramps connecting northbound I-294 and eastbound I-88 to westbound I-290, eastbound I-290 to southbound I-294 and northbound I-294 to eastbound I-290. During the closures, the additional ramp detours will be as follows:

•     Eastbound I-290 to southbound I-294: Traffic will be routed to Mannheim Road and through the interchange onto westbound I-290 to access southbound I-294.
•     Northbound I-294 to eastbound I-290: Traffic will be routed onto westbound I-290 to St. Charles Road and then through the interchange to access eastbound I-290.

Overnight closures and detours of ramps at the I-290/I-88 Interchange at I-294 are scheduled to continue through the end of the year as needed. Information including maps, construction updates 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, Village of Berkeley, City of Elmhurst, Village of Hillside and Village of Oak Brook, as well as local fire and police departments.

Work in 2022 at the I-290/I-88 Interchange at I-294 includes ongoing construction of mainline bridges and work to build a temporary ramp from southbound I-294 to eastbound I-290 and westbound I-88. Additional work this year includes completion of improvements on the St. Charles Road Bridges over I-294 and I-290 as well as rebuilding four ramps that connect St. Charles Road to I-290, in Berkley and Elmhurst.

The reconfiguration and reconstruction of the I-290/I-88 Interchange is estimated at $700-$800 million and will reduce congestion, improve safety and address operational issues, as well as infrastructure conditions as part of the Illinois Tollway’s $4 billion Central Tri-State Project. Work started in 2020 and is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2026.