Illinois Tollway Expects Nearly 8 Million Vehicles This Weekend

DOWNERS GROVE, IL – The Illinois Tollway reminds drivers traveling during the Memorial Day weekend to keep an eye out for milepost signs along the road to help accurately identify their location when calling to report an incident or request roadway assistance.

The Tollway expects nearly 8 million vehicles to travel the Tollway system this Memorial Day weekend from Friday, May 25, through Tuesday, May 29. The heaviest travel is expected on Friday, March 25, when nearly 2 million vehicles are projected to use the 294-mile Tollway system. On an average day, more than 1.6 million vehicles use the Illinois Tollway.

“When drivers refer to mileposts signs to accurately report their location, we can dispatch help as quickly as possible when they call *999 for roadway assistance on the Illinois Tollway,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Liz Gorman. “We want Tollway customers to travel safely this Memorial Day weekend and remember if you see ANY vehicle stopped on the side of the road with flashing lights, Give Them Distance by slowing down and changing lanes safely. It's the law in Illinois.”

Milepost signs are located every quarter mile along the Tollway system throughout Northern Illinois and help drivers involved in a roadway incident to identify the interstate, direction of travel and milepost number.

Need Help? Dial *999

If your vehicle becomes disabled, call *999 for assistance. Illinois State Police District 15 patrols the 294-mile Tollway system 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and Tollway motorist aid patrols stand ready to help stranded customers change tires, jump-start batteries, add coolant, dispense fuel, transport customers, move vehicles away from traffic and call for a tow truck.

Give Them Distance

Whether you’re stranded on the side of the road due to a flat tire or having engine trouble, the Move Over Law is intended to protect ALL OF US. While traveling this holiday weekend, whenever drivers see any vehicle on the side of the road with emergency or hazard lights flashing, they are required by law to slow down and change lanes. The Illinois Tollway, along with other transportation agencies and safety groups, is asking drivers to remember to Give Them Distance to help reduce the number of traffic deaths occurring every year in the state.

Holiday Work Zones

To accommodate holiday travel on the Illinois Tollway, construction activity will be restricted to better serve Tollway customers. Most temporary maintenance and construction lane closures will be suspended from noon on Friday, May 25, through 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 29. Some work may continue behind barriers to keep work on schedule, but this work will not impact traffic. All work is weather dependent.

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

• At 159th Street, traffic is shifted right in both directions.

Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88)

• Between I-290 and York Road, all eastbound traffic is shifted to the right and all westbound traffic is shifted to the left with one lane of traffic traveling on the eastbound side of I-88. Westbound drivers must travel in the right lane on I-88 to access the cash side of the York Road Toll Plaza as well as the 22nd Street exit ramp.
• Between Illinois Route 251 and Bliss Road, traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction in segments.
• At Annie Glidden Road, the ramps carrying traffic to and from eastbound I-88 and the westbound exit ramp from I-88 to Annie Glidden Road are closed with detours posted.
• Between Butterfield Road and Army Trail Road, traffic is shifted to the right in both directions.

Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355)

Illinois State Police District 15 Out in Force

The Illinois State Police District 15 will be out in full force throughout the Illinois Tollway system during the Memorial Day weekend. Special enforcement details focused on speeding, distracted driving, seatbelt use and alcohol-related violations will be the focus to help keep motorists safe.

Tollway Travel Tips

The Tollway offers the following ways for drivers to get the latest travel information before they get on the road:

• illinoistollway.com – Interactive Tollway Map for – construction information, Tollway Trip Calculator, live roadway images

• travelmidwest.com – Real-time travel times
• twitter.com – Real-time roadway incident information at Tollway Trip 90, Tollway Trip 88, Tollway Trip 355, Tollway Trip 94/294 and Tollway Trip 390

About the Illinois Tollway

The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 294 miles of roadways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.