Illinois Tollway Helps Make Holiday Travel Safe and Convenient

The Illinois Tollway is offering I-PASS customers the opportunity to gift out-of-town family members and friends traveling on the Illinois Tollway system with access to their toll accounts.

“The Illinois Tollway wishes its customers safe travels this holiday season,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Liz Gorman. “We hope customers enjoy the opportunity to share the convenience of I-PASS with family and friends traveling for the holidays and remember to stop by a Tollway oasis on Christmas and New Year’s Eve for a free cup of coffee.”

I-PASS customers now have the ability to add license plates of traveling family and friends and rental cars to their I-PASS accounts. Temporary plates can be added as authorized I-PASS account users to pay tolls electronically and avoid violations. Account holders can update their accounts online or by calling 800-UCI-PASS.

The Illinois Tollway anticipates drivers will get a head start on this season’s holiday travel, with the heaviest travel is expected on Friday, December 21, when nearly 1.9 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.

Nearly 1.3 million vehicles are expected to travel on the Tollway system on Monday, December 24, and more than 1.1 million on Christmas Day. Approximately 1.2 million vehicles are expected on the Tollway system on Monday, December 31, and New Year’s Day.

Spreading Holiday Cheer

Join the Illinois Tollway for a ho-ho holiday tradition – 7-Eleven and McDonald’s are inviting motorists to stop at a Tollway oasis for a free small cup of coffee on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90)

• Belvidere Oasis, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. at 7-Eleven and McDonald’s

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

• Lake Forest Oasis – 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. at 7-Eleven and McDonald’s
• O’Hare Oasis – 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. at 7-Eleven
• Hinsdale Oasis – 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. at 7-Eleven and McDonald’s
• Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis – 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. at McDonald’s and 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. at 7-Eleven

Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88)

• DeKalb Oasis, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. at 7-Eleven and McDonald’s

Major Construction Completed

The Illinois Tollway is working to wrap up major construction, including removing lane closures on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) and on the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355) in time for holiday travel. All work is weather dependent.

Ongoing construction activity will be restricted to better serve Tollway customers during holiday travel with any temporary maintenance and construction lane closures suspended from noon on Monday, December 24, through 9 a.m. on Wednesday, December 26, and again from noon on Monday, December 31, through 9 a.m. on Wednesday, January 2.

Some work may continue behind barriers with long-term lane closures remaining in place, including lane reductions on the Edens Spur (I-94) and at the 159^th Street Interchange on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294). The ramps carrying traffic from westbound 159th Street to southbound I-294 and from northbound I-294 to westbound 159th Street are closed with posted detours.

Real-time roadway information

Prepare for holiday travel by signing up for real-time Illinois Tollway Trip Tweet updates on traffic incidents, as well as pavement conditions during winter weather events on all five roadways – @94_294_Tollway, @I_90_Tollway, @I_88_Tollway, @I_355_Tollway and @IL_390_Tollway. The roadway and incident information offered in the tweets is provided by Tollway maintenance crews and the agency’s Traffic Operations Center, which is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Visit twitter.com from the Tollway’s website at illinoistollway.com to follow us.

Dial *999 for Roadway Assistance

Need help on the road? Tollway customers can call *999 to get assistance from Tollway roadway maintenance crews or from Illinois State Police District 15 while traveling the Tollway system during the holidays. 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. District 15 troopers patrol the Tollway system 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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 interstate tollways 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.