Travel Tips: Memorial Day Weekend on the Illinois Tollway

Source: Illinois Tollway

The Illinois Tollway urges drivers planning the first summer road trip of the season this Memorial Day holiday weekend to make safe driving a top priority.

A record 7.4 million vehicles are expected to travel the Tollway system this Memorial Day holiday from May 22 through May 26, an increase of more than 4 percent from the same period last year.

The heaviest travel day is anticipated to be May 22, when nearly 1.9 million vehicles are projected to be on the road. On an average day, about 1.5 million vehicles use the Tollway.

Drivers are also encouraged to “Drop It and Drive.” Using a hand-held cellphone while driving is illegal in Illinois.

Illinois Tollway oases provide drivers an opportunity to check their vehicles, obtain fuel or simply take a break. A map of Tollway oases can be found online at www.illinoistollway.com.

To accommodate increased holiday travel on the Illinois Tollway, construction activity will be restricted over the weekend. Temporary maintenance and construction lane closures will be suspended from the night of May 22 through 9 a.m. May 26. Some work may continue on schedule.

Areas where work zones will continue during the Memorial Day holiday weekend include:

Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90)

• Between the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and Illinois Route 31, three lanes of traffic are available in both directions, but traffic is shifted at various points to provide construction work zones.

At the Elmhurst Road Interchange, ramps carrying northbound Elmhurst Road traffic traveling to and from the east on I-90 are currently closed with traffic is routed at signalized intersections to the ramps used to carry southbound Elmhurst Road traffic traveling to and from the east.

At the Genoa Road Interchange near Belvidere, construction is underway with new ramps open for traffic traveling to and from the east.

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

• Construction is underway on various ramps at the Grand Avenue (Illinois Route 132) Interchange. All ramps are open and traffic shifts are in place on I-94.
• The ramp carrying westbound I-94 to eastbound Grand Avenue is scheduled to open to two lanes and shift to the right side prior to Memorial Day weekend.
• Between 131st Street and the Midlothian Turnpike, traffic shifts are in place in the southbound lanes.

The ramp carrying southbound I-294/I-80 traffic onto Illinois Route 394 is reduced to one lane.

Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88)

Between Illinois Route 251 near Rochelle and Chicago Avenue (U.S. Route 52) near Dixon, traffic is reduced to one lane in both directions.

Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project – Illinois Route 390

• Between Lake Street (U.S. Route 20) and I-290, traffic shifts are in place at various points on Illinois Route 390.

On I-290, eastbound traffic exiting to Illinois Route 390 is shifted onto a single ramp. At the end of the ramp, vehicles use the same traffic signal, with westbound traffic directed to turn right and eastbound traffic directed to turn left.

On I-290 at Illinois Route 390, both directions are shifted and the shoulders are closed.

Tollway Travel Information

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

• illinoistollway.com – Construction/Planning section, Tollway Trip Calculator, live roadway images and real-time roadway incident information
• 1-800-TOLL-FYI – Daily lane closure and travel information
• travelmidwest.com – Real-time travel times
• twitter.com – Real-time roadway incident information at Tollway Trip 90, Tollway Trip 88, Tollway Trip 355 and Tollway Trip 94/294

Illinois State Police District 15 Out in Force

Throughout the holiday weekend, Illinois State Police District 15 troopers will be conducting Special Traffic Enforcement Patrols on the Tollway, concentrating on enforcement of the fatal four offenses: speeding, driving under the influence, seat belt compliance and distracted driving.

ALSO ON PATCH