Worst Travel Times For Memorial Day In Chicagoland

CHICAGO, IL — If pumping the brakes while stuck in traffic is the last thing you would like to do this Memorial Day weekend, then don't plan to leave the Chicago area on Friday. According to the Illinois Tollway, the heaviest traffic is expected to be on Friday, May 25, when nearly two million vehicles are projected to be on the 294-mile roadway system. But what about an exact time frame for when you should avoid travel?

AAA, in collaboration with global transportation analytics company INRIX, predicts traffic will be 2.1 times worse from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday in Chicago – a time when commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers, according to AAA news release.

“Ranked the most congested country in the world, U.S. drivers are all too familiar with sitting in traffic,” said Graham Cookson, Chief Economist and Head of Research, INRIX. “Drivers should expect congestion across a greater number of days than in previous years, with the getaway period starting on Wednesday, May 23. Our advice to drivers is to avoid peak commute times in major cities altogether – traveling late morning or early afternoon – or plan alternative routes.”

In total, more than 41.5 million Americans will travel this Memorial Day weekend, nearly 5 percent more than last year and the most in more than a dozen years, AAA predicts. The Illinois Tollway is expecting nearly 8 million vehicles will travel on its Tollway system over the Memorial Day weekend, which they consider to be Friday through Tuesday.

With the high number of predicted travelers, it appears the gas prices, the highest since 2014, are not deterring folks from hitting the road for their first summer getaway. Nationwide, gas prices averaged $2.72 per gallon in April, an increase of 33 cents from last year, due to expensive crude oil, record gasoline demand and shrinking global supply, according to the AAA news release.

The overall worst time for traffic congestion for Americans hitting the roadways will be Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25 during the late afternoon hours. Several major U.S. metros could experience double the travel times compared to a normal trip, while New Yorkers could see three times the delay.

The packed roadways mean more incidents along Illinois' Tollways. 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.

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.

Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355)

• Between Butterfield Road and Army Trail Road, traffic is shifted to the right in both directions.

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, seat belt 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

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh