The Illinois Tollway continued construction this week on the 75th Street Interchange on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294). Temporary, overnight ramp closures are scheduled to begin on the ramps connecting 75th Street to northbound I-294. Electronic message signs and directional signs will be put in place to alert drivers to detours.
Work will include patching, as well as the replacement of short segments of concrete pavement and shoulder repair work. The temporary full closures are necessary to complete repairs because the ramps are not wide enough to safely accommodate a work zone while maintaining traffic.
Beginning yesterday, the ramp carrying traffic from northbound I-294 to 75th Street was closed overnight. A detour was put in place directing northbound I-294 traffic to exit at Wolf Road and travel north to Joliet Road east and then south on Gilbert Road to reach 75th Street. The ramp was reopened by 5 a.m. today in advance of the morning commute. Up to 3,010 vehicles a day use the ramp.
Once this ramp work is complete, the ramp carrying 75th Street traffic to northbound I-294 is scheduled to close for three additional weeknights beginning each evening at 9 p.m. and reopening each morning by 5 a.m. Up to 2,590 vehicles a day use the ramp.
In addition, overnight work began at 9 p.m. on Monday, July 7, on the ramp carrying 75th Street traffic to southbound I-294, but no full closures of that ramp are required. The work will be completed using overnight lane closures.
In 2014, the Tollway is repairing all four ramps at the 75th Street Interchange. Ramp work began earlier this month on the two ramps connecting 75th Street to southbound I-294, but full closures of those ramps were not required. The ramp work on I-294 is part of the Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $12 billion capital program Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.
All work is scheduled for completion this fall. The project is being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation and Cook County, as well as local municipalities and fire and police departments.
The Illinois Tollway has a variety of ways customers can get the latest travel information, including: www.illinoistollway.com; 800-TOLL-FYI (daily lane closure information); www.travelmidwest.com (real-time travel times); and www.twitter.com (@I_88_Tollway, @I_90_Tollway, @94_294_Tollway and @I_355_Tollway).
