RAMP, LANE CLOSURES SCHEDULED ON NORTH AVENUE AND LAKE STREET UNDER TRI-STATE TOLLWAY (I-294) IN ELMHURST AND NORTHLAKE
Closures needed to safely accommodate bridge beam removal for Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project
DOWNERS GROVE, IL – Nightly lane closures are scheduled to begin Sunday, January 15, on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), North Avenue and Lake Street under I-294, along with overnight closures on the ramp connecting westbound I-290 to eastbound Lake Street/ North Avenue, to accommodate bridge beam removal for the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project.
Electronic message signs and construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers of lane and ramp closures. Up-to-date information regarding lane closures will be available in the Illinois Tollway’s Daily Construction Alert. The temporary closures are necessary to provide a work zone to safely accommodate bridge beam removal. All work is weather dependent.
Beginning at 8 p.m. Sunday, January 15, and continuing to 5 a.m. Monday, January 16, overnight lane closures including 15-minute full closures, are scheduled on North Avenue and westbound Lake Street. Two right lanes in both directions of North Avenue and the westbound left shoulder of Lake Street are scheduled to close. Intermittent, full closures of the local roads, each lasting 15 minutes, will begin at midnight.
On Monday, January 16, beginning at 8 p.m. and continuing to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, January 17, the right lane on eastbound Lake Street and the left shoulder of westbound Lake Street are scheduled to close. Intermittent, full closures of the local road, each lasting 15 minutes, will begin at midnight. In addition, also beginning at 8 p.m. the ramp carrying westbound I-290 traffic to eastbound Lake Street/ North Avenue is scheduled to close to traffic. No detour will be posted.
On northbound I-294 mainline, one lane will be closed nightly during the bridge beam removal work.
If the work cannot be completed as scheduled, similar closures will be scheduled overnight on Tuesday, January 17.
Additional closures, including 15-minute full closures, will be needed again this spring for bridge beam placement work. Ongoing overnight lane closures are scheduled to continue over the year on these roadways for bridge removal and construction associated with the reconstruction and widening of the Central Tri-State Tollway and the construction of the new I-490/I-294 Interchange.
Construction in this area is being coordinated with Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the City of Elmhurst and the City of Northlake, as well as local fire and police departments.
Construction updates, project information, maps and detour information for work that is part of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project are available in the Projects section on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com.
The $4 billion Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project is reconstructing and widening the roadway between Balmoral Avenue and 95th Street to provide congestion relief, update old infrastructure to meet current and future transportation demand and address regional needs. This work is part of the Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion Move Illinois capital program. More than 220,000 vehicles use the Central Tri-State Tollway daily.
Work Zone Safety
Construction zone speed limits are in effect in all construction zones 24/7 and drivers should continue to watch for changing traffic patterns and use caution, especially when workers are present.
The Illinois Tollway reminds motorists that the “Move Over Law” requires motorists to change lanes or to slow down and proceed with caution when passing any vehicle on the side of the road with hazard lights activated. If you see flashing lights ahead, please move over or slow down.
Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for drivers speeding in work zones or failure to comply with the Move Over Law. The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $250 with up to a $25,000 fine and a 14-year jail sentence for hitting a roadway worker. Penalties for failure to slow down or move over for a vehicle on the shoulder with flashing lights includes up to a $10,000 fine, 2-year suspension of driving privileges and jail time, in extreme cases.
About Move Illinois
The Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, is improving mobility, relieving congestion, reducing pollution, creating as many as 152,000 jobs and linking economies throughout the region. The first 11 years of Move Illinois are on schedule and within budget, delivering the rebuilt and widened Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) as a state-of- the-art 21st century corridor and opening a new interchange connecting the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to I-57. Progress continues on projects addressing the remaining needs of the existing Tollway system, delivering the Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project and reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
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.