The Illinois Tollway is beginning work on the reconstruction and widening of the westbound side of the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) between I-290 and York Road in Oak Brook.
More than 130,000 vehicles use this stretch of I-88 daily. Electronic message signs and construction signage will alert drivers in advance of work that will affect traffic.
Reconstruction of the eastbound side of I-88 is scheduled for 2019.
The I-88 Reconstruction Project will extend the life of the roadway, increase traffic capacity and provide safe and convenient travel for tollway customers, officials say.
It’s part of the Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. As many as 120,000 jobs will be created through the project, which is aimed at linking economies throughout the region, officials say.
Tollway officials provide details on work, traffic shifts
Beginning this week, off-peak and overnight lane closures will be scheduled daily to remove rumble strips and pavement markings as well as install construction barrier wall to prepare for the new work zone.
On Friday, March 2, the right eastbound lane between York Road and the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) will close at 7 p.m. and remain closed through the weekend for the pouring and curing of temporary concrete pavement.
On Monday, March 5, the right eastbound lane under I-290 will close at 8 p.m. and reopen by 5 a.m. on Tuesday, March 6, for similar temporary pavement work.
Once that work is complete in early March, traffic shifts are scheduled to begin by shifting all eastbound traffic to the right. Once eastbound traffic is shifted, all westbound traffic will be shifted to the left, with one lane of traffic traveling on the eastbound side of I-88 to accommodate a work zone and at least two lanes of traffic in both directions.
In addition, traffic on the ramp connecting the southbound Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to westbound I-88 will be shifted onto temporary pavement to allow for reconstruction and realignment of the ramp to meet up with the new roadway and shoulder.
During construction, westbound traffic traveling in the lane on the eastbound side of I-88 will be shifted back onto the westbound side of the roadway after the York Road Toll Plaza. That means drivers exiting at the 22nd Street ramp and cash-paying customers must travel in the right lane on the westbound side of I-88 in order to access the cash side of the toll plaza as well as the 22nd Street exit ramp.
Traffic routing will remain in this configuration through late summer.
Temporary traffic configuration on WB lanes by late summer
In late summer, a new traffic configuration will be put in place to complete reconstruction of the westbound lanes on I-88. That’s when the westbound lanes will shift to the right onto newly constructed pavement.
Eastbound traffic and the westbound lane traveling on the eastbound side will remain in the same configuration. Traffic is scheduled to remain in this configuration into winter. Reconstruction of the eastbound side of I-88 comes next year.
The Illinois Tollway wants to ensure that I-88 remains safe for both drivers and workers during construction. To that end, a 45-mph work zone speed limit will be in effect in areas with construction on I-88.
In addition to rebuilding and widening I-88, the two-year project also includes rebuilding and widening the York Road Bridge, repair and widening of the I-88 bridges over Roosevelt Road, improvements on the ramps connecting I-88 and I-294 and noisewall construction adjacent to residential areas.
The project is coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Village of Oak Brook, City of Elmhurst, Village of Hillside, York Township and DuPage County, as well as local fire and police departments.
