DOWNERS GROVE, IL – The Illinois Tollway announced recently that overnight closures and detours are scheduled to begin on the ramps connecting the southbound Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and the eastbound Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) to I-190 for work to relocate the O’Hare Interchange Toll Plaza.
The Tollway announced the closures via media release.
Three nights of closures and detours will be needed to shift traffic for ongoing toll plaza construction as part of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s I-190 Project, the release stated.
Beginning at 10 p.m. on Monday, August 11, the ramps connecting southbound I-294 and eastbound I-90 to westbound I-190 are scheduled to close. Detours will be posted routing southbound I-294 traffic to westbound Irving Park Road and northbound Mannheim Road to access westbound I-190. I-90 traffic will be routed to southbound I-294 and then follow the same detour to access westbound I-190. The ramps are scheduled to reopen by 4 a.m. on Tuesday, August 12.
The two additional nights of closures and detours will follow the same schedule.
Electronic message signs and construction signage will be in place to alert drivers to the ramp closures and detours. Up-to-date information will be posted on the Tollway website in the Daily Construction Alert. All work is weather dependent.
Once traffic is shifted, work will continue to remove the median barriers and construct gutter, guardrail, a toll plaza building and parking lot. The new plaza and roadway pavement are being constructed in stages. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained, and reduced shoulders will be available in the area as construction continues throughout 2025.
This construction work is being done by the Illinois Department of Transportation as part of a future larger project to improve I-190 operations and roadway access for O’Hare International Airport.
To accommodate the IDOT improvements, work will include the relocation of the Tollway’s I-294 O’Hare Interchange Toll Plaza. The improvements will also include constructing a new toll plaza control building, ramp reconstruction, lighting and roadway signage work.
Maps and construction information are available in the Projects section on the Tollway’s website at illinoistollway.com.
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.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
