DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – Illinois Tollway announced on Wednesday that a long-term lane closures and traffic shifts will begin this week and continue through the summer for repair work on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR).
Electronic message signs and construction signage will be in place in advance to alert drivers to the lane closures and traffic shifts scheduled throughout the work. Up-to-date closure information will be available on the Illinois Tollway’s Daily Construction Alert.
All work is weather dependent, according to a media release.
Beginning the week of April 28, all traffic on I-88 between Illinois Route 23 and the DeKalb Oasis is scheduled to be shifted onto the eastbound side of the road and reduced to a single lane in each direction. Traffic on I-88 is scheduled to remain in this configuration into the summer as repair work is underway in a work zone on the westbound side of I-88.
Once repair work is completed on the westbound side of the bridge, all traffic will be shifted onto the westbound side of I-88 and remain reduced to a single lane in each direction. Traffic on I-88 is scheduled to remain in this configuration through late fall as repair work is underway in a work zone on the eastbound side of I-88.
The traffic shift and lane reductions will allow the Tollway to safely accommodate traffic and provide a work zone for the repairs to the I-88 bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad. Work will include bridge deck, parapet, abutment and approach slab repairs, as well as bridge joint work and pavement and shoulder repairs.
Lane closures are being coordinated with the Union Pacific Railroad, as well as local fire and police departments.
In 2025, the Illinois Tollway work on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) will include repairs to the mainline bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad in DeKalb and corridor-wide pavement repairs, as well as the completion of the York Road Bridge reconstruction over the ramps connecting eastbound I-88 to southbound I-294 and northbound I-294 to westbound I-88 in Oak Brook. This work is part of the Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.
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.
