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"Improving the area's toll plazas and
tollway roads to reduce traffic congestion is a major step in my
efforts to make this region more accessible, more marketable and
more attractive to employers," Blagojevich said. "The tollway's new
long-range plan is a road map for the improvement projects that will
make use of the latest transportation and construction technologies
to manage congestion and reduce travel times in the years and
decades ahead." The governor,
Illinois Tollway Executive Director Jack Hartman and board member
Carl Towns were all on hand to end toll collection at the plaza,
identify interim roadway safety improvements and announce additional
plans to ease congestion in the region via "Open Road Tolling" and
roadway reconstruction and widening projects.
Last December, the Illinois Tollway
removed the portion of the Cherry Valley Toll Plaza used by
southbound drivers to exit the Northwest Tollway in order to reduce
the congestion caused by this toll collection point. To cover the
revenue lost by the elimination of tolls in both directions, the
toll rate at the nearby South Beloit Toll Plaza was increased in
January 2004. The tollway could not remove the other half of the
toll plaza at that time due to safety concerns and a lack of funding
for the interchange reconstruction needed before the plaza could be
safely removed.
Tuesday, the tollway debuted interim
safety measures that allow the discontinuation of toll collection
for northbound traffic. This completes the first phase improvements
to the Cherry Valley interchange to allow faster, safer and more
efficient travel through an area that has historically been known
for its traffic congestion.
As part of the tollway's 10-year,
$5.3 billion capital plan, the second phase, slated to begin in
2006, calls for removal of the remaining northbound toll plaza
structure and complete redesign and reconstruction of the
interchange and ramps used by northbound drivers to enter the
Northwest Tollway for travel to Rockford and Chicago.
"As part of the governor's vision
for the Illinois Tollway, we will be reducing travel times
systemwide," said Hartman. "No longer will the Cherry Valley Toll
Plaza and interchange be viewed as an impediment to commerce and a
source of frustration to drivers. The interim steps we're taking
today ensure that traffic can flow freely and safely as we make good
on our promise to the drivers, businesses and local leaders in the
Rock River Valley region."
Interim
safety measures
Interim roadway safety improvements
were completed in preparation for the discontinuation of toll
collection to ensure that free-flowing traffic travels safely and at
appropriate speeds through the toll plaza structure and interchange
ramps. The toll plaza structure will remain to help slow traffic,
even though tolls will no longer be collected. A 25 mph speed limit
has been set for travel through the toll plaza structure, and a 15
mph speed limit has been set on the westbound ramp until future
reconstruction is complete. Additional signage with flashing lights
has been posted to alert drivers to the reduced speed limits, as
well as to caution westbound drivers of the sharp curve ramp. Safety
improvements also include improved pavement striping and chevron
markings to clearly delineate traffic lanes structure in order to
alert drivers to the need to slow down and pay attention.
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Upcoming
improvements
Additional improvements for the Rock
River Valley region are included in the governor's 10-year, $5.3
billion plan approved by the tollway's board of directors in
September. Investments in the Rock River Valley region will include
the reconstruction of the Cherry Valley interchange as well as
reconstruction and widening of the Northwest Tollway from Newberg
Road to Rockton Road, just south of the Wisconsin border. In
addition, the plan calls for conversion to Open Road Tolling at the
South Beloit Toll Plaza and consolidation of toll plazas in
Belvidere and Marengo as part of the conversion. Open Road Tolling
will allow I-PASS users to travel through the plazas at highway
speeds, reducing congestion and wait time for all drivers.
"The Illinois Tollway plays a vital
role in the northern Illinois economy by allowing the movement of
people, goods and services in and out of the region," Towns said.
"We are confident that these improvements outlined in the long-range
plan will increase the efficiency of our system and help boost the
area's economy."
The Cherry Valley interchange and
Northwest Tollway improvements also are playing a vital role in the
governor's Opportunity Returns program, his regional economic
initiative announced in 2003 designed to spur growth in the Rock
River Valley region. Opportunity Returns, which involves more than a
dozen state agencies, is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach
to creating jobs to date in Illinois.
About the
Illinois Tollway
The Illinois State Toll Highway
Authority maintains and operates 274 miles of interstate tollways in
12 counties in northern Illinois, including the Ronald Reagan
Memorial Tollway, I-88; the North-South Tollway, I-355; the
Northwest Tollway, I-90; and the Tri-State Tollway, including I-94,
I-294 and I-80/I-294.
The Illinois Tollway offers
customers I-PASS electronic toll collection for congestion relief
and ease of travel. To buy an I-PASS, call 1 (800) UC-IPASS [(800)
824-7277], visit www.getipass.com,
or go to Jewel-Osco or Road Ranger in the Rockford area. I-PASS
customers with existing accounts can also manage their accounts
online.
For more information, go to
www.illinoistollway.com.
"Get I-PASS and get going!"
[News release from the
governor's office]
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