Tollway
opens fourth lane on key section of I-88
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Wider road
will reduce congestion and provide faster commute for motorists on
Reagan Memorial Tollway
Rebuild
and widen project from Illinois Route 59 to Washington Street is
almost complete
[JAN. 7, 2006]
NAPERVILLE -- Building on his commitment to
significantly reduce travel times and improve driving conditions for
motorists using the state's roads, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich on
Thursday announced the opening of an additional lane in the
now-rebuilt segment of road previously known as the "washboard" on
the Reagan Memorial Tollway, from Illinois Route 59 to Washington
Street in Chicago's western suburbs. This five-mile segment of
Interstate 88 now provides a faster and smoother ride for 140,000
daily motorists. This two-year rebuilding and widening project was
completed on time and on budget and is now providing four new lanes
in each direction.
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"For thousands of drivers in Chicago's westerns suburbs, the ride on
I-88 will now be faster and much less stressful," Blagojevich said.
"Rebuilding and widening the ‘washboard' on I-88 will also save
motorists time on their commutes so they have more time to spend
with their families and doing what they enjoy."
The only work remaining is the completion of striping and
installation of reflective pavement markers, which has been
postponed due to wet weather. This work will be completed with
off-peak lane closures as soon as weather permits.
Rebuilding and widening this five-mile section of the Reagan
Memorial Tollway is part of the governor's 10-year, $5.3 billion
Congestion-Relief Plan, "Open Roads for a Faster Future," which will
significantly reduce travel times by rebuilding and restoring 90
percent of the system, widening and adding lanes to nearly half the
system -- 117 miles of existing roads, converting 20 mainline toll
plazas to barrier-free Open Road Tolling, and extending I-355 south
to I-80 in Will County. Open Road Tolling lanes are now available at
nine mainline toll plazas, with the remaining plazas to be converted
for nonstop tolling in 2006.
Rebuilding this section of the roadway addresses the premature
deterioration of an overlay resulting from poor ground conditions
and experimental pavement techniques, resulting in a bumpy ride
reminiscent of a washboard. Some of the new improvements drivers
will now enjoy include:
- Three lanes in each direction removed and replaced, adding a
fourth lane in each direction, using 12 inches of continuously
reinforced concrete to provide longer-term life of the pavement.
- Ramp improvements at Illinois Route 59, including the
addition of a westbound auxiliary exit lane to prevent backups
on the mainline.
- Additional storm water storage.
- Installation of roadway lighting and an enclosed drainage
system.
The project also included the reconstruction of the Mill Street
Bridge over the tollway to accommodate the fourth lane in each
direction. The bridge was completed in record time through
cooperation between the Illinois Tollway, DuPage County and
Naperville officials. Construction began in April and was completed
by mid-August 2005.
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Significant savings in cost and time were realized by expanding
from the originally planned rebuilding project to a rebuilding and
widening project after the Congestion-Relief Plan was passed last
year, so traffic would not be affected twice in the same section.
"This project is a great example of how the tollway is making the
adjustments needed to deliver congestion relief as quickly as
possible while at the same time minimizing the impact of
construction on our customers," said Jack Hartman, executive
director of the tollway.
Under the Congestion-Relief Plan, an additional 14 miles of
pavement on the Reagan Memorial Tollway will be rebuilt and widened
from I-290 to Naperville Road. Work begins this year on a project to
rebuild and widen to four lanes the section just to the east of the
now-complete segment from Washington Street to Finley Road.
The tollway has been working hard to minimize inconvenience from
construction by maintaining the same number of lanes during
construction whenever possible, sending alerts to media about
temporary lane closures (usually scheduled off-peak), and providing
construction and traffic information to the public through the
following mechanisms:
-
www.illinoistollway.com -- Check the
construction section for details on road projects and lane
closures.
- 1 (800) TOLL-FYI [1 (800) 865-5394]
-- Call for information on any lane closures. (The tollway
attempts to maintain the same number of lanes during
construction except for temporary, usually off-peak, lane
closures.)
- Roadway and overhead signs, including dynamic message signs.
- Tollway e-newsletter -- Sign up at
www.illinoistollway.com.
The Illinois Tollway 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: I-94,
I-294, I-80/I-294.
[News release from the governor's
office]
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