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"Thanksgiving is a time to
celebrate with friends and family," Blagojevich said. "No one wants
to spend it stuck in traffic. That's why we're doing what we can to
help people plan ahead for the busy holiday travel season so they
can get where they're going safely and without unnecessary delays."
AAA predicts a total of 38.3 million Thanksgiving travelers
nationwide, with 31.7 million of those driving on the roads -- an
increase of 2.7 percent over last year. For the Great Lakes region,
AAA predicts 6.2 million people will be traveling by car -- up 2.9
percent from last year.
Over the last several years, Blagojevich has pushed for the
expansion of travel options and also promoted the aggressive use of
technology to help motorists avoid congestion and travel delays.
Those initiatives include the following:
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In order to
encourage more Illinoisans to travel by rail, the state this
year teamed up with Amtrak to increase service on three Illinois
routes: Chicago to Carbondale, Chicago to St. Louis, and Chicago
to Galesburg and Quincy. Schedules, reservations and tickets are
now available nationwide through
Amtrak.com or by calling
1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).
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The conversion of
the Illinois Tollway's traditional toll plazas to a barrier-free
Open Road Tolling system allows I-PASS users to travel at
highway speeds while their tolls are collected electronically.
Drivers who want to take advantage of the time savings provided
by Open Road Tolling can buy an I-PASS online at
www.getipass.com, at
Jewel-Oscos throughout Chicagoland or by calling 1-800-UC-IPASS
(1-800-824-7277). The $50 investment is worthwhile even if
drivers travel the tollway only occasionally, because the I-PASS
prepaid balance never expires and it provides a 50 percent
discount on tolls.
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A new online
resource from the Department of Transportation,
www.gettingaroundillinois.com, can help drivers get
directions as well as check the weather and road conditions.
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This fall, the
Department of Transportation unveiled a new, free service at
www.iltrafficalert.com
that allows drivers in northeastern Illinois to sign up to
receive customized e-mails that provide travel times and
incident reports on selected routes.
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The Illinois
Tollway offers e-mail updates either through www.nbc5.com or its
construction e-newsletter at
www.illinoistollway.com, and drivers can also look up
information in the
construction section of the tollway's website.
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The website
www.gcmtravel.com also
provides travel time and congestion information for expressways
and the tollway in northeastern Illinois.
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Statewide road
construction on the interstate system is also available by phone
at 1-800-452-IDOT (4368).
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The
tollway also offers daily lane closure information by phone at
1-800-TOLL-FYI (1-800-865-5394).
In addition, the Department of Transportation announced that in
order to give motorists a break over the holiday weekend, it will
suspend all construction-related lane closures where possible
starting at 3 p.m. on Wednesday through early Nov. 27.
In Peoria, the Department of Transportation announced that as of
Sunday, major construction activities on the largest construction
project in downstate Illinois history came to an end. The "Upgrade
74" project was a four-year, half-billion-dollar reconstruction of
Interstate 74 in Peoria and East Peoria. During the work, the
Department of Transportation removed and replaced 32 bridges,
constructed one new interchange, and made significant safety
improvements to the ramps and lanes of I-74.
In Chicago, the outbound Dan Ryan Expressway, I-90-94, is back in
its regular configuration from 13th Street to 71st and inbound from
31st Street to 13th Street. However, lane closures related to the
Dan Ryan reconstruction project will remain in place until the
beginning of December.
In the greater Chicagoland area, all lanes on the Edens,
Eisenhower, Kennedy and Stevenson expressways and I-80 and I-57 will
be open.
However, due to the nature of some projects, there will be
construction zones throughout the state that will continue to
operate. The Department of Transportation is urging motorists to
slow down and drive with caution through these work zones. Holiday
travelers are reminded that work zone speed limits are still in
effect.
Areas that will continue to have lane closures are as follows:
Cook County
Oak Park Avenue -- Widening and resurfacing in Oak Forest.
Southbound Oak Park Avenue closed from Ridgeland Avenue to 151st
Street; Justamere Road closed from 143rd Street to 147th Street.
Local traffic only.
Dan Ryan Expressway -- Reconstruction in Chicago. Three lanes
open in both directions. From 71st to 95th the
outside lane will be closed
in both directions. Three northbound express lanes are closed from
69th to 31st Street, with local lanes and one express open to
traffic. Root Street Bridge will be closed.
Bishop Ford -- Reconstruction in South Holland. Two lanes each
direction from 159th to I-80. Ramp from southbound Ford to eastbound
Kingery reduced to one lane. Ramp from southbound Ford and eastbound
I-94 to westbound I-80 and the northbound I-294 TriState Tollway
closed with detour posted. Ramp from eastbound 159th Street to
eastbound I-94 closed with detour posted.
Illinois 394 -- Reconstruction in Thornton and Lansing. One lane
in each direction between Glenwood-Lansing Road and I-80. Ramp from
westbound I-80 to southbound Illinois 394 will be closed with detour
posted.
Kingery -- Reconstruction in Lansing, Thornton, South Holland,
Hammond and Munster. Three lanes in each direction, with some narrow
lanes and lane shifts from U.S. 41 and Calumet Avenue in Indiana to
I-94. Two lanes in each direction from I-94 to the I-80-294
Tri-State Tollway. Ramp from eastbound I-80 and southbound I-294 to
westbound I-94 and Bishop Ford closed with detour posted. Ramp from
westbound I-80 to southbound Illinois 394 will be closed with detour
posted.
[to top of second column] |
 Clay County
U.S. Route 45 north of Louisville -- Widening and resurfacing
project. Detour road two miles north of Louisville. Both lanes open.
Coles County
I-57 milepost 192 -- New interchange work. Inside median
shoulders closed.
Jo Daviess County
U.S. 20 bridge over the Apple River two miles west of Elizabeth
-- Bridge deck replacement restricts traffic to one lane controlled
by traffic signals.
Kane County
U.S. 20 and Lake Street over the Fox River -- Bridge repair in
Elgin. One lane in each direction.
North Avenue and Illinois 64 at Randall Road -- Widening and
resurfacing in St. Charles. One lane in each direction.
Lake County
Illinois Route 22 and Half Day Road from Illinois Route 83 and
Mundelein Road to U.S. 45 and 21 -- Roadway reconstruction in
Buffalo Grove, Long Grove and Lincolnshire. One lane in each
direction with turn lanes at intersections. Tight right-turn radius
at Prairie Road and Main Street on Illinois Route 22. Two-thirds of
the project has been placed on new pavement, and the last third will
be switched in late November. Motorists should be aware of new lane
configurations.
Illinois Route 22 from Beusching to Quentin Road -- Roadway
widening and reconstruction in Lake Zurich. One lane in each
direction, with turn lanes at intersections.
Illinois Route 83 over the Wisconsin Central Ltd. and Elgin,
Joliet and Eastern railroad -- New bridge deck at Lake Villa, Loon
Lake and Antioch. All lanes currently open. Ongoing construction
activity beneath and adjacent to bridge. No lane closures needed.
Madison County
Motorists will encounter temporary traffic signals with staged
construction along Illinois Route 143 just west of Interstate 70.
This lane restriction is necessary to replace the existing bridge
beams on the structure carrying Illinois Route 143 over Sugar Creek.
The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2007.
Motorists will encounter temporary traffic signals with staged
construction along Illinois Route 4 five miles north of the
intersection of Illinois Route 4 and Illinois Route 143 near Marine.
This lane restriction is necessary to replace the existing bridge
over Silver Creek. A signed wide-load detour is in place to direct
the traveling public. Work on the bridge is expected to be completed
by Nov. 30.
Motorists will encounter temporary traffic signals with staged
construction along Illinois Route 4 just south of the intersection
of Illinois Route 4 and U.S. Route 40 near St. Jacob. This lane
restriction is necessary to replace the existing bridge over Lake
Fork Creek. A signed wide-load detour is in place to direct the
traveling public. Work on the bridge is expected to be completed by
Nov. 30.
Marion County
Motorists will encounter temporary traffic signals with staged
construction on U.S. Route 50 approximately two miles and three
miles west of the Clay County line. These lane restrictions are
necessary to replace the bridges over Skillet Fork and Dums Creek.
Work on these structures is expected to be completed by the summer
of 2007.
Saline County
Illinois 34 1.7 miles north of Harrisburg -- Temporary traffic
signals. One lane open, with traffic controlled by signals.
Illinois 34 at north edge of Harrisburg -- Temporary traffic
signals. One lane open, with traffic controlled by signals.
St. Clair County
Staged construction along Route Illinois 157 near I-64 is
reducing the number of lanes from two to one lane in the southbound
direction.
Motorists will encounter construction along Illinois Route 161
just south of Lincoln Trail in Fairview Heights. Southbound traffic
will be shifted into the northbound lane, restricting traffic to one
lane in each direction. Concrete barrier wall will be used to
separate the northbound and southbound traffic across the existing
bridge.
White County
Illinois 14 3.3 miles east of Crossville -- Temporary traffic
signals. One lane open, with traffic controlled by signals.
U.S. 45 1.5 miles south of Mill Shoals -- Temporary traffic
signals. One lane open, with traffic controlled by signals
Winnebago County
Illinois 173 is closed at the I-90 overpass to allow for
construction of a new interchange. Illinois 173 is detoured around
the work area on Illinois 251, Swanson Road and Belvidere Road.
Will County
U.S. 30 from Essington to Larkin -- Reconstruction in Crest Hill
and Joliet. One lane in each direction.
159th Street and U.S. Route 6 under CN railroad bridge -- Bridge
reconstruction in Harvey. Road closed between Park Avenue and Center
Street.
[News release from the governor's
office]
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