Open Road Tolling Conversion
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The work to convert 20 mainline toll plazas to Open Road Tolling ( ORT ) for non-stop I-PASS travel, which began in the summer of 2005, is complete and all plazas are in their final configurations. In 2005 (Phase I), ORT lanes debuted at 9 toll plazas. ORT lanes were delivered at 11 more plazas in 2006, enabling the Tollway to deliver congestion-relief to motorists as soon as possible. In 2007, modifications were made in toll booth lanes at seven plazas. These projects were part of the Tollway's Congestion-Relief Program to reduce travel times.
Update – Latest Construction Info
[Download today's daily report of system-wide lane closures...]
NOW OPEN: ORT lanes are now open at all 20 mainline toll plazas: Dixon, DeKalb, Aurora and York Road/Meyers Road (I-88); Edens Spur and Waukegan (I-94); South Beloit, Belvidere, Marengo, Elgin, Devon Avenue and River Road (I-90); Boughton Road and Army Trail Road (I-355); Irving Park, Touhy Avenue, Cermak Road, 82 nd Street, 83 rd Street and 163 rd Street (I-294). ORT is also now available at the I-80 East and I-80 West ramp toll plazas on the South Tri -State Tollway (I-294/80).
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Toll Booth Renovations Completed
Cash plaza modifications were completed in 2007 at seven toll plazas: Edens Spur (I-94); Cermak Road, Irving Park Road, 82nd Street and 83rd Street (I-294); and at Army Trail Road and Boughton Road (I-355). Work included pavement repairs, drainage work, and the installation of refurbished toll booths, signs, and overhead lighting. To minimize the impact to traffic, no more than two toll booth lanes were closed at a time at each plaza.
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Work Continues in Plaza Area
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| Boughton Road was one of 9 plazas converted to Open Road Tolling in 2005. (Click for larger image. Then click the "back" button in your browser to return to this page.)
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| Time is Money: ORT reduces travel times which saves truckers money. (Click for larger image. Then click the "back" button in your browser to return to this page.)
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Waukegan Toll Plaza (I-94)
One northbound ORT lane is closed as part of the northbound Rebuild & Widen Project from Grand Avenue to Russell Road on the North Tri-State Tollway. The cash plaza configuration will be maintained at four toll booth lanes northbound and five toll booth lanes southbound.
York Road Toll Plaza (I-88)
Three ORT lanes are available at the westbound York Road Toll Plaza . Work began in spring 2007 for a Rebuild & Widen project from York Road to IL Route 83. As part of that project, the York Road cash plaza will be reconstructed and a fourth ORT lane will be constructed. The plaza configuration will be maintained at four cash booths, one I-PASS Only lane and three ORT lanes to minimize the impact to traffic. When completed, traffic entering from northbound I-294 will have access to the ORT lanes. The project will be complete in 2009.
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Minimizing Impact to Reduce Delays
The schedule for converting toll plazas to ORT was coordinated to keep as many I-PASS lanes open as possible during the conversion. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by plaza conversion as we worked hard to deliver Open Road Tolling and reduced travel times as quickly as possible.
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Work Zone Safety
Remember to drive safely in work zones where construction continues and abide by the posted 45 m.p.h. speed limit; see the Tollway’s Work Zone Safety page for more information.
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Schedule
The schedule to complete conversion to Open Road Tolling was designed to deliver non-stop toll collection by the end of 2006 so customers could enjoy its benefits as soon as possible. Work was completed in two phases.
Phase I: Construction began in summer 2005 and ORT was delivered by the end of the year at nine plazas, including Boughton and Army Trail on I-355; Edens Spur on I-94; Irving Park Road , Touhy, Cermak, 82 nd St. and 83 rd St. on I-294 and the Aurora Toll Plaza on I-88.
Phase II: ORT lanes are now available at all 20 mainline toll plazas as ORT lanes opened in 2006 at York Road/Meyers Road, DeKalb and Dixon on I-88; River Road, Devon Avenue, Elgin, Marengo, Belvidere and South Beloit on I-90, Waukegan on I-94, and at 163 rd Street on I-294.
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Purpose – Pertinent Details on Why and How
The conversion from traditional toll plazas to a barrier-free system, the first in the nation in such a short time, is allowing I-PASS users to travel at highway speeds on the mainline while their tolls are collected electronically by a monotube overhead, reducing congestion and travel times. As a rule, each plaza has as many Open Road Tolling lanes after conversion as there are mainline lanes leading into or exiting the plaza. Vehicles without I-PASS must keep to the right to pay cash to toll collectors in smaller toll plazas, which does not impact the free-flow of traffic on the mainline. Separating I-PASS traffic from vehicles paying cash also improves safety at toll plazas.
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