The Tollway is aware that potholes can have a dramatic effect on travel. Potholes typically occur on older pavement and can pop up overnight. We mobilize maintenance teams systemwide to address the problem as quickly as possible. If you see a pothole during your commute please call *999 to report.
We anticipate having few potholes across
the new sections of the
Tollway during this winter travel season, since the rebuild and widen portion of our Capital Program, providing new pavement through our most heavily traveled roadways, is complete. The sections which have not been rebuilt still may be affected by potholes.
Anatomy of a Pothole (PDF)
Tips for driving in harsh winter conditions
- Be patient and slow down when crews are working
- Be sure your tires are properly inflated
- Leave plenty of space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you in order to increase time to recognize a pothole
- Report potholes that you see on the Tollway to *999
- Drive slowly to increase reaction time
How do potholes form?
Potholes start to form when moisture such as rain or snow trickles into cracks and gets under the pavement. Cracks are small at first, but with the stress of heavy traffic and continuing temperature changes these cracks turn into potholes.
As temperatures drop, water in the cracks expand, making the rift larger and providing space for more moisture to collect during future thaws.
With dramatic temperature changes, from freeze to thaw, more water collects under the surface; when this water freezes, it expands pushing the 50-year-old pavement up and further weakening it or exposing it to the snow plows.
Once the ice melts a space is left in the pavement. The weakened pavement is then under the pressure of plows, salt and heavy truck traffic.
What does the Tollway do to repair the potholes?
We have crews at each of our 11 Maintenance sites dedicated to pothole repair. During times when potholes are most prevalent Tollway maintenance staff may work around the clock to manage potholes in critical areas, timing repairs to have the least impact on traffic.
This year, we proactively attacked the pothole challenge by opening a hot asphalt plant and mobilized numerous contractor and tollway crews to complete more permanent repairs which will hold through the winter.
There are small areas on I-88 and I-294 which are more susceptible to potholes where the pavement has not yet been rebuilt. Pavement is scheduled to be rebuilt in 2009, but storms and breakdown of the 50-year-old pavement requires us to do temporary patches almost daily until we can mobilize crews in to grind off the crumbling layer of asphat and lay down a new layer which will last through the winter.
What should I do as a result of damage to my vehicle?
Safety is our first concern. If you get a flat tire caused by a pothole, when possible, move your vehicle to the shoulder before attempting to change the tire. Also call *999 to request assistance if needed.
To file an insurance claim...
Please note: In order to file an insurance claim, a police report must be filed with the Illinois State Police. Call (630) 241-6800 ext. 5042 to file a report for non-criminal damage as well as incidents that don’t involve injuries, tolls, or hit and runs (in these situations, you need to drive to the nearest toll plaza and speak to an operator).
Please have the following information available when filing the report:
Driver Information
- Name, Address, Phone Number, Daytime Contact Information, Date of Birth
- Drivers License Number, State, Classification
Vehicle Information
- Make, Model, Year of Manufacture
- License Plate Number, State
- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
- Name and Address of Owner (if not driver)
Insurance Information
- Name of Company
- Policy Number
Information mentioned above is required to generate a report.
What can I do to protect my car from pothole damage?
- Slow down and pay close attention to the road ahead. This increases your reaction time and could lower your risk of serious damage.
- Talk to your auto mechanic. Ask a trusted mechanic to look at your vehicle for uneven wear patterns in your tires. These may indicate misalignment. Also be sure to request a review of your shocks and brakes. Fixing any of these issues may help your car’s chances of withstanding a future pothole hit.
- Avoid driving too close to the side of the road. Potholes are more common in weakened areas which tend to be those that either are joint points or more heavily travel portions of the roadway (where tires actually touch).
- Clean your headlights. Wiping down your headlights on a regular basis is a quick, cheap and easy way to maximize your visibility.
- Leave plenty of space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you in order to increase time to recognize a pothole
- Properly inflate your tires. Underinflated tires put you at risk of rim damage and overinflated tires are more susceptible to damage.
