 | 11/16/2009 Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) Rebuild & Widening Nears Completion as Work from Aurora Toll Plaza to Orchard Road Wraps Up
Illinois Tollway Completing Improvements to Relieve Congestion and Improve Mobility
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – Work to rebuild and widen the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) remains on schedule for completion by the end of the year, as mainline roadway construction on the west end of the corridor between the Aurora Toll Plaza and Orchard Road wraps up this week. Westbound drivers now have access to three lanes of roadway between IL Route 31 and Orchard Road – mirroring improvements turned over to drivers on the eastbound side last year between Orchard and the Aurora Toll Plaza. Punch list work to complete median and sign work will be complete by the end of the month and will not result in any long-term closures. The project is on schedule for completion in December when the new westbound Fox River Bridge will open to traffic.
The $162.5 million Rebuild & Widen Project from the Aurora Toll Plaza to Orchard Road is part of the Illinois Tollway’s $6.3 billion Congestion-Relief Program – Open Roads for a Faster Future – and is being completed on schedule and within budget. This year the Tollway will complete multiple Rebuild & Widen Projects are along a 23-mile stretch of the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) from Oak Brook to North Aurora.
Completion of the work between the Aurora Toll Plaza and Orchard Road will provide congestion relief to commuters and distance travelers by replacing 50-year-old pavement and expanding the roadway from two to three lanes in each direction, improving safety and mobility, including construction of a new bridge over the Fox River to unplug a bottleneck at the bridge. The corridor is known for commuter and interstate truck traffic.
Average daily traffic volumes along the stretch have grown from a high of about 7,140 vehicles a day in 1970 to a high of more than 72,780 vehicles daily in 2008.
I-88 Aurora Toll Plaza to Orchard Road Improvements
The Rebuild & Widen Project between the Aurora Toll Plaza and Orchard Road began in 2007 with advance work to build up the shoulders to carry traffic once construction began. Work to build the new eastbound Fox River Bridge also began in 2007 and was completed in 2008. Work to rebuild and add a third lane was completed on the eastbound side of the road in 2008. The westbound lanes were reconstructed and widened in 2009 and the new westbound Fox River Bridge is scheduled to open to traffic by the end of the year. The mainline lanes were reconstructed while maintaining the same number of lanes during construction as were available before construction began.
Improvements also include reconstruction of the IL Route 31 and Orchard Road Interchanges as part of the project. The ramp bridge at IL Route 31 and the bridge carrying IL Route 31 over the Tollway were reconstructed and the project also removed the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Bridge structure over I-88, just west of the IL Route 31 Interchange.
More than 145,300 cubic yards of concrete and 2,000 tons of steel were used to construct the new pavement and bridges and more than 285,000 cubic yards of earth were moved as part of this project. On any given day, about 140 professional and construction staff were working on the project.
Work Zone Safety
A 45 m.p.h. speed limit is in effect 24/7 in all construction zones, whether or not workers are present. Drivers should continue to watch for changing traffic patterns and use caution, especially when workers are present. Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for drivers speeding in work zones. The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $375. Posted signs advise motorists of a $10,000 fine and 14-year jail sentence for hitting a roadway worker. Keep Workers Alive – Drive 45.
Know Before You Go
The Tollway offers a variety of ways for drivers to get the latest information on construction and traffic on our roads.
- www.illinoistollway.com – Construction Section – for details by road
- 1-800-TOLL-FYI – daily lane closure info
- Roadway and electronic signs
- www.gcmtravel.com – travel times
- Sign up for E-mail updates
- Up-to-the-minute traffic by road – www.nbc5.com
- Construction eNewsletter – www.illinoistollway.com
Part of Tollway’s Congestion-Relief Program
The Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) Rebuild & Widen Project is part of the Tollway’s Congestion-Relief Program, Open Roads for a Faster Future, which will reduce travel times by rebuilding/restoring nearly the entire system, widening/adding lanes to many 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. By the end of 2009 the Illinois Tollway will complete nearly $3 billion in work to reconstruct/rehabilitate and widen about 120 miles of roadway across the 286-mile system. These improvements on the Tollway’s roads will result in a smoother ride for motorists and serve as an economic engine for Northern Illinois.
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway maintains and operates 286 miles of interstate tollways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) and the Tri-State Tollway (I-94, I-294, I-80/I-294). Tollway customers save time and money with I-PASS electronic toll collection - Get I-PASS & Get Going!
All Work Is Weather Dependent.
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