Illinois Tollway Expects More than 7 Million Vehicles on Its System This Memorial Day Weekend
2021-05-27
Tollway provides travel tips to make summer road trips more enjoyable.
More than 7 million vehicles are anticipated on the Illinois Tollway system to kick off the summer travel season this Memorial Day weekend from Friday, May 28, through Tuesday, June 1.
“As families return to the road to begin summer trips across our 294-mile Tollway system, we remind everyone to slow down in construction work zones and travel safely,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director José Alvarez. “And, to make travel easier, we suggest drivers follow a few basic travel tips when hitting the road this weekend or anytime over the summer.”
- Keep tabs on your tolls. All drivers have a 14-day grace period to pay unpaid tolls. The Pay By Plate service allows customers to simply provide a license plate, dates of travel, and a payment method and then the Illinois Tollway will take care of the rest
- Take your transponder. I-PASS can be used to pay tolls on the Illinois Tollway system and in other states that accept E-ZPass, including Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and 13 other states that are part of the E-ZPass network.
- Avoid distracted driving. Stop at any Tollway oases to safely use cellphones for calling, texting and accessing mobile apps. It’s illegal for drivers to use any hand-held device when driving.
- Get on your Waze. The Tollway provides Waze with information on lane blockages, roadway incidents and the location of H.E.L.P. trucks.
Holiday Work Zones
To accommodate holiday travel on the Illinois Tollway, construction activity will be restricted to better serve Tollway customers. Most temporary maintenance and construction lane closures will be suspended from noon on Friday, May 29, through 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 1. Some work may continue behind barriers to keep work on schedule. All work is weather-dependent. Areas where ongoing work zones may impact traffic include:
Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80)
- On I-94, traffic in both directions at Stearns School Road is shifted.
- On I-294 between the Bensenville Railyard Bridge and St. Charles Road, traffic is shifted in both directions. Southbound traffic in the counterflow/express lanes will not have access to the exit to westbound I-290.
- On I-294 at Joliet Road, the ramp connecting southbound I-294 to eastbound Joliet Road is closed and a detour is posted.
- On I-294 between Ogden Avenue and 55th Street and between Plainfield Road and 95th Street, traffic is shifted.
- On I-294, the ramp from eastbound Archer Avenue to southbound I-294 is closed and a detour is posted.
- On I-294, at I-57 southbound traffic is reduced from four lanes to three.
Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88)
Between the EJ&E Railroad and Illinois Route 59, traffic is shifted in both directions.
At Deerpath Road eastbound traffic is shifted.
Dial *999 for Roadway Assistance
Drivers should call *999 to get help from Tollway roadway maintenance crews or from Illinois State Police District 15 who patrol the Tollway system 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Motorist aid patrols stand ready to help stranded customers change tires, jump-start batteries, add coolant, dispense fuel, transport customers, move vehicles away from traffic and call for a tow truck.
Illinois State Police Out in Full Force
The Illinois State Police District 15 will be conducting several roadside safety details and special Traffic Enforcement Patrols over the Memorial Day weekend throughout the Tollway system. Troopers patrolling the Tollway will also focus on enforcing fatal four violations, including driving under the influence, speeding, distracted driving and not wearing seat belts. In addition, they will be stepping up enforcement of the Move Over Law, also known as Scott’s Law, which requires motorists to change lanes or slow down and proceed with caution when passing any vehicle on the side of the road with hazard lights activated
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 294 miles of roadways 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), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.