Illinois Tollway Expects Nearly 8-8 million vehicles traveling over the Thanksgiving Holiday
2023-11-20
I-PASS and Pay By Plate allow drivers to pay tolls for family and friends
As many as 8.8 million vehicles are expected to drive the Illinois Tollway system during this year’s extended holiday, and I-PASS and Pay By Plate offer options for both local and out-of-town Thanksgiving travelers.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Wednesday, November 22, through Monday, November 27, the heaviest travel is expected on Wednesday when nearly 1.8 million vehicles are projected to use the Tollway system. On an average day, 1.5 million vehicles use the Illinois Tollway.
“Before getting behind the wheel this Thanksgiving holiday, we remind our I-PASS and Pay By Plate customers that they can use the Illinois Tollway App to temporarily add rental cars or out-of-town family and friends’ vehicles to their accounts to conveniently pay tolls,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse. “It’s our goal to make travel simple and convenient for customers.”
The Pay By Plate service allows drivers to be billed for tolls on the Illinois Tollway when accounts are set up within 14 days of travel, while I-PASS allows drivers with pre-paid accounts to pay tolls in Illinois and 18 other states that participate in the E-ZPass system. Drivers can use the Illinois Tollway App or go to www.getipass.com to set up and manage their accounts, including adding license plates of family or friends traveling for the holiday.
To help make travel easier for drivers, the Illinois Tollway will suspend most temporary maintenance and construction lane closures from noon on Wednesday, November 22, through 9 a.m. on Monday, November 27. However, construction may continue in existing work zones to keep work on schedule for ongoing Illinois Tollway construction projects.
Areas where Tollway drivers can expect to see ongoing work include:
Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80)
- On I-294 between Wolf Road and 75th Street, traffic shifts in both directions with counterflow lanes throughout the Central Tri-State corridor. Watch for signage indicating changing traffic patterns.
- On I-294, the ramps from westbound I-290 to northbound I-294, from northbound I-294 to eastbound I-290 and westbound Roosevelt Road to southbound I-294 are closed and detours are posted. In addition, the ramp connecting northbound I-294 to westbound I-290 is reduced to a single lane.
- On I-294, I-294 between 95th Street and the 83rd Street Toll Plaza, northbound traffic is shifted.
- On I-294 between 171st Street and 159th Street, traffic is shifted.
Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355)
At the I-88 Interchange, the ramps carrying eastbound I-88 to northbound I-355 and southbound I-355 to eastbound and westbound I-88 are reduced.
Safety belts first
Safety belts save lives, cutting the risk of fatal injuries in a crash by nearly half, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. When they get behind the wheel, drivers should always buckle their safety belts and also ensure children under the age of 8 are securely restrained in appropriately-sized child safety seats or booster seats. Correctly installed child safety seats save lives and significantly reduce injuries in the event of a crash.
Call *999 for roadside assistance
Drivers can call *999 to get help from Tollway roadway maintenance crews or from Illinois State Police Troop 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.
Get real-time road condition updates
Whether the trip is short or long, sign up for Tollway Trip Tweets with real-time roadway incident information and weather conditions at Tollway Trip 90, Tollway Trip 88, Tollway Trip 355, Tollway Trip 94/294 and Tollway Trip 390.
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.