Illinois Tollway Finds a Place at Rail Industry Conference
The Illinois Tollway typically stays in its lane when talking about ongoing construction projects.
But the opportunity to do a joint presentation with two of the nation’s largest railroads at one of the biggest rail industry conferences was just the ticket to spotlight the Tollway’s cooperation with railroads to keep the I-490 Tollway Project on track.
The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association’s 2022 Conference & Expo offers railway engineering professionals the opportunity to increase their railroad knowledge and technical expertise. It features prominent speakers from the railroad business and presentations on innovations and technologies unique to rail industry infrastructure.
This year, AREMA invited the Illinois Tollway to showcase how it’s working in coordination with the Union Pacific Railroad and Canadian Pacific Railway to move forward with the I-490 Tollway Project. These efforts require all parties to recognize the importance and value the others bring to the table in improving one of the nation’s most important transportation hubs.
The I-490 Tollway, coupled with the Illinois Route 390 Tollway, is designated a “Project of National and Regional Significance” by federal transportation legislation. The new I-490 Tollway will carry north-south traffic around the western border of O’Hare and provide access to the airport.
It will also connect businesses and communities with area transit facilities, freight transportation hubs such as the Bensenville Intermodal Terminal and multiple interstate highways include the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) and the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
The construction of a new roadway requires extensive coordination between the Tollway and the railroads, with everyone working together to solve complex challenges to improve the movement of people and freight throughout the region. In the end, the benefits of these coordinated efforts will further enhance the reputation of Illinois as the nation’s premier transportation hub.