Inside the Tollway

News, stories and insight from inside the Illinois Tollway.

Tollway Worker Goes the Extra Mile to Aid Stranded Motorists

Illinois Tollway roadway worker Kevin Rice is used to assisting drivers who are involved in crashes or whose vehicles break down along the Tollway system, but on a Thursday last month he went above and beyond to assist a carload of stranded travelers.   On August 13th, Rice responded to a crash with area maintenance site manager Phil Peterson on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) near DeKalb. After removing their overturned vehicle from the road, Rice and Peterson then turned to...

When Breneshaia C. from the Quad Cities area received a notice that she owed $798 in tolls and violations, she called the Illinois Tollway in hopes of arranging a payment plan.  That’s when the representative with the Illinois Tollway’s Customer Service Call Center told...
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It’s a nightmare that can confront any driver: Your car is damaged in a crash or stalls, leaving you stranded in traffic on a high speed roadway.     A driver’s first instinct might be to step out of the stopped car and dodge oncoming vehicles to head for the...
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The COVID-19 crisis is forcing businesses and public agencies to rethink nearly everything, from the way we provide services to the way we engage customers.   The Illinois Tollway has a history of proactively engaging local communities, residents and customers by...
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While Illinois Tollway customers may be familiar with the roadway assistance offered to drivers in need on the road, many don’t know that the Tollway’s Roadway Maintenance team also assists in unexpected ways. On June 16, a customer reported an injured hawk on...
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Illinois Tollway Chief Planning Officer Rocco Zucchero has not only achieved great success in his 20-year career at the agency, but he has also helped advance the careers of a strong team of women along the way. Tollway Planning Department staff includes several women...
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New Tollway access for the Village of Sugar Grove and the City of Marengo will improve regional mobility and support economic development opportunites The Illinois Tollway is opening two new interchanges in the western suburbs to make traveling easier for commuters and...
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The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors today approved a balanced 2020 Budget with $1.54 billion in revenue allocated to fund maintenance and operations, debt service transfers and capital investments for the 294-mile system. In addition, the budget will allow the Tollway to...
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Illinois Tollway employees and our customers gave St. Nick a run for his money this holiday season, swooping in to drop off a record number of toys, games, dolls and bikes at Tollway headquarters for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. When the toys were...
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Sustainability is built into everything we do at the Illinois Tollway. From LEED-certified facilities to environmentally conscious de-icing efforts, the Tollway is constantly looking for ways to make our footprint leaner and greener. In addition to a comprehensive landscaping...
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Winter arrived early this year with a Halloween snowstorm, but the Illinois Tollway was ready to roll, deploying all of its 196 snowplows and opening its Snow Operations Center to clear roads and keep traffic moving.   “We’re committed to serving our customers by...
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Pink will be the color of the day at the Illinois Tollway on October 25 as staff show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many employees will be wearing pink clothing to work as part of the Tollway’s efforts to increase awareness and provide more information...
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The Illinois Tollway collects detailed traffic information from cameras, weather stations, road sensors and, for the first time, Tollway drivers themselves to more efficiently manage traffic flow, reduce congestion and respond more quickly to roadway...
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The Illinois Tollway is upgrading lighting across its system to energy-efficient LED fixtures. By retrofitting existing light fixtures and designing and building new LED fixtures as part of the Move Illinois capital program, the Tollway’s LED lighting efforts...
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Illinois Tollway Senior Project Engineer, Laura Thompson, P.E. (left), with Megan McDonald, P.E., president-elect, Illinois Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers Since coming to work for the Illinois Tollway in 2013, Senior Project...
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Each year the Illinois Tollway gives an opportunity for young artists to show off their creative talents by soliciting artwork for the cover the annual Illinois Tollway system map.  The map itself, which is distributed to Oases and customer service centers across the...
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The Illinois Tollway is asking drivers to help save lives by promising to slow down and move over when they travel through work zones or pass vehicles stopped along the road.   To drive home that message, the Tollway is displaying the National Work Zone Memorial at...
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The Illinois Tollway has been selected as the statewide winner of the Build a Better Mousetrap Competition, which highlights innovative solutions to everyday problems and issues that transportation workers encounter. Administered by the Illinois Department of...
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Governor J.B. Pritzker recently signed a package of legislation to expand Scott’s Law in an effort to protect law enforcement, first responders, road workers and the everyday motorist.  Scott’s Law, sometimes known as the “Move Over” Law, requires drivers to slow down...
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The Illinois Tollway is operating around-the-clock Hot Weather Patrols to more quickly assist customers stranded along its roads during the dangerously high temperatures and humidity expected to continue into the weekend. The Tollway typically operates Hot Weather Patrols to...
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