7.7 million vehicles expected to travel Friday through Tuesday
The Illinois Tollway is encouraging drivers traveling over the Labor Day holiday weekend to make sure their I-PASS and Pay By Plate accounts are ready to go when they take to the road for end-of-summer trips.
The Illinois Tollway expects 7.7 million vehicles will travel on its 294-mile system from Friday, September 1, through Tuesday, September 5. The heaviest travel is anticipated on Friday, September 1, when more than 1.9 million vehicles are expected on the road. On an average day, about 1.5 million vehicles use the Tollway.
“The Illinois Tollway offers drivers a variety of services to help provide safe and efficient travel on the Tollway system as they head out for one last summer road trip of the year,” said Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse. “We want our customers to be prepared as they travel this Labor Day weekend.”
I-PASS and Pay By Plate customers are encouraged to sign up for account service notifications by text messages via SMS. Sign up is quick and easy by logging into accounts on either www.getipass.com or The Official Tollway App and updating your profile.
The Illinois Tollway’s SMS texts quickly let you know when it’s time to check on your account and avoid issues that could result in service disruptions and even additional fees.
Friends and family visiting? Renting a car?
Any vehicle can be added to your I-PASS account or Pay By Plate service within 14 days of travel to avoid fines and fees, including short-term rental cars and the vehicles of family and friends. Just remember to add your dates of travel for rental cars. It’s easy to ensure your list of vehicles is up to date – just snap a pic to add new plates using the Official Illinois Tollway App.
Call for roadside assistance if needed
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.
Be prepared for construction work zones
The Illinois Tollway will suspend most temporary maintenance and construction lane closures from noon on Friday, September 1, through 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 5. However, construction may continue in existing work zones to keep work on schedule for ongoing Illinois Tollway construction projects. Tollway drivers can expect to see ongoing work:
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 westbound Roosevelt Road and westbound Roosevelt Road to southbound I-294 are closed and detours are posted. In addition, the ramp connecting eastbound I-88 to both northbound I-294 and westbound I-290 is reduced to a single lane.
Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355)
- Between Maple Avenue and Ogden Avenue traffic is shifted to the outside.
- At the I-88 Interchange, the ramps carrying westbound I-88 traffic to northbound I-355 and southbound I-355 traffic to eastbound I-88 are reduced.
Work zone speed limits are in effect in all construction zones 24/7 and drivers should continue to watch for changing traffic patterns and use caution, especially when workers are present. Remember to stay focused, slow down and watch for changes in traffic patterns in place to provide safe access for drivers in work zones.
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.
