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Illinois tollway expects more than 7 million vehicles on its system this Memorial Day weekend

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Tollway provides travel tips to make summer road trips more enjoyable

The Illinois Tollway expects 7.7 million vehicles to kick off summer with a trip on the Tollway system this Memorial Day weekend between Friday, May 27, and Tuesday, May 31 – a nearly 2 percent increase over last year.

“As people begin their summer travels, starting with this Memorial Day holiday weekend, we want to remind drivers to keep their focus on the road and slow down in work zones,” said Illinois Tollway Interim Executive Director Lanyea Griffin. “As a reminder, non-I-PASS customer have 14 days to pay with our Pay By Plate service, so they can focus on driving and easily pay online when their trip is complete. There’s no better time than now to get an I-PASS, particularly if you’re traveling the Tollway system frequently.”

Illinois Tollway drivers continue to have the option to pay tolls with I-PASS, E-ZPass or pay online with the Tollway’s Pay By Plate service. And for those in need of assistance, the Tollway has enhanced it’s I-PASS Assist program.

Here’s what customers need to know:

  • 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 19 other states that are part of the E-ZPass network.
  • Pay tolls online.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.
  • Get assistance to join I-PASS.Customers unable to use I-PASS for financial reasons have more benefits than ever with the Tollway’s I-PASS Assist program, including no deposit, lower pre-paid balance requirements and dismissal of invoice fees for accounts in good standing.

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 27, through 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31. 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 shifts in both directions between Half Day Road and Atkinson Road.
  • On I-294 between the O’Hare Oasis and 95thStreet, 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 ramp from eastbound Archer Avenue to southbound I-294 is closed and a detour is posted.
  • On I-294, the ramps from northbound I-294 to Wolf Rd and to southbound I-55 are closed and detours are posted.

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.

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