Overnight ramp closures, detours needed to complete traffic shift for ongoing I-57 bridge widening work over the CSX Railroad
An Illinois Tollway traffic shift has been scheduled next week on I-57 between 147th Street and the CSX Railroad for ongoing bridge work, as part of work to complete the Tri-State Tollway (I-294)/I-57 Interchange Project. In addition, overnight closures and detours on two ramps connecting I-294 to northbound I-57 will be needed.
Electronic message signs and construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers to changes in traffic patterns and construction. Up-to-date information regarding closures will be available in the Illinois Tollway’s Daily Construction Alert. All work is weather dependent.
During the week of July 10, on northbound I-57 two nights of lane closures beginning at 8 p.m. will be needed to shift traffic to the left to accommodate a work zone on the right. All lanes are scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. each morning in advance of morning rush hour.
To accommodate the lane closures, the two ramps carrying I-294 to northbound I-57 are scheduled to close with posted detours between midnight and 5 a.m. the following morning. In addition, the ramp carrying 147th Street to northbound I-57 will also close between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. the following morning. No detour will be posted for this ramp.
Detours are as follows:
Traffic on southbound I-294 will be routed through the interchange at I-57 to 159th Street to access northbound I-57.
Traffic on northbound I-294 traveling to northbound I-57 will be routed to 127th Street to access northbound I-57.
Once the shift is completed, northbound traffic is scheduled to remain in this configuration through August. Southbound traffic is currently shifted to the left through August. Once this work is complete, traffic in both directions is scheduled to shift into its final configuration with a fourth lane of traffic open to drivers.
Tollway work is continuing to widen the CSX Railroad Bridge on I-57 as part of the I-294/I-57 Interchange Project. Pavement, and joint work will continue into 2023 at the I-57 bridge over the railroad. In addition, the Illinois Department of Transportation is resurfacing I-57 in this area.
This work is part of the second phase of the I-294/I-57 Interchange Project. In September 2022, the Tollway completed and opened four new ramps to connect southbound I-57 to I-294 and I-294 to northbound I-57, including a flyover ramp bridge. Additional work on this project includes the reconstruction of the I-57 median and the widening of the I-57 mainline, as well as drainage improvements, erosion and sediment control, retaining wall and bridge construction.
Maps and construction information about the Tri-State Tollway (I-294)/I-57 Interchange Project is available in the Project’s section on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com.
The $719 million I-294/I-57 Interchange Project is funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Tollway.
The new interchange is improving travel by providing customers with completed access between the two interstates. For the first time, the new I-294/I-57 Interchange provides motorists with access between I-294 and I-57, including a new interchange at 147th Street. The complete interchange will reduce congestion on local routes, enhance economic development and improve regional mobility. The new interstate-to-interstate connection better serves commuters and freight operators while opening access for local communities.
Work Zone Safety
Construction 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.
The Illinois Tollway reminds motorists that the “Move Over Law” requires motorists to change lanes or to slow down and proceed with caution when passing any vehicle on the side of the road with hazard lights activated. If you see flashing lights ahead, please move over or slow down.
Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for drivers speeding in work zones or failure to comply with the Move Over Law. The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $250 with up to a $25,000 fine and a 14-year jail sentence for hitting a roadway worker. Penalties for failure to slow down or move over for a vehicle on the shoulder with flashing lights includes up to a $10,000 fine, 2-year suspension of driving privileges and jail time, in extreme cases.
About Move Illinois
The Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, is improving mobility, relieving congestion, reducing pollution, creating as many as 152,000 jobs and linking economies throughout the region. The first 11 years of Move Illinois are on schedule and within budget, delivering the rebuilt and widened Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) as a state-of-the-art 21st century corridor and opening a new interchange connecting the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to I-57. Progress continues on projects addressing the remaining needs of the existing Tollway system, delivering the Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project and reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
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.
