Construction begins on Chicago area toll road project

The Illinois Tollway is moving ahead on construction of the Elgin O’Hare Western Access project following final approvals by the state legislature, according to a Tollroads News report. The $3.4 billion project will connect the Addams I-90 and the Tristate I-294 Tollways along the western side of the airport, and provide a new link to the west — about 11 miles of 2x3 lane toll expressway in total.
The project involves:

• 6.3 miles of expressway of north-south expressway I-90 to I-294 on the west side of the Airport.
• 4.4 miles of expressway west from this peripheral to I-290 where it connects to the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway.
• Four new expressway-to-expressway interchanges.
• Eight new or modernized expressway to surface arterial interchanges.
• New access ramps to the west side of the Airport.
• Widening and rehab of associated or adjacent roadways.

The new expressways to be equipped for all-electronic tolling, the first in the Chicago area.