New I-88 interchange opens in Naperville

The long-awaited reconfiguration of the I-88/Naperville Road interchange opens today, a project that also connects Warrenville and Diehl roads through a new commercial district in northern Naperville.

Freedom Drive is expected to be open by midday, tollway officials said.

Motorists exiting or entering westbound I-88 will use the new interchange, and eastbound drivers exiting the tollway will also use the new road to access Naperville Road via Diehl or Warrenville. Motorists getting onto eastbound I-88 will still use ramps at Naperville Road.

The interchange project is part of a larger widening and reconstruction program of I-88 from North Aurora to Oak Brook that is budgeted at $826.3 million. This portion cost about $100 million, tollway officials said.

The new interchange is expected to relieve congestion at the intersection of Naperville and Warrenville roads.

"The new improvements to the Naperville Road interchange will further ensure drivers can now get to their destinations faster and with less stress," said George Pradel, a tollway board member and also Naperville's mayor.

Business owners in the new 25-acre Freedom Commons commercial development along Freedom Drive are also looking forward to the road's opening. The commercial component was under construction during the time the interchange reconfiguration project was going on, but many businesses opened well ahead of completion of the new interchange.

Robert Kabakoff, partner and director of culinary operations at the White Chocolate Grill, was unaware the road was slated to open today.

"It's definitely good news," he said. "People can see us from the tollway, but it's just so hard to get to us. Hopefully, there'll be an increase in business because we'll be a lot easier for people to get to and this will make it more accessible."