Tollway nearly finished with new maintenance facility along I-90 in Hoffman Estates

A $33.8 million, state-of-the-art Illinois Tollway maintenance facility is nearing completion in Hoffman Estates to replace its outdated predecessor to the east at the I-90/Route 53 interchange in Schaumburg.

Though entirely within Hoffman Estates and receiving its water from there, the 95,000-square-foot facility at 557 Central Road will use Schaumburg's closer sanitary sewer after officials' approval of an intergovernmental agreement Tuesday.

The old facility being retired this fall dates from the 1958 opening of the tollway system, Senior Manager of Communications Dan Rozek said.

The building will be a fleet hub, maintenance garage, salt storage dome and Illinois State Police office.

The round-the-clock facility will house 40 workers, 28 plow trucks and other fleet vehicles.

"The new facility will feature sustainable elements that include refueling equipment for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles, installation of white (thermoplastic polyolefin) roof and concrete pavement with low reflectivity, reduction of light pollution with the installation of LED electronically programmed exterior lighting and interior occupancy lighting," Rozek said. "The buildings also incorporate photovoltaic panels on the roof to feed power back into the grid and electric vehicle charging stations."

Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod said the new facility's salt dome and maintenance equipment will be convenient for the stretch of I-90 that passes through the village.

"It's right on the tollway," he said. "It's good to have it right there."

Nevertheless, he regrets that the convenience gained caused Hoffman Estates to lose its first industrial company, Thomas Engineering, to Elgin three years ago.

The pharmaceutical equipment manufacturer, which built its headquarters on 15 acres at Central and Ela roads in 1965, was forced to relocate during the pandemic due to the tollway's acquisition of the site.

Then-owner Brian Casey told the Daily Herald in 2020 that he'd received a fair price for the property before closing on a more efficient 3.17-acre site at 200 Airport Road in Elgin.