advertisement

This one's going to hurt - One-mile lane closure on I-90 coming

Westbound Jane Addams Tollway drivers on I-90 will find themselves down a lane for a short but significant stretch of road starting this spring.

The Illinois tollway is reconstructing a one-mile stretch of the westbound Jane Addams between the Kennedy Expressway and the Tri-State Tollway.

That section is currently three lanes. However, engineers expect to close one lane in late April or early May until the end of the year.

"The tollway uses traffic shifts and shoulders to keep as many lanes open during peak hours as were available before construction," spokeswoman Wendy Abrams said.

"In this case, the pavement is simply too narrow to safely accommodate a traffic shift and closing the lane is the only option available. This will be the only peak hour lane closure planned on I-90 for this construction season."

Abrams added in an email that "more than 40 percent of the traffic traveling westbound on I-90 from the Kennedy is going to I-190 and I-294, so, while that stretch of roadway is certainly congested at times, we don't anticipate the lane closure on I-90 west of the ramps to I-190 and I-294 to significantly worsen traffic conditions."

The eastbound lanes were rebuilt in 2006 when the River Road Toll Plaza was redone.

The project is part of a widening and rebuild of I-90 stretching from Rockford to the Kennedy Expressway. The project is divided into two segments, with an Elgin to Rockford component set for completion this year.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.