Truck convoy will briefly close I-90 on Saturday morning

An event Saturday in Hoffman Estates to raise funds for Special Olympics Illinois will include a brief closure of Interstate 90 to make way for a truck convoy, officials said.

Truck Convoy for Special Olympics takes place 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sears Centre, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway. The convoy will be leaving at 10 a.m., entering I-90 westbound at Route 59 in Hoffman Estates and traveling to Route 47 in Huntley, where it will exit, turn around and get onto I-90 eastbound to return to Sears Centre, said Buffalo Grove police officer Shannon McMillon, who works in truck enforcement.

The Illinois State Police motorcycle unit will escort the convoy and the start time of the closure could be as early as 9:30 a.m., state police Sgt. Delila Garcia said.

The round trip is expected to take about 45 minutes, or under 25 minutes each way, he said.

IDOT vehicles will block the interstate before Route 59 and move forward at "a slow rolling movement" of about 15 mph, with traffic behind them, to allow the convoy to make its way forward and exit in Huntley, McMillion said.

Entrance ramps to I-90 will be closed for the duration of the convoy's trip, Elgin Police Cmdr. Rick Ciganek said.

This is the event's fifth year at Sears Centre but the first time that it will include closure of I-90, said Special Olympics Illinois spokeswoman Katie Risley.

The event is a partnership among truckers and law enforcement to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics, as well as a chance for Special Olympics athletes to bond with truckers, she said. Hoffman Estates police are hosting the event, Buffalo Grove police is "a big player," and others like Arlington Heights police plan to participate, she said.

The decision to close I-90 was made to ensure safety, as it has been done before for such truck convoys in Tinley Park, McMillion said. "I don't think it will be a big inconvenience," he said.

The trucks will arrive at Sears Centre between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. with a live bid to earn the position of "lead truck" - the first truck in the convoy - starting at 9:45 a.m. The return of the convoy will be followed by lunch, awards and speeches, she said. Special Olympics athletes and their families are invited to attend. "The more, the merrier," Risley said.

Truck Convoy events take place in other states, but Illinois is the only state that features three events per year, Risley said. The others will be in September in Troy and in October in Tinley Park.