Elmhurst-area drivers on I-294 face overnight lane closures and brief full shutdowns as crews remove overhead structures for the Illinois Tollway's SmartRoad system.
The closures, which began the week of Monday, Sept. 21, affect the stretch of I-294 between North Avenue and Wolf Road. That corridor runs directly past Elmhurst, Villa Park and Oakbrook Terrace and carries more than 220,000 vehicles a day, according to an Illinois Tollway press release.
Southbound closures started first.
Northbound closures will follow on the same schedule once the southbound work wraps. Three nights of closures are needed in each direction, running as needed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weeknights only. No closures are scheduled on Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights.
During the work windows, traffic drops to a single lane. Starting at 12:15 a.m. each night, crews shut down all lanes for up to 15 minutes at a time to remove the gantry crossbars.
What the SmartRoad system will do
The crossbars are being taken off-site for installation of electronic signage. Once reinstalled in 2027, each gantry will display real-time, lane-specific travel information, including incident alerts, advisory speeds and lane-closure notifications. The Tollway said the gantries will not be used for toll collection or toll violation enforcement.
The full SmartRoad corridor will eventually include 80 gantries placed every half mile between 95th Street and Balmoral Avenue. The system will also feature wireless traffic sensors and new Flex Lanes that can route traffic around incidents using inside lanes and shoulders.
Part of a $4 billion rebuild
The gantry work falls under the Central Tri-State Tollway reconstruction, a $4 billion project to rebuild and widen 22 miles of I-294 from Balmoral Avenue to 95th Street. That project began in 2018 and is scheduled to run through 2027.
The Tollway Board approved its first toll rate increase in 15 years in August. Cassaundra Rouse, the Tollway's executive director, said at the time that "nearly 1.7 million drivers rely on this system every day, and our responsibility extends well beyond the next construction season," as reported by the Villa Park Review.
A 45 mph work zone speed limit is in effect on I-294 around the clock throughout the construction season. Illinois State Police enforce zero tolerance for speeding in work zones. The minimum fine is $250, with penalties reaching $25,000 and up to 14 years in prison for striking a roadway worker.
Construction signs and electronic message boards will alert drivers in advance. Updated closure schedules are posted on the Tollway's Daily Construction Alert at illinoistollway.com. All work is weather dependent.
