Elmhurst residents who commute on I-88 or I-290 will pay 45 cents more at every toll plaza starting Jan. 1, 2027, after the Illinois Tollway Board of Directors voted 8-0 on Wednesday, Aug. 19, to approve the largest passenger toll increase in the system's history.
The per-mile rate for I-PASS users jumps from 7 cents to about 11 cents, a 57% increase. On I-88 alone, the toll from I-80 to Route 53 will rise from $2.85 to $4.55, according to Shaw Local. Drivers without I-PASS will see a 90-cent increase per toll.
The last hike was in 2012.
$26.5 billion over 15 years
The rate increase funds "Driving Connections," a 15-year, $26.5 billion capital program running through 2042 that the board approved in the same vote. The Tollway's press release earmarks $3.53 billion for I-88, including rehabilitating and widening segments between the Aurora Toll Plaza and the Eisenhower Expressway. Another $6.63 billion goes to I-355, which intersects I-88 near Elmhurst, for improvements including widening between I-55 and Army Trail Road and rebuilding the I-355/I-88 interchange.
Chief Financial Officer Cathy Williams told the board that net toll revenues will cover roughly $20.6 billion of the program, with bond proceeds funding the rest, WTTW reported.
"We listened, we planned and now we have a responsibility to deliver," Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse said at the Aug. 19 meeting. "Nearly 1.7 million drivers rely on this system every day, and our responsibility extends well beyond the next construction season."
Automatic increases start in 2029
Beginning in 2029, tolls will adjust every two years based on the Consumer Price Index, capped at 8% per two-year period (a maximum of 4% annually), according to the Chicago Tribune. Commercial vehicle rates rise about 30% on Jan. 1, 2027.
Public opposition, board support
The Tollway held 13 public hearings across its 12-county service area, including DuPage County, and received more than 18,000 public comments between June 18 and Aug. 3, NCTV17 reported. While speakers at the board meeting largely supported the plan, online commenters were overwhelmingly opposed, citing cost-of-living concerns and the automatic CPI adjustments, according to WTTW.
In an April 29 analysis published before the board vote, Illinois Policy Institute senior writer Patrick Andriesen called the proposal unjustified. "With toll revenues at all-time highs and billions already collected from drivers, there is no clear justification for adopting the largest passenger toll hike in the tollway's history," Andriesen wrote.
What Elmhurst drivers can do
The Tollway system receives no state or federal tax dollars; it is entirely user-funded. Residents can estimate their new 2027 toll costs using the Tollway's trip calculator at illinoistollway.com/drivingconnections.
