Move is part of the interchange work on Tri-State Tollway

By Bob Bong

Traffic on 88^th/Cork Avenue in Justice is scheduled to shift onto the southbound side of the bridge next week as part of an interchange project on the Central Tri-State Tollway in Justice.

Beginning at 7 a.m. on Monday, July 25, all traffic will shift onto the southbound side of the bridge to allow for the removal and reconstruction of the northbound side of the bridge. Traffic is scheduled to remain in this configuration through the end of the year.

Traffic is currently reduced to one lane in each direction on the bridge and will remain so after the shift.

The lane closures and traffic shifts are necessary to safely accommodate traffic on the 88^th/Cork Avenue Bridge and provide a work zone for bridge reconstruction work. Electronic message signs and construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers to changes in traffic patterns throughout construction.

Construction on the new interchange began in June.

Up-to-date closure and detour information will be posted on the Tollway website and in the Daily Construction Alert. All work is weather dependent.

The $39 million 88^th/Cork Avenue Interchange Project includes construction of new ramps connecting 88^th/Cork Avenue to the Tri-State Tollway along with other local roadway improvements to both accommodate for the larger Central Tri-State construction project as well as to improve local traffic circulation and provide congestion relief. The interchange project is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2024.

As part of the project, the Tollway will construct a new ramp connecting northbound I-294 to 88^th/Cork Avenue and a new ramp connecting 88th/Cork Avenue to southbound I-294. In addition, the Tollway will widen the 88^th/Cork Avenue Bridge over I-294 to provide a southbound left turn lane, as well as additional pedestrian and bicycle access, noisewalls and drainage and lighting improvements.

The new interchange is designed to be compatible with a new ramp connecting southbound Archer Avenue to northbound I-294, which is being constructed by the Illinois Tollway as part of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project.

Construction on this project is being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Village of Justice, Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, as well as local fire and police departments.

Information about the 88^th/Cork Avenue Interchange Project including maps and construction updates is available on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com in the Projects section.

The $4 billion Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project is reconstructing and widening the roadway between Balmoral Avenue and 95^thStreet to provide congestion relief, update old infrastructure to meet current and future transportation demand and address regional needs.

This work is part of the Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. 

More than 220,000 vehicles use the Central Tri-State Tollway daily.