Tri-State lane closures start Monday as area ramps prepare to reopen

Overnight lane closures are scheduled next week to shift traffic on Interstate 55 and on the northbound Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 294) between Willow Springs Road and Plainfield Road and reopen the ramp connecting northbound I-294 to southbound I-55 and Wolf Road.

On Monday, February 6, beginning at 9 p.m. and continuing until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, February 7, lane closures are scheduled on southbound I-55 with traffic to be reduced to a single lane at times for work to prepare for ramp re-openings.

On Thursday, February 9, beginning at 9 p.m. and continuing until 5 a.m., Friday, February 10, traffic on northbound I-294 will be reduced to two lanes over I-55 to complete traffic shifts. Access to northbound I-55 from I-294 will remain open.

When the traffic shift is complete, three lanes of traffic on northbound I-294 will be available between Willow Springs Road and Plainfield Road with the right lane shifted onto the new northbound pavement and two lanes remaining on the southbound side of the tollway in a counterflow configuration to provide for a work zone in the middle for pavement work.

In addition, the ramps connecting northbound I-294 to southbound I-55 and to Wolf Road are scheduled to reopen. The ramps have been closed and detoured since April 2022.

Traffic is anticipated to remain in this configuration until late February/early March. Then, as construction allows, northbound I-294 traffic between 75th Street and Willow Springs Road is scheduled to shift again with three lanes traveling on the northbound side and one lane remaining in counterflow on the southbound side.

Electronic message and construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers to the lane closures. The closures are needed to provide a safe work zone and will be scheduled during overnight hours to reduce the impact on local traffic. Up-to-date closure information will be available on the Illinois Tollway’s Daily Construction Alert. All work is weather dependent.

Information about the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project is available in the Projects section on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com.

The $4 billion Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project is reconstructing and widening the roadway between Balmoral Avenue and 95th Street 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.