Eastbound Lane Shifting On Jane Addams Memorial Tollway Begins
ELGIN, Ill. (STMW) - Tollway motorists are in for some major lane shifting in the Elgin area as the road's big reconstruction project continues.
The Illinois Tollway Authority announced in a press release that there will be an eastbound traffic shift starting today on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) Roadway and Bridge Rehabilitation Project between the Elgin toll plaza and Barrington Road.
A westbound traffic shift in the same area is scheduled for next week.
The new traffic configuration will split traffic with one express lane on the left and two local lanes on the right, with limited access to exits from the express lane, the release said.
Overnight lane closures were scheduled for Wednesday night and tonight to shift traffic and provide a work zone in the center lanes for asphalt paving operations. The new traffic pattern will be in place into midsummer, according to the tollway.
Once the new configuration is in place, the next available exit for eastbound traffic traveling in the express lane will be Route 53/I-290. Drivers planning to get off the tollway at Route 31, Route 25, Beverly Road, Route 59, Barrington Road or Roselle Road must be in the local lanes to exit. All trucks must remain in the local lanes, according to the release.
Because the express lane will be routed through the "open road tolling" lanes at the Elgin toll plaza, drivers planning to pay cash must remain in the local lanes. A crossover opportunity for motorists to move between the express and local lanes will be provided between the Route 25 and Beverly Road interchanges.
The Illinois Tollway is resurfacing the 50-year-old section of I-90 between Route 20 and Genoa Road and between the Elgin toll plaza and Barrington Road "to provide a new, smooth surface and extend the life of the roadway," the release said.
Roadway improvements also include rehabilitation of 25 bridge structures on I-90. Work is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.
Tollway officials remind motorists that a 45 mph speed limit is in effect around the clock in all construction zones, regardless of whether workers are present. Drivers should continue to watch for changing traffic patterns and use caution, especially when workers are present.
Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for drivers speeding in work zones, the release said. The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $375. Posted signs advise drivers of a $10,000 fine and 14-year jail sentence for hitting a roadway worker.
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