The intersection of 87th Street and Roberts Road looks nothing like it did just a few years ago.
On Thursday morning, Oct. 16, officials from the Illinois Tollway, Cook County, and the City of Hickory Hills gathered to mark the completion of a $53 million project that rebuilt bridges, improved traffic flow, and added a new community space beneath the Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
The work replaced two aging bridges with longer, stronger structures expected to last 75 years. The new design eliminates the old center piers that once blocked sight lines and created backups at one of the area’s busiest intersections.
While work was going on above, crews widened lanes, added turn lanes, installed new drainage and lighting, and upgraded traffic signals below. Cook County contributed $5.7 million for design improvements and intersection upgrades that were fully coordinated with the Tollway’s larger Central Tri-State project.
“This project really shows how collaboration between state, county, and local governments can enhance safety, mobility, and quality of life,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse, adding that the project finished on time and within budget.
“From the start, our goal was not just to improve transportation but to strengthen connections between communities.”
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said the changes will make travel safer and more efficient for the 30,000 drivers who use the intersection daily – and for the 167,000 motorists who travel on the expressway above it.
“The collaboration resulted in improved mobility and safety for Cook County residents, both on and off the Tollway system,” she said.
Preckwinkle credited her transportation team, led by Jennifer “Sis” Killen, superintendent of the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, for recognizing the opportunity to align local and regional priorities. “They understood that the decisions made today would serve generations to come,” she said.
Hickory Hills Mayor Michael Howley said the transformation was hard to overstate. “Five years ago, when engineers told us they wanted to turn the space under the tollway into a park, we thought they were crazy,” he said. “It used to be all concrete and gravel with limited visibility; not a place anyone wanted to walk. What we have now is a safe, open area that connects to our Prairie Pond walking path. It’s something the whole community can use.”
The new space includes walking paths, fitness equipment, and seating areas under the bridges with checker/chess boards for community members to play.
Cook County Commissioner Stanley Moore called the project “an example of what happens when the government works the way it should.” He said that the redesign not only replaced aging infrastructure but also addressed long-standing safety and mobility issues.
Killen said her department viewed the project as a “once-in-a-century opportunity” to rethink the intersection while the bridges were being rebuilt. “By working together, we were able to remove the old piers, extend turn lanes, and add new sidewalks that improve safety for drivers and pedestrians,” she said.
The partnership extended beyond Hickory Hills to the neighboring communities of Justice and Bridgeview, whose residents will also benefit from improved traffic flow and access.
Hickory Hills police, fire, and public works departments coordinated throughout construction to keep traffic moving safely.
The improvements are part of the Illinois Tollway’s Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project – one of the largest infrastructure efforts in the region – aimed at rebuilding and widening 22 miles of roadway from Balmoral Avenue to 95th Street.
