Weekend-long lane closures, including a detour of the ramp carrying the southbound Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to westbound 95th Street, are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Friday, October 21, for work to shift traffic on southbound I-294 between 87th Street/Roberts Road and 95th Street.
Once the new traffic pattern is in place, southbound I-294 traffic will be in a counterflow lane configuration with limited access to exit at 95th Street. Traffic will remain in this configuration through the end of the year.
Closures are necessary to shift traffic and provide a safe work zone for median reconstruction and accommodate traffic during construction. Electronic message signs and construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers to the closures, detour and new traffic patterns. Up-to-date information regarding lane closures will be available in the Illinois Tollway’s Daily Construction Alert. All work is weather dependent.
Beginning Friday, October 21, at 8 p.m. and continuing through 6 a.m. Monday, October 24, the ramp connecting southbound I-294 to westbound 95th Street is scheduled to close with a posted detour. The detour will direct southbound I-294 traffic to eastbound 95th Street/76th Avenue and onto northbound 76th Avenue where traffic will be able to access 95th Street in either direction.
In addition, on southbound I-294 between 87th Street/Roberts Road and 95th Street, a weekend-long single lane closure will be put in place, with nightly closure of up to three lanes as needed to complete the traffic shift. All lanes are scheduled to reopen by 6 a.m. on Monday, October 24.
Once the weekend work is complete, one lane of southbound I-294 traffic will be shifted onto newly reconstructed southbound pavement, with three lanes of southbound traffic remaining on the northbound side of the roadway in a counterflow configuration to provide a work zone between the southbound lanes. Traffic traveling in the three counterflow lanes will not have access to the 95th Street Interchange. Northbound traffic in this area is currently shifted and will remain in the same configuration.
Traffic in both directions between 87th Street/Roberts Road and 95th Street will remain in this configuration through the end of the year with work continuing to rebuild the southbound I-294 bridge over 87th Street. Work also includes mainline roadway construction and noisewall, median, storm sewer and utility work.
Work in this area is being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, Village of Burr Ridge, City of Countryside, City of Hickory Hills, Village of Hodgkins, Village of Indian Head, Village of Justice, as well as local fire and police departments.
Work in this southern section of the Central Tri-State Project between I-55 and 95th Street began in 2019 and mainline reconstruction and widening is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2023. Mainline improvements include rebuilding and widening the I-294 roadway to five lanes in both directions, including construction of new I-294 bridges over I-55, Flagg Creek, 87th Street and Roberts Road, as well as reconstructing shoulders including adding Flex Lanes. Improvements also include reconstruction of the Mile Long Bridge, the Archer Avenue Interchange, the ramp connecting I‐55 to northbound I‐294 and local crossroad bridges, including Willow Springs Road and 5th Avenue.
