Tollway to Help Drivers Adjust to New I-294/I-57 Interchange

Customers traveling through the  the new Tri-State Tollway (I-294)/I-57 Interchange for the first time and residents of the surrounding communities in the Chicago Southland will benefit from three new initiatives intended to make traveling on the new interchange ramps as easy as possible, the Illinois Tollway announced on Thursday.

The first phase of the interchange is scheduled for completion in October and will create access from northbound I-57 to northbound I-294 and from southbound I-294 to southbound I-57, including a new interchange at 147th Street, delivering 75 percent of the project’s benefits to the traveling public.

This fall, customers who use the I-294/I-57 Interchange without I-PASS will have 30 days from the date of their unpaid toll to pay online – up from seven days on all other parts of the Tollway system. This extended, limited-time offer will expire on December 31, 2014. Beginning January 1, 2015, customers without I-PASS who use the I-294/I-57 Interchange will have seven days to pay their unpaid tolls.

“Our goal is to make sure that customers are well-informed and well-equipped to enjoy the benefits of this new interchange when it opens to traffic later this year,” said Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. “Making sure that people have access to I-PASS and know how to stay violation-free is our top priority.”

For added convenience, the Tollway is also opening a new temporary Customer Service Center at the Secretary of State Office in Midlothian from September through November 2014. This three-month satellite center located in the heart of the Chicago Southland is intended to serve local residents who wish to obtain I-PASS, pay their unpaid tolls or receive other assistance.

In addition, the Tollway today announced plans to host three I-PASS roadshow events in August to give local residents an opportunity to learn where they can get an I-PASS, how to avoid toll violations and where to find nearby customer service centers, including Tollway oases and Jewel-Osco stores. During the roadshow events, Tollway staff will provide an overview of these topics and be available to answer questions. Tour dates and locations include: 

• August 5 at 6 p.m. – Raday Lodge, 3220 W. 145th St., Midlothian
• August 13 at 6 p.m. – Markham City Hall, 16313 S. Kedzie Parkway, Markham
• August 21 at 6 p.m. – Posen Community Center, 14401 Campbell Ave., Posen

Tollway staff will also be attending community events throughout the summer to help inform local residents about the new interchange opening this fall. 

The Illinois Tollway operates the nation’s largest electronic tolling system, with more than 87 percent of all toll transactions paid electronically. Currently, there are more than 3.6 million I-PASS customers with more than 5 million active transponders.

I-PASS rates for the new interchange will be 75 cents for cars and $1.50 for customers who pay their unpaid tolls online. Truck rates will range from $1.50 to $4.00 during daytime hours, with overnight discounts offered.

While all of the Tollway’s recently constructed interchanges have not included a cash payment option, this is the first interstate-to-interstate connection on the Tollway system where there is no toll collection point on the mainline roadway for customers who wish to pay cash. Tollway customers who would like to pay cash to travel between I-294 and I-57 will still be able to do so at the 159th Street Ramp Toll Plaza or via the 163rd Street Toll Plaza. These are the routes currently being used today. 

The new I-294/I-57 Interchange will be the fourth all-electronic interchange on the Tollway system. Other all-electronic toll collection points include the Illinois Route 47 Interchange on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Balmoral Avenue Interchange on I-294 and the Eola Road Interchange on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88). The $3.4 billion Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project will be the first all-electronic toll road on the Tollway system.

The $719 million I-294/I-57 Interchange is part of the Tollway’s 15-year, $12 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. The interchange will create a long-sought connection between two major interstates in the Chicago Southland that will relieve congestion on local routes, enhance economic development and improve overall transportation throughout the region.

The interchange is expected to serve more than 76,000 vehicles per day and provide direct freight access to Chicago’s south suburbs – saving drivers $4 million annually in fuel. Tri-State Tollway drivers currently using I-80 to get to I-57 will save 25 travel hours per year using the new interchange. The full interchange is expected to be completed in 2024.

— Illinois Tollway press release