Reconstruction will improve safety, reduce congestion in key freight, jobs corridor
information provided by the Office of the Governor
NEW LENOX, Ill. (September 30, 2018) — Governor Bruce Rauner joined Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn and local officials on September 26 to announce the start of a $47 million project to rebuild the Interstate 80-U.S. 30 interchange. The new interchange will provide congestion relief, improve safety, and enhance traffic flow in a critical freight and jobs corridor for the state.
The Illinois Department of Transportation project will extend a third lane in each direction on I-80 from approximately Interstate 355 through the U.S. 30 interchange. The bridges carrying I-80 over U.S. 30, Metra’s Rock Island District Line and Hickory Creek will be rebuilt.
The exit and entrance ramps will be realigned to better accommodate higher traffic volumes, while U.S. 30 will be reconstructed through the interchange. Other components of the project include modernized traffic signals, drainage improvements and the extension of a bicycle and pedestrian path along U.S. 30. An earlier project replaced the Old Plank Road Trail bridge over I-80 to accommodate the larger interchange.
Preconstruction activities begin next week with tree removal and continue through the fall and winter. Construction of the interchange will begin in spring, with a projected completion date of late 2021.
Funding for the project was made possible by a $241 million statewide investment Gov. Rauner announced in June for projects that improve the mobility of freight through Illinois and provide long-term benefits in congestion relief and economic opportunity.
