Tollway Working on 17 Local Crossroad Bridges on I-88
Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) in Sugar Grove. (CREDIT: Google Maps)
The Illinois Tollway is repairing 17 local crossroad bridges carrying traffic over the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), between Illinois Route 251 near Rochelle and Illinois Route 56 near Sugar Grove — including six in Kane County.
Construction began this spring for some of the crossroads with a few others yet to begin, according to an Illinois Tollway news release.
Project Summary
Local crossroad bridges are necessary to extend the life of the bridges and improve travel in the area, Illinois Tollway officials said.
Construction will be staggered throughout 2018 so adjacent bridges are not under construction at the same time.
Bridges scheduled for repairs include Steward Road/Main Street in the City of Rochelle, Mulford Road, Locust Road, Woodlawn Road, Tower Road, Willrett Road, Shabbona Road, University Road, South First Street, Peace Road, Somonauk Road, Hinckley Road, Keslinger Road, County Line Road, Watson Road, Dauberman Road, Main Street (Kane County) and Bliss Road.
In most locations, local crossroad bridge improvements will include pavement patching, bridge deck rehabilitation, bridge joint replacement and repairs on bridge beams, piers and girders.
At the Hinckley Road Bridge and the Keslinger Road Bridge, work will include bridge deck replacement.
At South First Street Bridge, the existing bridge will be removed and replaced with new reinforced concrete deck on precast concrete beams. The new bridge is slightly wider with increased clearance above the tollway to meet current design standards.
The new bridge will have one lane in each direction with shoulders on either side. This work is scheduled to for 2019.
Driver Impacts
Electronic message signs and construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers to scheduled bridge closures, traffic patterns and work zone speed limits.
Long-term closures for most of the local crossroad bridges is necessary because the bridge structures are not wide enough to maintain traffic and provide a work zone. In addition to providing a safe work zone for construction workers, closure of the bridges will allow work to be complete in half the time.
At Shabbona Road, Somonauk Road, County Line Road, Main Street (Kane County) and Bliss Road, bridges will remain open during construction with traffic reduced to a single lane across the bridge with bi-directional traffic maintained using flaggers or a temporary traffic signal on either end of the bridges.
Purpose
The local crossroad bridges are being rehabilitated to extend the life of the structures. This work is part of the Illlinois Tollway’s
15-year, $14 billion capital program, “Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.”
The project is being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, city of DeKalb, DeKalb County, Kane County, Ogle County, Dement Township, Malta Township, DeKalb Township, city of Rochelle, Pierce Township, Kaneville Township, village of Sugar Grove and Cortland Township, as well as local fire and police departments.
Building Green
The Tollway is committed to “Building Green” and minimizing the environmental impact of construction by reducing, recycling and reusing materials. In addition to reducing the cost of this work, reuse of these materials reduces the need for virgin asphalt materials and reduces energy consumption, greenhouse gases and the volume of material that would otherwise be sent to landfills.
Getting Tollway Construction Info
The Illinois Tollway has a variety of ways customers can get the latest travel information, including:
Illinoistollway.com — Explore Projects section, live roadway images and real-time roadway incident information.- Daily construction alerts — Daily and long-term lane and shoulder closure schedules.
- Travelmidwest.com — Real-time travel times.
- Twitter.com @ILTollway — Real-time roadway incident information at Tollway Trip 90, Tollway Trip 88, Tollway Trip 355, Tollway Trip 94/294 and Tollway Trip 390.
Work Zone Safety
The Illinois Tollway is committed to ensuring that the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) and local roads remain safe for both drivers and workers during construction, which is part of the agency’s overall commitment to roadway safety.
Work zone speed limits are in effect in all construction zones 24/7 and drivers should continue to watch for changing traffic patterns and use caution, especially when workers are present.
The Illinois Tollway reminds motorists that the “Move Over Law” requires motorists to change lanes or to slow down and proceed with caution when passing any vehicle on the side of the road with hazard lights activated. If you see flashing lights ahead, please move over or slow down.
Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for drivers speeding in work zones or failure to comply with the Move Over Law.
The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $375. Posted signs advise drivers of a $10,000 fine and a 14-year jail sentence for hitting a roadway worker.
Penalties for failure to slow down or move over for a vehicle on the shoulder with flashing lights includes up to a $10,000 fine, 2-year suspension of driving privileges and jail time, in extreme cases.
Visit the Tollway’s Work Zone Safety page at Illinoistollway.com.
SOURCE: Illinois Tollway
Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) at Keslinger Road. (CREDIT: Google Maps)
List of I-88 Projects
