Illinois Route 390

Illinois Route 390 marker

Illinois Route 390
Elgin O'Hare Expressway
Route information
Length: 6.01 mi[1] (9.67 km)
Existed: October 29, 2013[2] – present
Major junctions
West end: US 20 in Hanover Park
  IL 19 in Schaumburg
IL 53 in Itasca
East end: I-290 in Itasca
Location
Counties: DuPage, Cook
Highway system
← I-355IL 394 →

Illinois Route 390 (IL 390), previously called the Elgin–O'Hare Expressway, is an Interstate-standard freeway in northeast Illinois, United States. Contrary to its given name, the expressway does not enter either Elgin or O'Hare International Airport. However, the expressway connects existing local roads from Elgin to O'Hare Airport, and plans are underway to extend the expressway eastward to the edge of O'Hare. It currently connects U.S. Route 20 (US 20, Lake Street) in Hanover Park to the intersection with Illinois Route 53 (IL 53, Rohlwing Road) and Thorndale Avenue in Itasca.[3][4] The only other towns it borders are Schaumburg and Roselle. The IL 390 is 6.01 miles (9.67 km) long.[1]

Route description

Shields for the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway on Wright Boulevard in Schaumburg

IL 390 is a four-lane freeway located about 5 to 7 miles (8.0 to 11.3 km) to the south of Interstate 90 (I-90), which it parallels. From US 20, the highway travels over a half-mile-long (0.8 km) bridge over the Metra Milwaukee District West Line tracks, and some wetlands. The freeway then enters Cook County from DuPage County and intersects IL 19 (Irving Park Road). At Meacham Road, the freeway crosses back south into DuPage County.

The expressway is unusual in that both its termini have traffic signals with major arterial roads in the area. This arrangement causes large backups during weekday rush hours. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), average daily traffic counts (in 2003) for the IL 390 are 39,600 vehicles for the western two miles (3.2 km) and around 82,000 to 87,000 cars per day for the remainder.[3]

A four-lane arterial roadway continues east, named Thorndale Avenue. This road terminates at York Road near the western border of O'Hare Airport.

History

Elgin–O'Hare Expressway
Location: Hanover Park–Schaumburg
Length: 5.95 mi[1] (9.58 km)
Existed: November 2, 1993[2]–October 29, 2013[5]

The expressway was considered in the late 1980s due to increasing congestion on local roads, especially US 20 (Lake Street). Although Lake Street was extensively widened prior to the completion of the expressway, initially to Glen Ellyn Road and then to the Roselle-Bloomingdale border nearly ten years later, its capacity was still insufficient for the rapidly growing western suburbs. Construction on the expressway began around 1991 and was completed two years later. Governor Jim Edgar opened the expressway at an afternoon ceremony on November 2, 1993.[2]

On October 29, 2013, IDOT announced that the freeway was redesignated IL 390 at groundbreaking ceremonies for the Elgin–O’Hare Western Access Project.[5]

Future

Western extension

Original plans intended for the Elgin-O'Hare to continue westward from its interchange at US 20/Lake Street, circling around the Ontarioville neighborhood of Hanover Park to merge into Lake Street at the North Avenue intersection. This would create a smoother transition from US 20 onto the limited access portion. From there, the existing US 20 alignment would be used to connect the expressway to Elgin, although the section between the Elgin Bypass and North Avenue would have remained an arterial road with stoplights.[2] The existing US 20 interchange is designed to allow for a future westward expansion of the Elgin–O'Hare.

As of 2010 no western extension of the Elgin–O'Hare has been funded in Illinois's Five-Year Highway Improvement Plan. However, a western extension in some form continues to appear in long-range planning documents.[6]

The Village of Hanover Park has stated that its economic development in the southern portion of the village has been hampered by the delay of the western extension of the IL 390. The village has expressed interest in seeing it developed, not as a limited access freeway/tollway, but rather a controlled-access parkway or a regional arterial boulevard.[7]

Eastern extension

ISTHA [8] has started an ambitious eastward extension of the Elgin-O'Hare from its eastern terminus at IL 53 (Rohlwing Road) to a new interchange on the western border of O'Hare International Airport, where it will meet a west bypass of the airport connecting I-90 to the north and I-294 to the south. This interchange may also incorporate ramps into a planned western terminal at O'Hare. The official groundbreaking for the expansion took place on October 29, 2013.[5]

The highway will follow an alignment close to that of the existing Thorndale Avenue, through the communities of Itasca, Wood Dale, Elk Grove Village, and Bensenville.

These plans have caused controversy in the communities along and near the highway's proposed alignment, mostly related to issues of eminent domain. Concerned about large-scale taking of industrial properties for the new highway, Elk Grove Village and Bensenville protested any highway expansion through their towns, and Wood Dale was concerned about large-scale taking of private homes along the highway alignment. However, highway planners were able to choose an alignment that minimizes takings through these communities, and their respective governments have dropped any formal opposition.[9]

On August 25, 2011, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISHTA) approved a $12 billion capital plan, called the Move Illinois Project, doubling toll rates to fund it. The plan calls for the Elgin–O'Hare Expressway to be converted to a tollway, widened, and extended east to the planned O'Hare Western Bypass.[10] In January 2013, the United States Department of Transportation gave final approval to the project.[11] Funding approved as of 2014 includes $3.1 billion of the $3.4 billion estimated expenditure.

Construction on the eastern extension began in 2013. The first part was a rehabilitation and widening of the existing Elgin–O'Hare Expressway, especially construction of noise control walls.[12] The road will then be extended eastward to the western edge of O'Hare, where it will be connected to the O'Hare West Bypass. Conversion of the existing road to a tollway is planned, but the start date for toll collection will be a later phase of the project.

The east to west part of the project consists of several parts:[13]

Exit list

There are six exits as of 2014. New exit signage on Route 390 carries exit numbers. In addition, ISTHA is installing mileage signs every quarter mile. Along the western portion of the expressway, the light poles are numbered with mileposts.

CountyLocation[1]mikmExitDestinationsNotes
DuPage
0.00–0.80		Hanover Park6.09.7 US 20 (Lake Street)Partially built interchange; current western terminus of the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway
Cook
0.00–4.22		Schaumburg7.111.4 IL 19 (Irving Park Road) / Springinsguth RoadEastbound exit is located here; IL 19 marker is not on overhead sign, instead placed on a separate sign on the right side of the road stating "To IL 19"
Roselle7.411.97BGary AvenueFlyover ramp to southbound Gary Avenue; westbound exit, eastbound entrance
Schaumburg7.712.47A IL 19 (Irving Park Road) / Springinsguth RoadWestbound exit is located here; IL 19 marker is not on overhead sign, instead placed on a separate sign on the right side of the road stating "To IL 19"; eastbound entrance ramps from IL 19 are here
8.313.48Rodenburg Road, Wright BoulevardWestbound exit to North Frontage Road, which accesses both streets and eventually IL 19; eastbound, South Frontage Road terminates and joins with the Elgin O'Hare Expressway
Roselle9.415.19Roselle RoadFull diamond interchange
Cook–DuPageElk Grove Village11.318.211Meacham Road
Medinah Road
IL 53 (Rohlwing Road)		Medinah Road southbound, Meacham Road northbound; westbound exit to a left-lane turnaround ramp leading to ramp for IL 53
DuPageElk Grove Village12 I-290 – Rockford, ChicagoAt-grade intersection
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Staff (2007). "T2 GIS Data". Illinois Technology Transfer Center. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ibata, David (November 3, 1993). "Gridlock bandage: Elgin-O'Hare Expressway — at least part of it — opens". Chicago Tribune.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Staff (2006). "Getting Around Illinois". Illinois Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
  4. ↑ DuPage County, Illinois General Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Illinois Department of Transportation. 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Governor Quinn and Local Leaders Break Ground on $3.4 Billion Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project: New Illinois Route 390 is First Part of the State’s Largest Roadway Project and Will Create Thousands of Jobs" (Press release). State of Illinois. October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  6. ↑ Staff. "Priority Projects". Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  7. ↑ Staff. "Hanover Park 2010 Comprehensive Plan" (PDF). Village of Hanover Park. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  8. ↑ http://www.illinoistollway.com/construction-and-planning/projects-by-roadway/elgin-o-hare-western-access. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ↑ Robb, Tom (April 23, 2009). "Elk Grove Declares Victory". The Journal and Topics.
  10. ↑ Rozek, Dan (August 28, 2011). "Tollway OKs 87 percent toll increase". The Courier-News. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Feds Give Final Approval To Elgin-O’Hare Expansion". CBS Chicago. January 24, 2013.
  12. ↑ Rice, Jennifer (January 17, 2013). "Elgin-O'Hare access approved for construction". The Fox Valley Labor News. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  13. ↑ http://www.illinoistollway.com/construction-and-planning/projects-by-roadway/elgin-o-hare-western-access. Retrieved 21 April 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links

Route map: Bing