Interstate 294

Interstate 294 marker

Interstate 294
Tri-State Tollway
Tri-State Toll Road
Route information
Maintained by ISTHA
Length: 53.45 mi[1] (86.02 km)
Existed: 1957 (completed 1968) – present
Major junctions
South end: I-80 / I-94 / US 6 in Lansing
 
North end:
I-94 in Northbrook
Highway system
I-290IL 336

Interstate 294 (I-294) is a tolled Interstate Highway in northeastern Illinois. It forms the southern portion of the Tri-State Tollway in Illinois. I-294 runs from South Holland at I-80/I-94, and Illinois Route 394 (IL 394) to Northbrook at I-94. I-294 is 53.42 miles (85.97 km) long; 5.32 miles (8.56 km) are shared with I-80.[1] It serves as a bypass around the city of Chicago. I-294 is also the longest auxiliary route of I-94, at 10 miles (16 km) longer than I-494 in Minneapolis–Saint Paul. The tollway is also the longest auxiliary Interstate Highway in Illinois.

Route description

I-294 has four of the Tri-State Tollway's six mainline barriers. These are located at:

The fifth and sixth are on I-94 near Waukegan and the other is near Deerfield

History

The portion of the Borman Expressway that was completed from Gary westward and the Kingery Expressway were originally designated as I-80, I-90, and I-294 from shortly after the Interstate Highway program was enacted until about 1965, when the connection between the Borman and the Indiana Toll Road was completed, and I-90 was swapped with I-94 west of that junction (and east of where those routes share the same road in Chicago), cutting back I-294 to its current south terminus (eliminating the Indiana part of I-294). Indiana later proposed to extend I-294 east on the current Borman Expressway to Indiana State Route 912, before having it turn north at that point, west at U.S. Route 12, and then back to I-94, most likely somewhere on the Bishop Ford Freeway near 130th Street. The request was denied.

I-294 was built largely before the growth and maturation of the suburbs that run along the corridor. As a result, the vast majority of the interchanges are partial, or were configured to have entrance ramps feeding the toll plazas. Gaps between exit ramps are common, the 6.5-mile (10.5 km) gap between Cicero Avenue (IL 50/IL 83) and 95th Street (US 12/US 20) being one of the more notable ones. Partial interchanges are located at Roosevelt Road (IL 38; northbound exit, southbound entrance), Irving Park Road (IL 19) (southbound exit, northbound entrance), Touhy Avenue (northbound exit, southbound entrance), Dempster Street (US 14; northbound exit, southbound entrance), and Golf Road (IL 58; southbound exit, northbound entrance). Several former partial interchanges have been converted to full interchanges, with automated toll collection facilities on the new ramps, such as at 159th Street (US 6; northbound on and southbound off added) and 95th Street (US 12/US 20; southbound on and northbound off added). The 79th Street exit was moved to 75th Street/Willow Springs Road, and made a complete interchange in the same manner.

From 1992-1993, the central portion of Interstate 294 between Interstate 90 and 95th Street was widened to eight lanes.[2] Between 2006-2009, the southern and northern portions of I-294 (IL-394 to 95th Street and I-90 to Lake Cook Road respectively) were fully reconstructed and expanded, bringing the entire highway up to eight lanes.

Move Illinois Program construction

As part of the $12 billion Move Illinois capital program, ISTHA and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) are partnering to construct a new, all-electronic interchange to connect I-294 to I-57. In 2014, ISTHA completed the primary interchange connections between I-294 and I-57 and at 147th Street. The remaining ramps to complete the interchange will be completed in 2023–24.[3]

Additionally, ISTHA will rebuild the central portion of Interstate 294 between 95th Street and Balmoral Avenue.[4] When this portion of I-294 is rebuilt, it could be widened to five lanes in each direction, get wider shoulders for buses and get active traffic management features that are currently being added to the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway as part of its rebuilding and widening project.[5][6]

Exit list

The entire route is in Cook County.

Locationmi[1][7]kmExit[8]DestinationsNotes
Lansing0.000.00 I-80 / I-94 east (US 6 east) IndianaSouthern terminus; southern end of I-80 concurrency; southern end of US 6 concurrency (NB lanes only)
161 US 6 west / IL 83 (Torrence Avenue)Exit number follows I-80; no southbound entrance; northern end of US 6 concurrency (NB lanes only); only free exit northbound
LansingThornton Township line0 I-94 west (Bishop Ford Freeway) / IL 394 south Chicago, DanvilleSouthbound exit and northbound entrance; southern terminus of Tri-State Tollway
South Holland11.6Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis
East Hazel Crest34.82 IL 1 (Halsted Street)Signed as exit 2A (north) and exit 2B (south)
46.44Dixie HighwaySouthbound exit and northbound entrance
Hazel Crest58.05 I-80 west to I-57 south Iowa, MemphisNorthern end of I-80 concurrency
69.7163rd Street Toll Plaza
Markham6.510.56 US 6 (159th Street)Signed as exit 6A (east) and exit 6B (west)
Blue Island7117 I-57 south MemphisSouthbound exit to southbound I-57 and northbound entrance from northbound I-57 only; full interchange opening 2023–24
8138 IL 83 (147th Street)Southbound exit northbound entrance
Alsip121912 IL 50 (Cicero Avenue / 4800 West) / IL 83 (127th Street)Signed as exit 12A (south) and exit 12B (north) northbound
Hickory Hills17.528.217 US 12 / US 20 (95th Street) / 76th AvenueSigned as exit 17A (east) and exit 17B (west) southbound; no northbound signage for 76th Avenue
19.531.483rd Street Toll Plaza (northbound)
203282nd Street Toll Plaza (southbound)
Justice2134 US 12 / US 20 / US 45 (La Grange Road) / IL 171 (Archer Avenue)Southbound entrance only
Des Plaines River21.2–
22
34.1–
35
Mile-Long Bridge
Hodgkins22352275th Street / Willow Springs Road (10800 West)
Indian Head Park233723 I-55 (Stevenson Expressway) Chicago, St. LouisSigned as Exit 23A (north) and Exit 23B (south) northbound; no exit number southbound; no southbound entrance from I-55 south
243923BWolf Road (11200 West)Northbound exit and southbound entrance
Hinsdale2540Hinsdale Oasis
Western Springs284527 US 34 (Ogden Avenue) Downers Grove, LaGrangeSigned as exits 27A (east) and 27B (west)
Oak Brook294729
I-88 / IL 110 (CKC) west (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway) Aurora
Northbound exit and southbound entrance
29.547.529Cermak Road / 22nd StreetSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
3048Cermak Road Toll Plaza
Hillside30.549.130 IL 38 (Roosevelt Road / 1200 South)Northbound exit and southbound entrance; signed as Exit 30A (eastbound) and Exit 30B (westbound)
315031A
I-88 / IL 110 (CKC) west (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway) Aurora
Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Berkeley325131B
I-290 / IL 110 (CKC) east (Eisenhower Expressway) Chicago
Signed as exit 31 northbound
Northlake345533 I-290 west (Eisenhower Expressway) to US 20 (Lake Street) / IL 64 (North Avenue) RockfordSigned as exit 31 northbound
Franklin Park3861O'Hare Oasis
38.562.038 IL 19 (Irving Park Road (4000 North))Southbound exit and northbound entrance; signed as Exit 38B (west) and Exit 38A (east)
3963Irving Park Toll Plaza (southbound)
Rosemont39.563.639Balmoral AvenueNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
406440A I-190 west (Kennedy Expressway) / River Road O'HareI-190 exit 1D; signed as exit 40 northbound.
416640B
I-90 (Jane Addams Memorial Tollway / Kennedy Expressway) Rockford, Chicago
Signed as exit 40 northbound
Park Ridge4268Touhy Avenue Toll Plaza (northbound)
426842Touhy AvenueNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Des Plaines44.571.644 US 14 (Dempster Street)Northbound exit and southbound entrance
457245 IL 58 (Golf Road)Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Glenview497948Willow Road
Northbrook51.582.952Lake Cook RoadNorthbound exit southbound entrance
50.5–
53
81.3–
85

I-94 east (Edens Spur) Chicago

I-94 west (Tri-State Tollway north) Wisconsin
Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. 1 2 3 Illinois Technology Transfer Center (2006). "T2 GIS Data". Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  2. P. Davis Szymczak (September 27, 1991). "Widening of Tri-State could begin in October". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
  3. Staff. "I-294/I-57 Interchange Fact Sheet". Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  4. Staff. "Move Illinois: Fact Sheets" (PDF). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 22, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  5. Wronski, Richard. "Tollway to Add 'Smart Highway' Features Too". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  6. Wronski, Richard. "Tollway Working on Plan to Rebuild, Maybe Widen, Tri-State". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  7. Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. System Map (Map). Downers Grove: Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  8. "Toll Rates by Plaza (For Years 2009+)" (PDF). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Retrieved January 23, 2009.

Route map: Google

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