I-290 FRONTAGE ROAD CLOSURE, DETOURS SCHEDULED THROUGH JUNE AS PART OF NORTH AVENUE INTERCHANGE RECONSTRUCTION
Closure of the I-290 Frontage Road under the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between County Line Road and Northwest Avenue for Cook County road work supporting Illinois Tollway projects
Closure of the I-290 Frontage Road under the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) is scheduled to begin Monday, April 1, and continue through June to allow for reconstruction work to continue on local roads. Detours will be posted.
The closure is needed to complete reconstruction of Frontage Road, Northwest Avenue and County Line Road as part of the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways led project that will accommodate the Illinois Tollway’s North Avenue Interchange Project on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
Electronic message signs and construction signage will be put in place to alert drivers in advance of the closure and various detours. Up-to-date information regarding lane closures will be available in the Illinois Tollway’s Daily Construction Alert. All work is weather dependent.
Beginning on Monday, April 1, the I-290 Frontage Road between County Line Road and Northwest Avenue is scheduled to close. The following detour routes are scheduled to be in place through June:
• Detours for Frontage Road traffic:
o Westbound traffic will be detoured via Northwest Avenue, Grand Avenue, York Street, Crestview Avenue, Michigan Street and East Lake Street.
o Eastbound traffic will be detoured via Emroy Avenue, North Avenue and NorthwestAvenue.
• Detours for Frontage Road to County Line Road:
o Westbound traffic will be routed to Northwest Avenue and Grand Avenue to access County Line Road.
o Eastbound traffic will be routed to Emory Avenue, North Avenue, Northwest Avenue and Grand Avenue to access County Line Road.
• Detours for County Line Road traffic:
o County Line Road traffic will be detoured via Grand Avenue, York Street, Crestview Avenue, Michigan Street and East Lake Street to access the I-290 Frontage Road.
o County Line Road traffic will be detoured via Grand Avenue and Northwest Avenue to access Northwest Avenue
Additional lane closures, traffic shifts and detours will remain in place in the area to accommodate ongoing construction, including a westbound Lake Street detour at I-294, traffic shifts on Northwest Avenue just north of North Avenue, as well as ongoing lane closures on North Avenue continuing through late fall 2024.
Construction in this area is being coordinated with Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the City of Elmhurst and the City of Northlake, as well as local fire and police departments.
Construction updates, project information, maps and detour information for work that is part of the North Avenue Interchange Project at I-294 are available in the Projects section on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com, as well as on the Cook County construction project webpage at maps.cookcountyil.gov/hwyproject.
In partnership with the Illinois Tollway and cities of Northlake and Elmhurst, Cook County is leading design and construct on local road improvements roadway improvements including pavement reconstruction, bridge work, watermain reconstruction, drainage installation and traffic signal modifications in coordination with the Illinois Tollway’s 16-year, $15 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.
The project includes work to realign a portion of County Line Road to accommodate the reconstruction and widening of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and for the North Avenue Interchange Project that will provide a new ramp connecting southbound I-294 to County Line Road to create new access to North Avenue and Lake Street and help reduce congestion at the interchange and on local roads.
In addition, the North Avenue and Lake Street (U.S. Route 20) intersection will be reconfigured to improve traffic flow and provide new direct access to eastbound North Avenue. Drainage improvements are planned to help alleviate flooding in the area during periods of heavy rainfall. Construction of detention ponds to hold stormwater and the installation of new storm sewers will help address flooding along North Avenue.
Work Zone Safety
Construction 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 $250 with up to a $25,000 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.
About Move Illinois
The Illinois Tollway’s 16-year, $15 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, is improving mobility, relieving congestion, reducing pollution, creating as many as 165,220 jobs and linking economies throughout the region. The first 12 years of Move Illinois are on schedule and within budget, delivering the new Illinois Route 390 Tollway and a rebuilt and widened Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) with its new SmartRoad corridor, as well as opening a new interchange connecting the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to I-57. Progress continues on projects addressing the remaining needs of the existing Tollway system, delivering the new I-490 Tollway Project and reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 294 miles of roadways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.