The Sun Will Set On The Des Plaines Oasis March 16
By Chuck Sudo in News on Mar 4, 2014 8:35PM
Drivers who pass the Des Plaines Oasis on a regular basis will have a little more than a week to get a Taco Bell and Auntie Anne's Pretzels fix. The Illinois Tollway announced Tuesday they'll close the longtime rest stop March 16 so that they can remove the over-the-road structure containing Taco Bell, Auntie Anne's and other fast food and on-the-go retail outlets as part of the widening of Interstate 90 and the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. (The Illinois Tollway first announced the pending closing of the Des Plaines Oasis last September.)
Removing the oasis will allow construction crews to add a fourth lane in each direction of the tollway from O'Hare International Airport to Elgin.
“While we are saddened by the closing of a part of the agency’s history, we’re excited about what the future will bring,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. “Removing the oasis will allow us to make tremendous roadway improvements that will benefit our customers by reducing travel times, congestion and pollution while providing a new link to O’Hare Airport.”
The 54-year-old oasis will close at 8 p.m. on the 16th. Fuel stations and 7-Eleven stores will remain open and the project, which will include parking improvements and restoration, is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The announcement means the only oasis remaining on I-90 between Rockford and Chicago is in Belvidere.