An Express Toll Lane Is Being Proposed Along A Local Stretch Of I-55

By Stephen Gossett in News on Aug 11, 2016 6:04PM

A long-in-the-works project to reduce congestion along I-55 within the city limits will incorporate some degree of private investment. And according to the Illinois Department of Transportation, that would include tolling the proposed express lane, which would be added to the expressway’s median.

The project to incorporate the express lane—which would run between I-90/94, in the southwest part of the city, all the way out to where I-55 meets the Veterans Memorial Tollway, near Bolingbrook—has been in the works since 2012. IDOT announced on Thursday that the department has issued a formal request seeking assistance from private firms. Those private investors will help support the estimated $425 million price tag, according to a press release. But not enough to avoid added revenue from the general public via tolls, it seems.

A spokeswoman from IDOT told Chicagoist that she could not offer an estimate of the toll rate at this time.

“This is an important step for a project that can serve as a model for how to rebuild our roads and bridges,” Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn said in a release sent to Chicagoist. “Working together with the private sector, we can learn about best practices for projects like this, potentially saving taxpayers time and money.”

A forum is scheduled for Sept. 20 at the O'Hare Holiday Inn at which the public can learn more about the so-called Managed Lane Project. IDOT called the 25-mile stretch one of the most important in Illinois, one that accommodates some 170,000 vehicles each day. The plan was passed by the Federal Highway Administration in July but must still be approved by the City Council.