Stevenson Expressway (I-55) Widening Project Will County

IDOT Announces I-55 Widening Project
To Resume in Will County on March 3

I-55 Corridor Improvement Project will add one lane in each direction
From Weber Rd to I-80; goal is to increase safety and reduce congestion

SCHAUMBURG – The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced that work will resume on the I-55 Corridor Improvement Project in Will County weather permitting on Sunday, March 3. The project will add a third lane to the roadway in both directions from Weber Rd. to I-80 and is intended to improve safety and reduce congestion.

“The good news is that we are just one construction season away from providing significant congestion relief and improved safety along the I-55 corridor in Will County,” said IDOT Secretary Milton R. Sees. “We are asking motorists to bear with us once work resumes, to be prepared for delays when traveling through the work zone and to be on the lookout for construction equipment and workers.”

Although the existing two lanes of traffic will be maintained in both directions during daytime hours, drivers can expect overnight lane closures in the 14-mile long work zone. Drivers can expect inbound lane closures from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and outbound lane closures from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. In addition, there will be narrow lanes, closed shoulders and lane shifts at multiple locations in the work zone.

IDOT is warning drivers that Illinois State Police will be strictly enforcing a work zone speed limit of 55 miles per hour during the daytime and 45 miles per hour at night. Troopers will be using motorcycle patrols, squad cars and a mobile photo enforcement van to enforce work zone speed limits. The fine for a first work zone speeding offense is $375 and up to $1,000 for a second offense.

Although the work zone is outside the area patrolled by IDOT’s Emergency Traffic Patrol, there will be two tow trucks provided by IDOT operating in the work zone at all times to respond to breakdowns and to traffic emergencies.

IDOT announced last fall that it has opened two new park-and-ride lots along I-55 and expanded an existing lot to provide a total of 148 new parking spots intended for use by carpoolers.

The park-and-ride lots are at the following locations:

At IL Rt. 6: 48 new parking spaces at the southeast quadrant of the I-55 and Rt. 6 interchange.

At IL Rt. 52: 60 new parking spaces at the southwest quadrant of the I-55 and Rt.52 interchanged, off the west frontage road. 

At IL Rt. 30: 40 new parking spaces were added to the existing lot, to provide a total of 113 parking spaces.

This year’s work is a continuation of a project that started last spring with the widening of seven bridges in the corridor. Construction is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2008.

The contractor for the four mainline widening contracts is a joint venture comprised of D Construction, PT Ferro, and Gallagher Asphalt Construction. These four contracts are worth a combined $77.3 million.