|
The Stevenson Expressway is the major Interstate freeway leading southwest out of the city of Chicago in Illinois. It is signed as Interstate 55 for the entire length.
The eastern terminus of the Stevenson Expressway is located at U.S. Highway 41 (Lake Shore Drive). Its western terminus is a matter of opinion — prior to the opening of Interstate 355 (North-South Tollway), Interstate 294 (Tri-State Tollway) was commonly held as the starting point to the Stevenson. As of 2006, Interstate 55 has six lanes all to Weber Road near
Plainfield. Taking Weber Road as the southwestern terminus, the Stevenson Expressway is 35 miles (53 km) from start to finish.
The expressway opened on October 24, 1964 as the Southwest Expressway. It was renamed after Adlai E. Stevenson II, the former governor of Illinois, on September 1, 1965 a month and a half after his death. The Stevenson's original termini were U.S. Highway 66 in DuPage County to the west, and the Dan Ryan Expressway to the east.
In 1999-2000, the expressway was completely rebuilt from Central Avenue north to Lake Shore Drive, including the ramps to the Dan Ryan.
IDOT was criticized at the time for not adding a fourth lane in each direction to the highway.[1]
__________________
The Robert Kingery Expressway, formerly called the Tri-State Highway, is a three-mile-long (5 km), six-lane expressway in northeastern Illinois. It carries Interstates 80 and 94 from the Illinois/Indiana border at the Borman Expressway west to Illinois Route 394, Interstate 294 (the Tri-State Tollway), and the southern end of the Bishop Ford Freeway (where Interstate 94 turns north to downtown Chicago). It also carries U.S. Highway 6 west from the Indiana state line to the U.S. 6 exit with Illinois Route 83 (Torrence Avenue).
The highway was renamed the Kingery Expressway in 1953, two years after the death of Robert Kingery. He was a former director
of the Illinois Public Works, a regional director for the Chicago Regional Planning Association, as well as a proponent of
the current northeastern Illinois tollway configuration until his death in 1951. However, only rarely do locals call it "The
Kingery" like other named expressways (Ryan, Eisenhower, Stevenson, etc.), it is just called "80/94"
It should not be confused with the Kingery Highway, which is Illinois 83 in DuPage County. The Kingery Highway is a north-south six-lane divided highway that runs up and down the length of the eastern part of the county.
The Kingery Expressway was built in 1950 and is currently (2005-2007) being rebuilt to add traffic lanes and better accommodate
the large amount of truck traffic that travels between Chicago and all points east and southeast. Among the improvements are
the separation of traffic heading to the Bishop Ford Freeway and Torrence Avenue, with the westbound split for the Bishop
Ford east of Torrence near Burnham Avenue, and an eastbound collector-distributor lane allowing a right hand exit from either
I-80 or I-94 eastbound to Torrence without having to cross expressway through lanes.[1] The Southland Interchange with the Bishop Ford Freeway, Illinois 394, and the Tri-State Tollway is also being rebuilt and reconfigured.
Borman Expressway
The Frank Borman Expressway is an east-west highway in northwest portion of the U.S. state of Indiana, carrying Interstate 80, Interstate 94, and U.S. Highway 6, as well as a short section of U.S. Highway 41. It runs from the Illinois state line east to the Lake/Porter County Line, just east of the junction with the Indiana Toll Road, a distance of 16 miles (26 km). Interstate 94 continues east toward Michigan City, Indiana, and into Michigan to Detroit, which is the control city for the eastbound Borman. The Borman Expressway has been identified in federal transportation legislation as part of High Priority Corridor 18, Segment 27, making current and future construction projects on I-94 eligible for federal funding in association with extending Interstate 69 to the Texas/Mexico border.
The Borman Expressway is a major truck thoroughfare, providing a free alternative to the Indiana Toll Road/Chicago Skyway combination (Interstate 90) to the north. Originally constructed in segments starting in the 1950s, with its Illinois counterpart, the Kingery Expressway, reconstruction of the expressway began in 2003. The reconstruction of both the Kingery and the Borman aim to significantly reduce the amounts of delays encountered on the
highway. The reconstructed portion of the Borman is 8 lanes wide, with additional collector-distributor lanes between interchanges.
The Borman Expressway is named after Frank Borman, an astronaut on the Apollo 8 space mission from Gary.
[edit] Interchanges
There are eleven exits on the Borman Expressway. These interchanges (except for Central Avenue) are full interchanges,
but the intersection with Interstate 65 is spread out over the course of a mile and a half.
| County |
Location |
Mile and
Exit number |
Destinations |
Notes and
Auxilliary Destination Signs |
| Lake |
Hammond, Munster |
1 |
 U.S. Route 41 North — Calumet Avenue |
Exits to north and south Calumet Avenue. Southbound U.S. 41 joins I-80/94 and U.S. 6 EB. |
| Hammond, Highland |
2 |
U.S. Route 41 South
 — Indiana State Road 152 North — Indianapolis Boulevard |
Exits to north and south Indianapolis Boulevard. Northbound U.S. 41 joins I-80/94 and U.S. 6 WB. Southern terminus of
Indiana 152.
Purdue University Calumet |
| 3 |
Kennedy Avenue |
Visitors' Center |
Gary,
Griffith,
Hammond |
5 |
 Indiana State Road 912 — Cline Avenue |
East Chicago
Gary/Chicago International Airport |
| Gary |
6 |
Burr Street |
|
| 9 |
Grant Street |
|
| 10 |
 Indiana State Road 53 — Broadway |
Indiana University Northwest |
| 11 |
 Interstate 65 South — Indianapolis, Indiana |
Eastbound exit, westbound entrance |
| 12 |
Interstate 65 — Indianapolis, Indiana, Toll Road |
Westbound exits to both directions of I-65. Eastbound exit to I-65 NB only. |
| Lake Station |
13 |
Central Avenue |
Eastbound exit, westbound entrance. |
| 15 |
 
   U.S. Route 6 East/Indiana State Road 51/To U.S. Route 20 — Ripley Street |
Westbound U.S. 6 joins with I-80/94 westbound. |
| 16 |
  Interstate 80 East, Interstate 90 — Chicago, Ohio |
Westbound I-80 joins with I-94 westbound. Eastern terminus of the Borman Expressway, but I-94 continues east into Michigan. |
[edit] History
The expressway now known as the Borman was originally known as the Tri-State Highway, and through the Kingery Expressway,
eventually linked with the Tri-State Tollway. It was originally considered to be Indiana 420.[1][2] U.S. 6 diverged at Calumet Avenue south, and ran on Calumet Avenue and Ridge Road.
At various times, the expressway was extended from Indianapolis Boulevard to Burr Street, then to Georgia Street east of
Broadway, and eventually to the Toll Road. Some time after the enactment of the Interstate Highway System, the expressway
was designated as I-80, 90, and 294, and the I-94 designation was applied to the Toll Road west of where the current interchange with the Borman was eventually
built. The expressways were renumbered around 1965, to avoid the implication that through drivers must change roads to stay
on I-90 or I-94, resulting in the Borman becoming I-80, 94. U.S. 6 was extended to Ripley Street at that time, and I-294 was
cut back to the Tri-State Tollway.
___________________
Northwest Tollway
The Northwest Tollway in Illinois is a 79 mile (127 km) segment of Interstate 90 from Interstate 190 in far northwest Chicago to Illinois Route 75, one mile south of the Wisconsin state line. For 16 miles (26 km), Interstate 90 is concurrent with Interstate 39 and U.S. Route 51. It consists of four lanes west of Elgin (2 each direction), and six east of Elgin (3 each direction).
The Northwest Tollway was built in the late 1950s and early 1960s from the O'Hare area (at the Tri-State Tollway) to the WI line north of Rockford. The route has I-90 on its entire length. From the Rockford Curve to the last exit in IL (IL-75) US-51 and I-39 also run
with the Tollway.
East of Interstate 190, Interstate 90 merges into the Kennedy Expressway.
[edit] Toll barriers
There are four mainline toll barriers, each having cash tolls of 80 cents (as of January 1, 2005) and I-PASS tolls of 40 cents for a 2-axle passenger vehicle. The South Beloit toll plaza at the Illinois & Wisconsin state line is $1.00 (50 cents for I-PASS users). The barriers are located around the O'Hare Airport area, in Elgin, in Belvidere, and in South Beloit. Interstate 39 travelers exiting/entering at Rockford used to have to pay at the Cherry Valley toll plaza, but that toll plaza has been demolished due to traffic concerns. As
of Feb. 2006 the Marengo toll Westbound and the Belvidere Eastbound tolls have been removed. As a result of this change tolls
have doubled at these plazas. Eastbound traffic does not pay a toll at Belvidere but pay $0.80 at Marengo (cash users pay
$1.60). Westbound traffic pays no toll at Marengo but pays $0.80 at Belvidere (cash users pay $1.60). This was done to accommodate
open road tolling construction.
The Northwest Tollway is maintained by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.
Oases
There are two oases on the Northwest Tollway -- one at Belvidere, and one in Des Plaines by O'Hare. Both are the over-highway
oases that have become fixtures of the Illinois Tollway system. There is also a welcome center south of Beloit, WI.
[edit] Golden Corridor
-
From O'Hare to Huntley, the region around the Northwest Tollway is sometimes refered to as the "Golden Corridor", due to
the proximity of commerical and business activity located along the corridor in Northwest Suburban Chicago. Several Fortune
500 companies, large malls, hotels, entertainment & exhibition facilities, restaurants, and retailers are located along
the corridor, providing a "gold"mine of profit to communities along the Golden Corridor.
_______________________________
Chicago Skyway
The Chicago Skyway also known as Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge System is a 7.8 mile (12.5 km) long tollway bridging Interstate 90 at the Dan Ryan Expressway on the west end, and the Indiana Toll Road on the east end.
Historically, the Chicago Skyway was signed as and was widely considered to be part of I-90. However, around 1999, the City of Chicago realized they had never received official approval to designate the skyway as I-90. (In addition, it is not built to Interstate standards, although recently there have been substantial upgrades.) The city subsequently replaced most of the "I-90" signage with
"TO I-90" signage. However, the Illinois DOT has always and continues to report the skyway as part of the Interstate system,
and the Federal Highway Administration apparently still considers the Chicago Skyway an official part of I-90.[1]
The Chicago Skyway was originally known as the Calumet Skyway. It cost $101 million to construct and took about 34 months
to build. Nearly eight miles of elevated roadway, it was originally built as a shortcut to Indiana and the steel mills from the southeast side of Chicago; there are only two eastbound exits east of the toll barrier, whereas
there are four westbound exits west of the toll barrier. It opened April 16, 1958.
In the 1960s, the newly-constructed Dan Ryan Expressway and neighboring Calumet Expressway, Kingery Expressway and Borman Expressway proved to be free alternatives to the tollway, and the Skyway became much less used. However, usage has rebounded in recent
years, partially due to the construction of casinos in Northwest Indiana, and the City of Chicago claims a record number of motorists used the skyway in 2002.
The main feature of the Skyway is a 1/2-mile (800 m) long steel truss bridge, known as the "High Bridge". The bridge spans
the Little Calumet River and Calumet Harbor, a major harbor for industrial ships. The main span is 650 feet (197 m) long, provides for 125 feet (37.9 m) of vertical
clearance, and is the highest road in Chicago. In 2001-04 authorities spent $250 million (USD) to rebuild much of the Skyway.
Chicago Skyway, Summer 1999
Recently, major construction on both the Kingery and Borman expressways has increased traffic on the Skyway, as well as
the presence of riverboat casinos in Hammond and East Chicago, Indiana. In June of 2005 the Skyway became compatible with electronic toll collection and users can now pay using I-PASS or E-ZPass transponders.
Chicago Skyway toll plaza
The Chicago Skyway was a part of the New York-Chicago Toll Road system. The City of Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation formerly maintained the Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge System. A
transaction that gave the City of Chicago a $1.83 billion dollar cash infusion leased the Skyway to the Skyway Concession Company (SCC), a joint-venture between the Australian Macquarie Infrastructure Group and Spanish Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte S.A., which assumed operations on the Skyway on a 99-year operating lease. SCC will be responsible for all operating and maintenance
costs of the Skyway but has the right to all toll and concession revenue. The Triple-A bond insurer Financial Security Assurance
Inc. (FSA) has guaranteed $1.4 billion of senior bonds to provide long-term funding for the privately operated Chicago Skyway.
On June 30, 2006, this same joint-venture assumed responsibility for operating and maintaining the adjacent Indiana East-West Toll Road for $3.8 billion. This agreement between SCC and the City of Chicago is the first privatization of an existing toll road
anywhere in the United States.
The toll is $2.50 for passenger cars and other two axle vehicles with higher rates for vehicles with multiple axles. A
discount is given during the overnight hours for vehicles with three or more axles.
Eastbound view on the Chicago Skyway bridge
The bridge is heavily documented by the Library of Congress Historic American Engineering Record Survey number HAER IL-145. The survey consists of nearly 30 data pages and 21 black and white images.
[edit] Interchanges
Data obtained from http://www.chicagoskyway.org/routes/. Mile markers are with reference to length of Interstate 90 in Illinois.
| County |
Location |
Mile |
Destinations |
Notes |
| Cook |
Chicago |
|
 Interstates 90/94 West — Dan Ryan Expressway |
Western terminus of Chicago Skyway. No access to southbound Dan Ryan Expressway. Left lane merges to inbound express lanes;
right lane merges to inbound local lanes. |
|
State Street (0 East/West) |
Westbound exit, eastbound entrance. |
|
St. Lawrence Avenue (500 East) |
Westbound exit, eastbound entrance. |
|
73rd Street (7300 South) |
Westbound exit, eastbound entrance. |
|
Stony Island Avenue (700 East) |
Westbound exit, eastbound entrance. Also marked as "To U.S. Route 41 — Lake Shore Drive". |
|
87th Street (8700 South) |
Westbound exit, eastbound entrance. |
| Chicago Skyway Toll Plaza |
|
92nd Street (9200 South) |
Westbound entrance, eastbound exit. |
|
 U.S. Routes 12/20/41 — Indianapolis Boulevard/106th Street |
Eastern terminus of the Chicago Skyway. Interstate 90 becomes the Indiana Toll Road. |
______________________________________
Lake Shore Drive
US_41.svg
Lake Shore Drive
Length: 15.8 miles (25.4 km)[1]
Formed: built 1937, named 1946
Direction: North-south
From: Marquette Drive (6600 South)
To: Hollywood Avenue (5700 North)
Major cities: Chicago, Illinois
System: United States Numbered Highways
The double-decker Lake Shore Drive Bridge across the Chicago River; Wacker Drive is visible in the background
Enlarge
The double-decker Lake Shore Drive Bridge across the Chicago River; Wacker Drive is visible in the background
Lake Shore Drive at the Chicago River in 1941
Enlarge
Lake Shore Drive at the Chicago River in 1941
Looking northeast across Lakeshore East at the triple-decker Wacker Drive. The road to the west is older; only the middle
level continues east. Lake Shore Drive used to intersect the upper level and turn west here. The Link Bridge on Lake Shore
Drive is in the background.
Enlarge
Looking northeast across Lakeshore East at the triple-decker Wacker Drive. The road to the west is older; only the middle
level continues east. Lake Shore Drive used to intersect the upper level and turn west here. The Link Bridge on Lake Shore
Drive is in the background.
Lake Shore Drive (colloquially referred to as LSD) is a mostly freeway-standard expressway running parallel with and next
to Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the portion north of Foster Avenue (5200 North), Lake Shore Drive
is designated as part of U.S. Highway 41.
The downtown part originally opened as Leif Erickson Drive in 1937 (and was also called Field Boulevard); it was renamed Lake
Shore Drive in 1946.
Plans were made to extend Lake Shore Drive farther north through Rogers Park and into Evanston. Those plans were abandoned
as a result of protests against cutting neighborhoods off from the lake. Specifically, Rogers Park voters rejected the extension
in a referendum in November 2004. Massive white boulders along the lakefront at Loyola University Chicago still remain from
the original expansion project.
History
In 1937, the double-decker Link Bridge over the Chicago River opened, along with viaducts over rail yards and other industrial
areas connecting to both ends of it. The lower level was intended for a railroad connection, but it was never used until LSD
was rebuilt in 1986. At the time the bridge was built, it was the longest and widest bascule bridge in the world.[1][2]
North of the river, LSD intersected Ohio Street at grade, and then passed over Grand Avenue and Illinois Street on its way
to the bridge. South of the river, LSD came from the south on its current alignment, but continued straight at the curve north
of Monroe Street, rising onto a viaduct. It intersected Randolph Street at grade and then continued north above the Illinois
Central Railroad's yard. At the river, it made a sharp turn to the right, and another sharp turn to the left onto the bridge.
These curves were known locally as the S-Curve.
Lake Shore Drive ended at Foster Avenue (5200n) until the 1950's when it was extended first briefly to Bryn Mawr (5600n) &
then in 1957 to its present terminus at Hollywood Avenue (5700n). Portions of the drive between Irving Park Road & Foster
Avenue still contain the original concrete from the 1930's, but this is scheduled for replacement in the near future.
Prior to the extension to Hollywood, traffic was funneled onto Foster & then north onto Sheridan Road, which still remains
a wide 4-lane street to this day, though most traffic doesn't rejoin Sheridan until LSD ends at Hollywood Avenue now. Sheridan
Road south of Foster narrows to 2 lanes of traffic with street parking on each side as well.
When Wacker Drive was extended east to LSD in the 1970s, its upper level ended at LSD at the west curve (the lower level dead-ended
underneath). A new development at the northeast corner of the Randolph Street intersection resulted in an extension of Randolph
across LSD.
Construction began in 1982 on a realignment of LSD south of the river (along with a reconstruction north of the river). A
whole new alignment was built, greatly smoothing the S-curve. The northbound side opened in October 1985, and the southbound
side opened in November 1986.[3] A new lower level was built, using the lower level of the bridge, and providing access to
the new Wacker Drive and the roads on the north side of the river.
The old road south of Randolph became a Cancer Survivors Plaza; the east-west part was reconstructed as part of Wacker Drive
(which was being rebuilt at the time). The rest, between Randolph and Wacker, was kept for several years as Field Boulevard,
but was demolished, with only the southernmost part remaining in 1994, and even that is now gone. Current plans are for new
upper level streets in the area as part of the Lakeshore East development.
On November 10, 1996, new northbound lanes opened next to the original southbound lanes at Soldier Field, getting rid of the
original wide median from 1943.[4]
A political moniker
In the 20th century, the tony neighborhoods near Lake Shore Drive came to be occupied by exclusive high-rise apartment, condominiums
and co-op buildings. To the political columnist Mike Royko, Lake Shore Drive was goo-goo territory, a land occupied by Chicago's
wealthy "good-government" types. Royko sometimes used Lake Shore Drive as a political moniker. Though he often agreed with
the reformers, he looked upon them with the same cynical eye as his fictional Chicago everyman, Slats Grobnik.
Inner/Outer Drive
Lake Shore Drive contains both an inner & outer drive.
The inner drive (or local) is used for slower local traffic & is connected to the street grid. The local drive runs from downtown
in Streeterville to North Avenue (1600n), (becoming Canon Drive). Then the inner drive reappears at Belmont Avenue (3200n),
continuing north to Irving Park Road (4000n). This portion of the drive was originally named Sheridan Road (which can still
be seen carved in stone in at least one vintage high-rise).
The outer drive (or express) with limited-access runs from the south side of the city, north to the terminus at Hollywood
Avenue (5700n) in the Edgewater neighborhood.
Lake Shore Drive is unique in that it runs both north/south and east/west, like several other major streets in Chicago. East
Lake Shore Drive in the Gold Coast neighborhood is one of the most prestigious addresses in the city partly due to its roughly
1-block long length.
Other streets in Chicago that run both north/south & east/west include Wacker Drive, Sheridan Road, and Hyde Park Blvd.
Lake Shore Drive in popular culture
Both vintage and modern upscale condominiums along Lake Shore Drive in Lake View East stand side by side, overshadowing the
historic Jewish Temple Sholom.
Enlarge
Both vintage and modern upscale condominiums along Lake Shore Drive in Lake View East stand side by side, overshadowing the
historic Jewish Temple Sholom.
Lake Shore Drive is gateway to many marinas like Belmont Harbor, one of the largest in Chicago.
Enlarge
Lake Shore Drive is gateway to many marinas like Belmont Harbor, one of the largest in Chicago.
Several films based in Chicago feature scenes on Lake Shore Drive, including Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Blues Brothers,
Risky Business, and National Lampoon's Vacation. In When Harry Met Sally, the title characters are seen taking Lake Shore
Drive in the opposite compass direction to that which their origin point and destination would require. Lake Shore Drive is
also seen in AT&T's/"The New Cingular's" "Weight" ad with the ad's protagonist driving south along Lake Shore Drive towards
the John Hancock Building.
The 1971 song "Lake Shore Drive" by Aliotta-Haynes-Jeremiah is a reference to the road and an allusion to its initials, LSD.
Styx mentions the road in their 1990 song "Borrowed Time." The road is also mentioned in the 2005 Kanye West song "Drive Slow,"
and also in his verse in the Boost Mobile promotional single "Whole City Behind Us."
Because of the connection to drugs, it was believed that the US Post Office would not deliver mail to a Lake Shore Drive address
if it were abbreviated LSD.[citation needed] The Post Office announced in the early 1990s that this practice would be halted,
and LSD was an accepted abbreviation.
Locations of note
* Museum Campus Chicago
* Field Museum of Natural History
* Museum of Science and Industry
* Shedd Aquarium
* International Museum of Surgical Science
* Adler Planetarium
* Navy Pier
* McCormick Place
* Soldier Field
* Northerly Island
* Lincoln Park
* Grant Park
* Jackson Park
* Chicago Yacht Club
* Lake Point Tower
* Playboy Enterprises
* One Museum Park
* Chicago Spire (formerly Fordham Spire)
* Glass House apartments
Neighborhoods
* Bronzeville
* Edgewater
* Hyde Park
* Kenwood
* Lakeview
* Lincoln Park
* Gold Coast
* Streeterville
* South Shore
* Uptown
* Woodlawn
________________________________
Interstate 57
I-57.svg
Interstate 57
Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Interstate_57_map.png
Length: 386.12 mi (621.40 km)
South end: I-55.svg I-55 in Miner, MO
Major
junctions: I-24.svg I-24 in Pulleys Mill, IL
I-64.svg I-64 in Mount Vernon, IL
I-70.svg I-70 in Effingham, IL
I-72.svg I-72 in Champaign, IL
I-74.svg I-74 in Champaign, IL
I-80.svg I-80 in Tinley Park, IL
North end: I-94.svg I-94 in Chicago, IL
Interstate 57 (abbreviated I-57) is an interstate highway in the midwestern United States. It goes from Miner, Missouri at
Interstate 55 to Chicago, Illinois at Interstate 94. Interstate 57 serves as a de-facto bypass route for travelers from the
south on Interstate 55 who are headed on their way to Chicago instead of going through St. Louis.
Interstate 57 in Country Club Hills, Illinois, heading north.
Enlarge
Interstate 57 in Country Club Hills, Illinois, heading north.
Route description
Interstate 57 runs through the following states:
Missouri
In the state of Missouri, Interstate 57 runs from Miner to the Cairo I-57 Bridge over the Mississippi River south of Cairo,
Illinois.
Illinois
Main article: Interstate 57 in Illinois
In the state of Illinois, Interstate 57 runs from the bridge over the Mississippi River north to Chicago. I-57 is the longest
Interstate highway in Illinois. It serves as a major artery for college students in the state, it runs near Southern Illinois
University in Carbondale, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Urbana/Champaign and running near Eastern Illinois
University in Charleston.
Length
Miles km state
21.96 35.34 Missouri
364.16 586.06 Illinois
386.12 621.40 Total[1]
Major cities
Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs.
* Memphis, Tennessee (via Interstate 55)
* Sikeston, Missouri
* Charleston, Missouri
* Cairo, Illinois
* Marion, Illinois
* Mount Vernon, Illinois
* Effingham, Illinois
* Mattoon, Illinois
* Champaign, Illinois
* Kankakee, Illinois
* Chicago, Illinois
Intersections with other interstates
* Interstate 55 at Miner, Missouri
* Interstate 24 at Pulleys Mill, Illinois
* Interstate 64 at Mount Vernon, Illinois
* Interstate 70 at Effingham, Illinois
* Interstate 72 at Champaign, Illinois
* Interstate 74 at Champaign, Illinois
* Interstate 80 at Tinley Park, Illinois
* Interstate 94 at Chicago, Illinois
Spur Routes
None
Notes
* Although the Illinois General Assembly named all of Interstate 57 in Illinois as the Thurgood Marshall Memorial Freeway,
this name has not entered popular usage, and I-57 remains the only Chicago expressway that does not have a commonly-used name.
Its original name was the Dan Ryan Expressway-West Leg.[2]
* The Illinois Department of Transportation is currently working on a project that will widen the alignment of Interstate
57, between Interstate 24 and Interstate 64 in southern Illinois, from four to six lanes.
* After ending at Interstate 55, the highway continues as U.S. Highway 60, which meets U.S. Highway 67 at Poplar Bluff,
Missouri and from here US 67 goes south to Little Rock, Arkansas. The state of Missouri has proposed extending the I-57 designation
down this corridor. However, this plan conflicts with Arkansas' plans to extend the Interstate 30 designation north on US
67, a road of which a long section already meets Interstate highway standards.
* Interstate 57 does not have an intersection with Interstate 294 (Tri-State Tollway) in northeastern Illinois. It is
one of only a few examples where Interstates cross but do not have interchanges with each other. Vehicles are directed to
use Interstate 80 to access Interstate 294 instead, though U.S. Route 6 is another option.
* Milemarkers on I-57 in Illinois end at Mile 358 although the interstate is actually 6 miles longer. It is signed with
Interstate 70 for about 6 miles which is why the markers end at 358.
____________________________________
Tri-State Tollway
I-80.svgI-94.svg
I-294.svg
Tri-State Tollway
Length: 78 miles (126 km)
Formed: Mid to late 1950s
Direction: North-south
From: I-80.svgI-94.svgI-294.svg Interstates 80/94/294,
Illinois_394.svg Illinois Route 394 in Thornton, IL
To: I-94.svg Interstate 94,
US_41.svg U.S. Route 41 west of Zion, IL
Major cities: Franklin Park, IL, Des Plaines IL, Gurnee, IL
System: Interstate Highway system
Illinois Tollway system
The Tri-State Tollway is a U.S. toll road maintained by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority in northeastern Illinois.
It is actually a combination of three different Interstates:
* Interstate 80 between Interstate 94 at Thornton and Interstate 294 near Hazel Crest
* Interstate 294, which is routed on top of Interstate 80 to Hazel Crest, and then turns north to Deerfield
* Interstate 94 north from Deerfield to U.S. Route 41
The segment containing Interstate 294 is 53 miles (85 km) long; in total, the Tri-State Tollway is actually about 78 miles
(126 km) long. Only the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway is longer in length. Despite its name, the Tri-State Tollway does not
enter either Indiana or Wisconsin. On the Indiana side, the Tri-State Tollway ends three miles away from the Indiana border
and continues as the Kingery Expressway. On the Wisconsin side, the Tri-State Tollway ends just before the border at U.S.
Route 41. The road continues as Interstate 94/U.S. Route 41 to Milwaukee.
Features
Interstate 80/294 over the Thornton Quarry
Enlarge
Interstate 80/294 over the Thornton Quarry
For being a relatively short highway, the Tri-State Tollway has numerous notable oddities.
Interstate 294 in Indian Head Park, one-half mile south of the Hinsdale Oasis.
Enlarge
Interstate 294 in Indian Head Park, one-half mile south of the Hinsdale Oasis.
* Over-the-road Oases — these oases are a part of the entire tollway system, but the most are on the Tri-State Tollway.
They provide food and gas without having to exit the tollway proper.
* Pay-as-you-go tolling — Like all Illinois tollways, rather than getting an entry ticket and paying upon exiting
the tollway, drivers pay a flat toll at toll barriers along the main line (typically every 20 to 30 miles) and another one
upon entering or exiting the tollway.
* Thornton Quarry — about 0.75 mile (1200 m) of the highway crosses a quarry being converted into a large lake for
overflow storm water. See the Deep Tunnel project. Currently, the road's elevation over the floor of the quarry is up to 100
feet (30 m) deep on both sides of the highway, making for a unique view.
* No direct interchange with Interstate 57.
* Six Flags Great America
Lingo
Portions of the Tri-State Tollway are referred to in somewhat archaic language during traffic reports and casual conversation.
The following are the most common, from south to north:
* Thornton Quarry — on I-80/294, the bridge over the aforementioned Thornton Quarry.
* Mile-Long Bridge — on I-294, the bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the Des Plaines River, a large
portion of the UPS transmodal facility, a few rail lines, and some Commonwealth Edison power lines.
* Bensenville Bridge — on I-294, the bridge over the Metra Milwaukee District West line and Mannheim Road (U.S.
12/45).
* Grand Avenue Curve — The curve immediately south of the Bensenville Bridge. This portion of the tollway functions
as a long S-curve, causing delays due to limited visibility beyond both curves.
* The Water Tower — on I-294, a water tower by Willow Road.
Edens Spur
I-94.svg
Edens Spur
Length: 4 miles (6 km)
Formed: Mid 1950s
Direction: East-west
From: I-94.svgI-294.svg Interstates 94/294 in Deerfield, IL
To: I-94.svg Interstate 94,
US_41.svg U.S. Route 41 in Glencoe, IL
Major cities: None
System: Illinois Tollway system
Interstate Highway system
The Edens Spur is a 5 mile (8 km) cutover from the Tri-State Tollway to the Edens Expressway. It connects the Interstate 94
portions of the tollway and the Edens Expressway. It is technically a toll road.
Northbound traffic on the Edens Expressway has the option of cutting over to the northbound Tri-State Tollway, or remaining
on U.S. Highway 41 (Skokie Highway). Southbound traffic on the Tri-State Tollway has the option of cutting over to the southbound
Edens Expressway, or remaining on the Tri-State Tollway on the loop Interstate 294. There are no other ways to enter the Edens
Spur at the ends.
There is one exit eastbound on the Edens Spur at Illinois Route 43 (Waukegan Road). There is also an entrance ramp to the
Edens Spur westbound at that point.
The spur has one toll barrier, as it is still part of the Illinois toll highway system. This toll plaza has been upgraded
and now has (I-Pass) open tolling lanes, which have eliminated most congestion at this toll.
History
The Tri-State Tollway was built in the mid- to late 1950s as a bypass of Chicago, as the Indiana Toll Road-Chicago Skyway
(opened in 1956) ran towards downtown. The first section opened August 28, 1958, running from Wisconsin south to and east
along the Edens Spur. The rest of the road, from the Edens Spur south to the Calumet Expressway and Kingery Expressway, opened
December 23 of the same year. It was at first marked as U.S. Highway 41 Toll, which continued east on the Kingery Expressway
(now I-80/I-94) to Calumet Avenue (US 41) in Hammond, Indiana, and ended at the north end of the Tollway, where it merges
with US 41. It was also marked as U.S. Highway 30 Toll between its south end (the Calumet Expressway was U.S. Highway 30 Alternate)
and the East-West Tollway. In 1959 the Tollway was designated as parts of I-94 and I-294, and the short concurrency with I-80
was assigned.
Exit list
The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority numbers toll plazas, including plazas on exit ramps. Exits are not marked on overhead
signs as of 2006. In the exit number column, below, only the exits indicated as exits of I-80.svg or I-94.svg have exit numbers
on the signs.
Mainline
Exit or Toll Plaza # Milepost Destinations Notes
Highways and/or Control Cities Municipality
I-80.svg 160A-B 0 I-80.svgI-94.svg Interstates 80 East, 94,
Illinois_394.svg Illinois Route 394 - Chicago, Indiana, Danville South Holland, Illinois Southern terminus of Interstate
294. Westbound Interstate 80 joins I-294 northbound. Eastbound I-80 continues multiplexed with Interstate 94 eastbound to
Indiana.
Southern terminus of Tri-State Tollway
Abraham Lincoln Oasis South Holland, Illinois
47 3 Illinois_1.svg Illinois 1 - Halsted Street East Hazel Crest, Illinois
4 Dixie Highway southbound exit and northbound entrance
43-45 5 I-80.svg Interstate 80 West - Iowa Hazel Crest, Illinois Marked as "To I-57.svg I-57 South - Memphis". Eastbound
I-80 joins with I-294 southbound at this point; westbound I-80 leaves I-294.
41 163rd Street Toll Plaza
40 6 US_6.svg U.S. Highway 6 - 159th Street Markham, Illinois Cloverleaf interchange. Tolls on southbound exit, northbound
entrance ramps.
12 127th Street Alsip, Illinois Northbound exit, southbound entrance.
12 Illinois_50.svgIllinois_83.svg Illinois Routes 50/83 - Cicero Avenue/127th Street Southbound exit, northbound entrance.
Southbound ramp has dedicated ramp to southbound Cicero Avenue; access to northbound Cicero Avenue is via 127th Street, which
is Illinois 83 at this point. Southbound Illinois 50 ramp also leads to southbound Illinois 83, which multiplexes with Illinois
50 at corner of Cicero/127th Street.
38 18 US_12.svgUS_20.svg U.S. Routes 12/20 - 95th Street/76th Avenue Hickory Hills, Illinois Southbound exit to 95th Street/76th
Avenue; northbound exit to 95th Street only. Access to Illinois_43.svg Illinois Route 43 - Harlem Avenue, and Illinois_7.svg
Illinois Route 7 - Southwest Highway via this exit.
39 83rd Street Toll Plaza Northbound only.
36 82nd Street Toll Plaza Southbound only.
21 Illinois_171.svg Illinois 171 - Archer Avenue Justice, Illinois Southbound entrance only (no exits); former southbound
exit to Illinois 171 and US_12.svgUS_20.svgUS_45.svg U.S. Routes 12/20/45 - LaGrange Road closed late 1980s for safety reasons.
34 22 75th Street/Willow Springs Road Hodgkins, Illinois Access to UPS facility.
37 23-24 I-55.svg Interstate 55 (Stevenson Expressway) - Chicago, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri / Wolf Road Indian Head
Park Southbound exit, northbound entrance to collector-distributor ramp; northbound exit direct to I-55. No southbound access
to Wolf Road, which is accessed via I-55 southbound ramp. Access to US_12.svgUS_20.svgUS_45.svg U.S. Routes 12/20/45 - LaGrange
Road via I-55 northbound.
Hinsdale Oasis Hinsdale, Illinois Also the entrance ramp from I-55 to northbound I-294.
28 US_34.svg U.S. Highway 34 - Ogden Avenue Western Springs, Illinois Full cloverleaf interchange.
Brookfield Zoo
29 I-88.svg Interstate 88 West (East-West Tollway) - Aurora Hillside, Illinois Northbound exit, southbound entrance.
30 Cermak Road/22nd Street Southbound exit, northbound entrance
35 30 Cermak Road Toll Plaza
31 Illinois_38.svg Illinois Route 38 - Roosevelt Road Hillside, Illinois Northbound exit, southbound entrance
31 I-88.svg Interstate 88 West (East-West Tollway) - Aurora Southbound exit, northbound entrance
32 I-290.svg Interstate 290 East (Eisenhower Expressway) - Chicago
32-34 I-290.svg Interstate 290 West (Eisenhower Expressway) - Rockford Berkeley, Illinois Access to Illinois_64.svg Illinois
Route 64 - North Avenue, US_20.svg U.S. Route 20 - Lake Street
O'Hare Oasis Franklin Park, Illinois
39 Illinois_19.svg Illinois Route 19 - Irving Park Road Southbound exit, northbound entrance.
33 Irving Park Toll Plaza Southbound only.
32 40 I-190.svg Interstate 190 West - O'Hare / River Road Chicago, Illinois
31 41 I-90.svg Interstate 90/Kennedy Expressway/Northwest Tollway - Chicago/Rockford
29 Touhy Avenue Toll Plaza Northbound only.
42 Touhy Avenue Park Ridge, Illinois Northbound exit, southbound entrance.
44 US_14.svg U.S. Highway 14 - Dempster Street Des Plaines, Illinois Northbound exit, southbound entrance.
28 45 Illinois_58.svg Illinois 58 - Golf Road Southbound exit, northbound entrance.
27 49 Willow Road Northbrook, Illinois Tolls on southbound exit, northbound entrance ramps.
24 53 I-94.svgI-294.svg Interstate 294 South, Interstate 94 East (Edens Expressway) - Chicago, Indiana Deerfield, Illinois
Northern terminus of Interstate 294. Tri-State Tollway follows I-94 northbound and I-294 southbound. I-94 southbound becomes
the Edens Spur of the Tri-State Tollway; see below for exit list.
26 54 Lake-Cook Road
55 Deerfield Road Northbound exit, southbound entrance.
23 56 Illinois_22.svg Illinois 22 - Half Day Road Lincolnshire, Illinois
22 59 Illinois_60.svg Illinois 60 - Town Line Road Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest Oasis
62 Illinois_176.svg Illinois 176 - Rockland Road Libertyville, Illinois Northbound exit, southbound entrance.
20 64 Illinois_137.svg Illinois 137 - Buckley Road North Chicago, Illinois
67 Illinois_120.svg Illinois 120 - Belvidere Road Gurnee, Illinois Northbound exit, southbound entrance.
68 Illinois_21.svg Illinois 21 - Milwaukee Avenue Southbound exit, northbound entrance
70 Illinois_132.svg Illinois 132 - Grand Avenue Main exit for Six Flags Great America.
21 Waukegan Toll Plaza Wadsworth, Illinois
76 Illinois_173.svg Illinois 173 - Rosecrans Road Zion, Illinois Northbound exit, southbound entrance.
Northern terminus of Tri-State Tollway
I-94.svg 1B 78 US_41.svg U.S. Highway 41 South - Waukegan Zion, Illinois Southbound exit, northbound entrance. Northbound
U.S. 41 multiplexes with I-94 at this point; southbound U.S. 41 continues to Waukegan.
I-94.svg 1 78 Russell Road Signed as exit 1A southbound.
Edens Spur
Toll Plaza # Milepost Destinations Notes
Highways and/or Control Cities Municipality
24 Huehl Road Toll Plaza
50.5 Illinois_43.svg Illinois Route 43 - Waukegan Road Northbrook, Illinois Westbound entrance, eastbound exit. Mileposts
count back from I-94/I-294 junction.
I-94.svg Interstate 94,
US_41.svg U.S. Route 41 - Skokie Highway, Edens Expressway Eastbound I-94 merges and multiplexes with southbound U.S. 41.
Westbound I-94 splits from northbound U.S. 41 at this point. One thru lane traveling eastbound; two exit lanes traveling westbound.
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Edens Expressway
I-94.svgUS_41.svg
Edens Expressway (also known as the Edens Parkway and the Edens Superhighway) is the main major expressway north from the
city of Chicago. It was the first expressway in Chicago and was opened on December 20, 1951. It is three lanes in each direction.
The original name of the expressway was the Edens Parkway, named after William Edens, a banker and major proponent of paved
roads.
A snowstorm forced the delay of the opening of the Edens Expressway, but snowplows helped to open the road to travelers a
few hours late.
Going north, the expressway goes from the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago north to the Edens Spur of the Tri-State Tollway in
Northbrook. Interstate 94 diverges at that point onto the spur, while U.S. Highway 41 remains on the mainline, which becomes
the Skokie Highway.
Southbound, U.S. 41 exits the Edens Expressway at Skokie Boulevard. Interstate 94 continues south to the junction of the Edens
with the Kennedy Expressway and Interstate 90 in Chicago.
The Edens was last rehabilitated from 1978 through 1980. [1]
Due to changes in storm sewer management in the Chicagoland area, the Edens is now prone to flooding and has been partially
or completely closed by floodwaters several times in recent years.
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nterstate 290 (Illinois)
I-290.svg
Interstate 290
Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System
Length: 29.84 mi (48.02 km)
Formed: 1955 (finished 1972)
West end: I-90.svg Interstate 90,
Illinois_53.svg Illinois Route 53 in Rolling Meadows, IL
Major
junctions: I-355.svg Interstate 355 in Addison, IL
I-294.svg Interstate 294 in Elmhurst, IL
I-88.svg Interstate 88 in Hillside, IL
East end: I-90.svgI-94.svg Interstates 90/94,
Congress Parkway in Chicago, IL
Interstate 290 (abbreviated I-290) is the main Interstate highway due westward from the Chicago Loop. A portion of I-290 is
officially called the Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway. Colloquially it is known as the Eisenhower or the Ike. Before being
designated the Eisenhower, the Eisenhower was formerly called Congress Parkway due to the surface street that it became at
its eastern terminus in the Loop.
Interstate 290 connects Interstate 90 (Northwest Tollway) in Rolling Meadows with Interstates 90/94 (Kennedy Expressway /
Dan Ryan Expressway) near the Loop. The Eisenhower runs along the portion from Interstate 355 (North-South Tollway) in Addison
east to the Loop. North of I-355, the freeway is known locally as Illinois Route 53, or simply Route 53, as Illinois 53 existed
before Interstate 290. Interstate 290 in total is 29.84 miles (48.02 km) in length.[1]
Route description
The Eisenhower Expressway is named after former general Dwight D. Eisenhower. It may be divided into four distinct sections:
Northwest Tollway to North-South Tollway
Interstate 290 at mile marker 4, looking north toward Schaumburg
Enlarge
Interstate 290 at mile marker 4, looking north toward Schaumburg
This section is 7 miles (11 km) long and runs from Rolling Meadows to Addison. It is the portion of I-290 more locally known
as "Route 53", or informally referred to as the North-South Tollway, though this section is a freeway. Here, Interstate 290
runs largely above-grade through Schaumburg, and at-or-below grade through Itasca and Addison.
The northern five miles of the highway were reconstructed in 2003-2004. A left shoulder and auxiliary lane between ramps were
added, as well as improved lighting. The highway is four lanes wide (not counting the auxiliary lane) north of the Elgin-O'Hare
Expressway (mile marker 5), and five lanes wide south to the exit to Interstate 355.
Between mile markers 0 and 4, Illinois Route 53 is multiplexed with this section of the Eisenhower.
Eisenhower Extension
This section is 11 miles (18 km) long and runs from Addison to Hillside. It took its name when the Eisenhower was extended
northwest from Hillside. The highway runs largely at-grade or above-grade for this length. U.S. Route 20 is multiplexed on
I-290 around Elmhurst from mile markers 12 to 13.
This section of I-290 varies in width from two lanes at the ramp east from the I-290/I-355 split, to three lanes between I-355
and U.S. Route 20, to three lanes plus two exit lanes at U.S. Route 20/Illinois Route 64 (Lake Street / North Avenue) (exit
13B). After exit 13B, the highway reverts to three thru traffic lanes. Exit 15 to southbound Interstate 294 is a frequent
point of congestion due to ramp traffic backing up onto the mainline highway, often as long as 2 miles (3 km). This is because
the ramp is not isolated from the mainline, only one lane in width, is a low-speed ramp (marked as a 35 mph ramp, and is relatively
short (1/4 mile, or 1/2 km) while carrying a high volume of truck traffic south to Indiana from North Avenue. Additionally,
the sudden appearance of the exit tends to cause accidents when cars in the center lane try to aggressively turn into the
right lane, particularly at the mouth of the 294 exit. Finally, there is a dangerous high-volume weaving situation at the
end of the ramp to I-294 with southbound I-294 traffic exiting to westbound Interstate 88. As of 2006, there are no plans
to fix any of these issues.
The western three miles of this section are blacktop, while east of Illinois Route 83 (exit 10) the original concrete is still
in place.
Tri-State Tollway to Austin Boulevard
This section is 7 miles (11 km) long and runs from Hillside to the western border of Chicago. This section can be referred
to as "The Avenues", and is arguably the most congested portion of Interstate 290. It is known for having a high number of
on-ramps through the Avenues, and switching to left exits at major interesections in Forest Park and Oak Park. Interstate
290 runs above grade west of Mannheim Road, and below grade east of Mannheim Road.
Eastbound at Mannheim Road (exit 17), the highway splits into two express and one local lane; they are joined by two onramps
from Interstate 88 and form express lanes three lanes wide and local lanes to Mannheim Road two lanes wide. After Mannheim
Road, the highway immediately narrows to three lanes in width, causing mile-long (1.6 km) backups. It remains three lanes
to Austin Boulevard. Westbound, I-290 merely is three lanes wide to Mannheim Road, and then four lanes wide to the I-88/I-290
split. Exits at Harlem Avenue (exit 22B) and Austin Boulevard (exit 23) are left offramps and onramps, causing backups as
trucks switch lanes to exit, and a large volume of traffic enters on the left side of the highway.
In 2001-2002, this section between mile markers 15 and 18 was reconstructed in an attempt to untangle the "Hillside Strangler",
adding the local lanes and extra onramp to Interstate 290. Reconstruction of mile markers 18 through 23 is in the planning
process, but no funding for construction has been approved as of May 2006.
Austin Boulevard to Chicago Loop
Interstate 290 at mile marker 28, looking east toward downtown Chicago
Enlarge
Interstate 290 at mile marker 28, looking east toward downtown Chicago
The easternmost section of I-290 is 7 miles (11 km) long and runs entirely through the city of Chicago to the terminus at
Interstate 90/94. It runs below grade for its entire length.
The road is four lanes wide in both directions for the entire length of the highway, and most onramps and offramps are located
two blocks apart. Therefore, an exit in one direction may be marked one street (ex. Laramie Avenue), while the same exit in
the other direction may be marked another (ex. Cicero Avenue), even though the streets are only a block apart. This configuration
results in most exits on this portion of road being marked as A/B exits.
Eastbound congestion is lighter here than through the Avenues, generally limited to congestion on the tight onramps to the
Kennedy and Dan Ryan expressways (the Circle Interchange) at the eastern terminus or a blind onramp at Kostner Avenue. Westbound,
congestion is heavy at Austin, where the left lane is marked exit only through an interchange with Central Avenue as the highway
drops from four lanes to three.
The Eisenhower Expressway runs along blacktop for the length of the section, except between Kostner Avenue and Independence
Boulevard, where it runs atop concrete.
History
The Eisenhower Expressway was originally called the Congress Expressway during planning in the early-to-mid 1940s. The first
segment, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) in length opened from Mannheim Road (U.S. 12/20/45) to First Avenue in December 1955.[2] On December
15th of that same year, 4 additional miles (6 km) opened, from Ashland Avenue (1600 West) to Laramie Avenue (5200 West).[3]
During the 1960s and 1970s, the Eisenhower was extended to U.S. 20 (Lake Street) and Illinois Route 64 (North Avenue). It
was then further extended to present-day Interstate 355, at the time simply a spur from the highway and named Illinois 53.
Until 1978, the Eisenhower Expressway was Interstate 90. After the Northwest Tollway was completed, Interstate 90 was routed
north along the Kennedy Expressway and onto the tollway. What had been Interstate 90 then was re-named Interstate 290, and
that numbering continues to this day.
Because the segment from Interstate 294 to Interstate 355/Illinois 53 was built last, that portion of the highway is referred
to as the Eisenhower Extension. The Eisenhower Expressway, extension included, is 23 miles (37 km) long. If the Illinois 53
portion of Interstate 290 is added to that, it is actually 30 miles (48 km) long.
In 2003-2004, the first five miles (8 km) of Interstate 290 out of Schaumburg were rebuilt, replacing pavement that had well
exceeded its estimate 20 year life — the original pavement was built in stages from 1963 through 1970 as part of Illinois
53.[4] A fifth auxiliary lane was added between the entrance and exit ramps of exits 1 and 4, and exits 4 and 5. The most
important safety upgrade was the demolition of the raised grassy median between the westbound and eastbound lanes, and its
replacement with a permanent concrete median and wide shoulders.
Features
The Chicago Transit Authority maintains a rail line from the loop west to Forest Park in the median of the Eisenhower, and
then closely paralleling the Eisenhower for about 10 miles (16 km). While convenient for mass transit, it has also severely
limited any possibility of lane additions to the Eisenhower where the train line is. Preliminary studies on such an effort
are already starting, however.
Lingo
The Eisenhower Expressway has subsections along its length that are used most often by traffic reporters to describe the extent
of congestion on a highway. Users of the highway unfamiliar with these terms can easily be confused by them.
* Hillside Strangler — Named after the Chicago suburb of Hillside, it refers to a major merge with Interstate 88,
and almost always is used when referring to inbound (eastbound) traffic. It is at this point that Interstate 88 terminates
eastbound. It was called the Strangler because before its reconstruction in the early 2000s, seven through lanes were forced
to merge to three, creating large backups. Urban legend suggests a former Columbia College student was the first known to
use the expression relating to the traffic pattern in the late 70s during the "Hillside Strangler" murders media craze. Reconstruction
widened part of this area to nine lanes (5 inbound — three through, two local, and 4 through lanes outbound), allowed
direct exits to Mannheim Road (U.S. Routes 12/20/45) from Interstate 88 for trucks, created an inbound collector-distributor
ramp for Mannheim Road, and added a timed gate that closed a ramp from Roosevelt Road (Illinois Route 38) to inbound Interstate
290 during rush hour periods. These improvements helped congestion at the site, but also pushed pre-existing congestion further
east to the six lane portion of the highway. The Strangler is located at about mile marker 18.
* The Avenues — The portion of the highway between Mannheim Road at mile marker 17 and First Avenue north of Maywood,
a stretch of 3 miles (5 km). Named because all of the crossroads between these two exits are named numerically, in ascending
order traveling outbound (westbound). 1st Avenue (Illinois Route 171) is exit 20. There are exits to 9th Avenue, 17th Avenue,
and 25th Avenue to the west. These exits are spaced about 3/4ths of a mile (1200 m) apart. This stretch is notorious for being
extremely congested, and is one of the higher priority projects in Chicagoland today.
* Eisenhower Extension or 290 Extension — The eight miles (12 km) of road between current-day mile marker 7 (to
Lake Street/US 20) and North Avenue (Illinois Route 64), mile marker 15. This section was built in the late 1970s.
* Circle Interchange — The eastern terminus of Interstate 290 where it meets Interstates 90 and 94, which are multiplexed
through Chicago. North of this interchange Interstates 90 and 94 are called the Kennedy Expressway, while south of it Interstates
90 and 94 are called the Dan Ryan Expressway. The interchange itself consists of eight heavily used, very tight ramps that
wind around each other, giving the interchange a distinct circle shape when looked at from above. This design, adequate when
first built in the 1950s, has become a hazardous part of the highway because of its tight turns and extremely short approaches.
However, redesign of the interchange has been determined to be prohibitively expensive because of the small, 2-to-4 city-block
area that the interchange is built on.
* Post Office — Just east of the I-290 - I-90/94 Junction in downtown Chicago, the Post Office is a building that
stretches over Congress Parkway. If one drives eastbound on I-290 and continues past I-90/94, the highway ends and becomes
Congress Parkway. The Post Office is a landmark which is sometimes used in referring to the end of I-290 in downtown Chicago;
for example, a traffic reporter might say "... forty minutes from Mannheim to the Post Office...".
The building was used by the United States Postal Service until 1996. It was bought by a developer in 1998, but as of
early 2006 no progress has been made with regards to development on the site. The building itself was built from 1921 to 1933
in the Art-Deco style, and is 2.5 million square feet (230,000 mē) in size. The vast majority of the space is away from windows,
and as a result has markedly less value than would be expected for a downtown structure. In spite of its unused state, the
building is still known to visitors and commuters alike as the unofficial gateway into the Chicago Loop area.[5]
* The Ike — Dwight D. Eisenhower's nick-name, 'Ike', also refers to the Eisenhower Expressway.
Interchanges
County Location Mile # Destinations Notes
Cook Schaumburg 0.0 None I-90.svg Interstate 90 (Northwest Tollway) - Rockford, Illinois, Chicago, Illinois
Illinois_53.svg Illinois Route 53 - North Suburbs
Western terminus of Interstate 290. Illinois 53 continues northbound. Interchange is part of a collector-distributor (local
and express) lane configuration. This configuration serves Illinois_62.svg Illinois Route 62 - Algonquin Road on Illinois
53.
0.75 1A-B Illinois_58.svg Illinois Route 58 - Golf Road
Illinois_72.svg Illinois Route 72 - Higgins Road
Woodfield Road Collector-Distributor exit for Schaumburg, Illinois and the Woodfield Mall. Eastbound exit only accessible
from local lanes that also serve Interstate 90. Eastbound uses Woodfield Road as exit to Illinois 58; this is exit 1A. Exit
1B is for Illinois 72 only. Westbound, signed solely as exit 1 and exits to a frontage road with access to all three streets.
Elk Grove Village 4 Illinois_53.svg Illinois Route 53 Southbound - Biesterfield Road Illinois 53 northbound multiplexes
with Interstate 290 westbound at this point.
DuPage Itasca 5 Thorndale Avenue - Elgin-O'Hare Expressway
Addison 7 I-355.svg Interstate 355 - Joliet, Illinois Westbound exit also serves US_20.svg U.S. Route 20 directly. Eastbound
requires following Interstate 355 to reach U.S. 20.
10A-B Illinois_83.svg Illinois Route 83 - Kingery Highway Full cloverleaf interchange to northbound and southbound Illinois
83.
Elmhurst 12 US_20.svg U.S. Route 20 West - Lake Street, York Road U.S. 20 eastbound multiplexes with Interstate 290 eastbound.
13A-B Illinois_64.svg Illinois Route 64 - North Avenue
US_20.svg U.S. Route 20 - Lake Street Eastbound primary feeder ramp to I-294.svg Interstate 294 northbound (Tri-State Tollway).
Westbound Interstate 290 exits are for eastbound U.S. 20 (exit 13B) and westbound Illinois 64 (exit 13A) only, but eastbound
Illinois 64 is accessible via eastbound U.S. 20 and Railroad Avenue. Westbound U.S. 20 multiplexes with Interstate 290 west
at this point. Eastbound Interstate 290 exit is for eastbound Illinois 64 and U.S. 20 only, and is marked exit 13.
14A-B St. Charles Road Full cloverleaf interchange to eastbound and westbound St. Charles Road. No trucks permitted eastbound.
Hillside 15 I-294.svg Interstate 294 southbound (Tri-State Tollway) - Indiana Eastbound exit only. Access to I-88.svg
Interstate 88 (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway) - Aurora, Illinois via southbound Interstate 294.
Cook 15A-B I-294.svg Interstate 294 (Tri-State Tollway) - Indiana, Wisconsin
I-88.svg Interstate 88 (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway) - Aurora, Illinois
Westbound exits only. Access to Illinois_38.svg Illinois Route 38 (Roosevelt Road) and southbound Interstate 294 via westbound
Interstate 88 exit. Exits are 1/4 mile (400 m) apart.
16 Wolf Road Westbound exit only. Eastbound entrance ramps to exit 17 collector-distributor ramps.
17 US_12.svgUS_20.svgUS_45.svg U.S. Routes 12/20/45 - Mannheim Road Eastbound exit accessible via collector/distributor
ramp.
N/A Addison Creek
Maywood 18A-B 25th Avenue Partial cloverleaf interchange with exits to north and south 25th Avenue.
19A 17th Avenue Full interchange.
19B 9th Avenue Westbound exit, eastbound entrance.
20 Illinois_171.svg Illinois Route 171 - 1st Avenue
N/A Des Plaines River
Oak Park 21A Des Plaines Avenue Westbound entrance; eastbound exit.
21.7 21B Illinois_43.svg Illinois Route 43 - Harlem Avenue Left exit/entrance.
23.2 23A Austin Boulevard (6000 West) Left exit/entrance.
Chicago 23B Central Avenue (5600 West)
24A Laramie Avenue (5200 West) Westbound exit; eastbound entrance
24B Illinois_50.svg Illinois Route 50 - Cicero Avenue (4800 West) Westbound entrance; eastbound exit
25 Kostner Avenue (4400 West) Westbound exit, eastbound entrance
26A Independence Boulevard (3800 West)
26B Homan Avenue (3400 West) Westbound exit only
27A Sacramento Avenue (2800 West) Westbound entrance, eastbound exit
27B California Avenue (2600 West) Westbound exit, eastbound entrance
27C Western Avenue (2400 West) - Oakley Street (2300 West) Oakley Street is first cross street on westbound exit ramp.
28A Damen Avenue (2000 West) Eastbound access to Historic US_66.svg U.S. Route 66 - Ogden Avenue.
28B Ashland Avenue (1600 West) - Paulina Avenue (1700 West) Paulina Avenue is first cross-street on eastbound ramp. Westbound
access to Historic US_66.svg U.S. Route 66 - Ogden Avenue.
29A Racine Avenue (1200 West) Westbound entrance, eastbound exit.
29B Morgan Avenue (1000 West) Westbound exit only.
29.84 None I-90.svgI-94.svg Interstates 90/94 (Kennedy Expressway / Dan Ryan Expressway) - Indiana, Wisconsin Eastern terminus
of Interstate 290. Also known as the Circle Interchange.
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