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RAMP SCHEDULED TO REOPEN THIS WEEK IN GURNEE ON TRI-STATE TOLLWAY (I-94) GRAND AVENUE INTERCHANGE

November 25, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Jan Kemp
630-241-6800 ext. 2381
jkemp@getipass.com

November 25, 2014

RAMP SCHEDULED TO REOPEN THIS WEEK IN GURNEE ON TRI-STATE TOLLWAY (I-94) GRAND AVENUE INTERCHANGE
Ramp work nearing completion for the year; additional work scheduled in 2015
DOWNERS GROVE, IL – The ramp carrying traffic from westbound Grand Avenue to the westbound Tri-State Tollway (I-94) in Gurnee is scheduled to reopen this week as part of the $19.4 million Grand
Avenue Interchange Project. In addition, work is scheduled to wrap up on additional ramps as construction winds down for winter.

Weather permitting, the ramp carrying traffic from westbound Grand Avenue to westbound I-94 will reopen and the detour route is scheduled to be removed in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Up to 580 vehicles use this ramp daily.

In addition, work on the interchange project is nearing completion for the first year of this two-year project. On the ramp carrying traffic from eastbound Grand Avenue to eastbound I-94 and the left shoulder and left lane are scheduled to reopen the week of December 1. This ramp will have a temporary right shoulder through winter with completion of the remaining work on this ramp scheduled in 2015. In addition, traffic shifts in both directions on I-94 are scheduled to be removed during the week of Dec. 1.

Retaining wall construction will continue into the winter along the east side of I-94 south of Grand Avenue as part of the advance work for 2015. Daily shoulder closures may be needed to complete the work, but should have no significant impact to traffic over the winter.

Grand Avenue (Illinois Route 132) Interchange Project
The $19.4 million Grand Avenue (Illinois Route 132) Interchange Project includes rebuilding seven of
the eight ramps that make up the interchange in 2014 and 2015. The remaining ramp carrying traffic
from Grand Avenue to eastbound I-94 was reconstructed as part of the rebuilding and widening of I-94 completed in 2009.

The project includes removing the existing ramp pavement and replacing it with new concrete pavement and removing and replacing the existing shoulders with asphalt. In addition, several of the ramps will be realigned and widened, allowing traffic to flow more freely.

In 2014, four ramps at the Grand Avenue Interchange are being reconstructed including the ramps carrying I-94 traffic in both directions to westbound Grand Avenue and the ramps carrying westbound Grand Avenue traffic to westbound I-94 and eastbound Grand Avenue to eastbound I-94. Work included removing the existing ramp pavement and replacing it with new concrete pavement and removing and replacing the existing shoulders with asphalt. Advance work also took place on additional ramps at the interchange to prepare for reconstruction in 2015.

Work scheduled for 2015 includes reconstruction of the ramps from westbound I-94 to eastbound Grand Avenue and from westbound Grand Avenue to eastbound I-94, as well as a closure with a detour for the reconstruction of the ramp from eastbound Grand Avenue to westbound I-94.

The project is being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the village of Gurnee,
Lake County, local fire and police departments, as well as the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Six Flags Great America, Gurnee Mills Mall and Key Lime Cove.

The Grand Avenue (Illinois Route 132) Interchange Project on the Tri-State Tollway (I-94) is part of the 15-year, $12 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. More than 40,000 vehicles use this interchange daily.

Work Zone Safety

A 25 mph speed limit is in effect 24/7 on ramps in the construction zone whether or not workers are present. In addition, a 30 mph speed limit will be in place on Grand Avenue and a 45 mph speed limit will be in place on I-94. Drivers should continue to watch for changing traffic patterns and use caution at all times.

Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for drivers speeding in work zones. The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $375. Posted signs advise drivers of a $10,000 fine and 14-year jail sentence for hitting a roadway worker.

Illinois Tollway Keeps Drivers Informed
The Tollway offers the following ways for drivers to get the latest travel information before they get on
the road:
www.illinoistollway.com – Construction/Planning section, Tollway Trip Calculator, live roadway
images and real-time roadway incident information

1-800-TOLL-FYI – Daily lane closure and travel information

www.travelmidwest.com – Real-time travel times

www.twitter.com – Real-time roadway incident information at Tollway Trip 90, Tollway Trip 88, Tollway Trip 355 and Tollway Trip 94/294

About Move Illinois

The Illinois Tollway's 15-year, $12 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the
Future, will improve mobility, relieve congestion, reduce pollution, create as many as 120,000 jobs and link economies across the Midwest region. Move Illinois will address the remaining needs of the existing Tollway system; rebuild and widen the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) as a state-of-the-art 21st century corridor; construct a new interchange to connect the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to I-57;
build a new, all-electronic Elgin O’Hare Western Access and fund planning studies for the Illinois Route 53/120 Project, Illiana Expressway and other emerging projects.

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 286 miles of interstate tollways 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) and the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80).

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