Full interchange at Route 47 and Interstate 88 will open Tuesday

SUGAR GROVE – The full-access interchange at Route 47 and Interstate 88 in Sugar Grove finally will open to traffic Tuesday after a
1 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony at Waubonsee Community College.

Sugar Grove Village President Sean Michels said the project has been 15 years in the making.

He said he's excited that the project, which came in
$5 million under budget and ahead of schedule, finally is finished. The original cost was estimated to be $25 million.

“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “We’ve been working on this project for 15 years, and thankfully we had cooperation from all the different governmental bodies so we were able to get this completed.”

Construction began in April on the interchangewhich now allows access to Route 47 from I-88 from both the east and west. Previously, only eastbound I-88 motorists could exit at Route 47, while only westbound I-88 was accessible from Route 47.

Michels said that the actual construction was the shortest part of the project.

“It took so long because of the funding, and how we would get the funds,” Michels said. “It took a lot of persistence by Sugar Grove officials. This is going to be great for Elburn and Sugar Grove residents and businesses.”

The project was funded in part by Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, “Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.” The new interchange is an all-electronic interchange, with cashless toll plazas for vehicles with I-PASS located on the ramps carrying traffic to and from the east.

The Illinois Route 47 Interchange Project was coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Kane County, Blackberry Township, the village of Sugar Grove, and local fire and police departments.