What to expect during nightly Interstate 290 detours

Nightly detours of eastbound Interstate 290 at the Tri-State Tollway are scheduled to begin this week and continue into mid-September to accommodate bridge beam placement as part of ongoing work to rebuild and reconfigure the Interstate 290/Interstate 88 interchange at Interstate 294. Delays are expected.

Multiple nights of closures of eastbound I-290, as well as several ramps associated with the work, will be scheduled over a three-week period as new bridge beams are placed on the new bridge carrying northbound I-294 over I-290. No closures will be scheduled on Friday nights.

Construction and electronic message signs will alert drivers to the ramp and lane closures and detours. Up-to-date closure information will be available in the Illinois Tollway’s Daily Construction Alerts. All work is weather dependent.

The nightly closure of I-290 is scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 2, with the full closure and detour scheduled from 1 to 5 a.m. on the first night. During the I-290 closures, the ramp carrying southbound I-294 traffic to eastbound I-290 is also scheduled to close.

Similar nightly closures and detours will be scheduled as needed into mid-September and hours will vary. Check the Daily Construction Alerts for exact times.

When I-290 is closed, a detour will be posted for both the ramp and eastbound I-290 routing traffic to southbound I-294, through the Cermak Road Interchange and onto northbound I-294 to access eastbound I-290. No tolls will be taken at the Cermak Road Toll Plaza in either direction for customers following the detour route.

Closure of the ramp connecting eastbound St. Charles Road traffic to eastbound I-290 will also be scheduled when closures on I-290 are in place. No detour will be posted.

Work in 2024 at the I-290/I-88 Interchange at I-294 includes ongoing reconstruction of bridges over Roosevelt Road, I-88, Butterfield Road, the Canadian National Railroad, I-290 and Electric Avenue, as well as noise wall construction and drainage, electrical and lighting improvements.

Work started in 2020 and is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2026. Information including maps and construction updates is available on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com in the Projects section.

The $4 billion Central Tri-State Tollway project is reconstructing and widening the roadway between Balmoral Avenue and 95th Street to provide congestion relief, update old infrastructure to I-290/I-88 Interchange at the Tri-State Tollway (I-294)

On I-294, a 45 mph work zone speed limit is in effect throughout the construction season. The Illinois Tollway reminds motorists that the Move Over Law requires motorists to change lanes or to slow down and proceed with caution when passing any vehicle on the side of the road with hazard lights activated.

If you see flashing lights ahead, move over or slow down. Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for drivers speeding in work zones or failure to comply with the Move Over Law. The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $250 with up to a $25,000 fine and a 14-year jail sentence for hitting a roadway worker.

Penalties for failure to slow down or move over for a vehicle on the shoulder with flashing lights includes up to a $10,000 fine, 2-year suspension of driving privileges and jail time, in extreme cases.