Overnight ramp closures and detours are scheduled to begin next week at the O’Hare Interchange, where the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) meets the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), according to an announcement from the Illinois Tollway. The closures are necessary for ongoing work to relocate the O’Hare Interchange Toll Plaza, which is being done in advance of a future project by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) on I-190.
The closures will affect ramps connecting southbound I-294 and eastbound I-90 to westbound I-190. Starting at 10 p.m. on Monday, August 11, these ramps will close, with detours directing southbound I-294 traffic to westbound Irving Park Road and northbound Mannheim Road to reach westbound I-190. Eastbound I-90 traffic will be routed onto southbound I-294 before following the same detour. The ramps are expected to reopen by 4 a.m. on Tuesday, August 12. Two more nights of similar closures and detours will follow.
Electronic message signs and construction signage will alert drivers about these changes. Up-to-date information is available in the Daily Construction Alert section of the Tollway’s website at illinoistollway.com. All work is subject to weather conditions.
After traffic is shifted, crews will continue removing median barriers and constructing new features such as gutters, guardrails, a toll plaza building, and a parking lot. The new plaza and pavement are being built in stages throughout 2025 while maintaining two lanes of traffic with reduced shoulders.
The overall construction is part of IDOT’s larger plan to improve operations on I-190 and roadway access for O’Hare International Airport. As part of this plan, the Tollway’s existing interchange toll plaza will be relocated, with additional improvements including a new control building, ramp reconstruction, lighting upgrades, and updated roadway signage.
Maps and further details can be found in the Projects section on the Illinois Tollway website.
Construction zone speed limits remain in effect at all times within work zones. Drivers are urged to watch for changing traffic patterns and exercise caution when workers are present.
The Illinois Tollway reminds motorists that under state law: “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, please move over or slow down.”
Illinois State Police enforce strict penalties for speeding in work zones or failing to comply with this 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.”
