SHARE THIS STORY

Tri-State overpass work will close Wolf Road with detour planned through Indian Head Park

World Road will be closed and traffic will be detoured this week in Indian Head Park under the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) for bridge beam placement. Work is part of bridge reconstruction on the Central Tri-State Project

An overnight full roadway closure Wednesday August 18, 2021 with a posted detour is scheduled this week on Wolf Road at the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) for work to reconstruct the I-294 bridge over Wolf Road in Indian Head Park. This work is part improvements in the I-55 Interchange area to accommodate reconstruction and widening of the Central Tri-State Tollway.

Electronic message and construction signage will be put in place in advance to alert drivers to the roadway closure and detour. The closure is needed to provide a safe work zone for bridge beam placement. All work is weather dependent.

On Wednesday, August 18, a full closure of Wolf Road is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. and continue until 5 a.m. Thursday, August 19. A detour will be posted during the closure routing Wolf Road traffic around the closure via Joliet Road, Willow Springs Road and 79th Street.

In addition, during the roadway closure, all traffic on the ramp connecting I-294 to Wolf Road will directed onto northbound Wolf Road, and drivers will need to follow the detour to access southbound Wolf Road.

Wolf Road Detour planned under I-294 for repair work August 2021. Photo courtesy of IDOT

Throughout the fall, bridge work will continue at Wolf Road, as well as on I-294 bridges over Joliet Road, Flagg Creek and I-55.

Local road closures in this area are being coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Cook Country Department of Transportation and Highways and the Village of Indian Head Park, as well as local fire and police departments.

Construction on bridges and ramps in and around the I-55 Interchange is part of the Tollway’s Central Tri-State Tollway Project. In 2021, the Tollway’s work in the I-55 Interchange area will begin to accommodate the rebuilding and widening of I-294 between 75th Street and I-55. As part of this work, the ramp connecting I-55 to northbound I-294 will be reconstructed, along with the I-294 bridges over I-55, Wolf Road, Joliet Road and Flagg Creek. Additional work includes the reconstruction of the Plainfield Road Bridge over I-294 and the northbound ramp to the Hinsdale Oasis. Construction in this area is scheduled to be complete in 2025.

The $4 billion Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project is reconstructing and widening the roadway between Balmoral Avenue and 95th Street to provide congestion relief, update old infrastructure to meet current and future transportation demand and address regional needs. This work is part of the Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. More than 220,000 vehicles use the Central Tri-State Tollway daily.

Information about the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project is available on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com in the Projects section.

Work Zone Safety
Construction zone speed limits are in effect in all construction zones 24/7 and drivers should continue to watch for changing traffic patterns and use caution, especially when workers are present. On Wolf Road, a 25 mph work zone speed limit is in effect. 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, please 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.

About Move Illinois
The Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, is improving mobility, relieving congestion, reducing pollution, creating as many as 120,000 jobs and linking economies throughout the region. The first nine years of Move Illinois is on schedule and within budget, delivering the rebuilt and widened Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) as a state-of-the-art 21st century corridor and opening a new interchange connecting the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to I-57. Progress continues on projects addressing the remaining needs of the existing Tollway system, delivering the Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project and reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).

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 294 miles of roadways 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), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.