Illinois Tollway Set To Open First I-490 Tollway Interchange Connection to the Tri-State Tollway (I-294)
The Illinois Tollway and its local partners – Cook County, Bensenville and Franklin Park – celebrated the first milestone in the I-490 Tollway Project, announcing the opening of the new I-490 Tollway/Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Interchange as part of the Illinois Tollway’s $4.3 billion Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project.
Two ramps connecting I-294 to the first segment of the new I-490 Tollway are creating access for Franklin Park and Bensenville and travel between the Tri-State Tollway and Franklin Avenue, improving connectivity and reducing congestion in the area south of O’Hare International Airport.
“Today marks a major milestone for the I-490 Tollway Project, one of the most significant transportation investments in our region,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse. “The complexity of building a new transportation corridor has been years in the making. This is a gateway to better mobility, reducing congestion and improving access in support of one of the nation's most powerful economic regions.”
Overnight Friday, October 23, into Saturday, October 24, Tollway crews will complete striping and signage work needed for traffic access to new ramps – one connecting northbound I-294 to northbound I-490 Tollway to access Franklin Avenue and a second ramp for Franklin Avenue traffic to access southbound I-294 via southbound I-490.
"This project will improve mobility and support economic growth in Bensenville and Franklin Park,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “Cook County will continue the improvements at Franklin Avenue and Green Street to enhance safety, reduce congestion and make it easier for residents and businesses to get where they need to go.”
Construction of both the Illinois Tollway’s new I-490 Tollway and Cook County’s Green Street and Franklin Avenue Improvement Project are ongoing with the full Franklin Avenue Interchange and continuation of the I-490 Tollway to the north anticipated to open in 2029.
The multi-phase I-490 Tollway Project includes construction of a new 6-mile Tollway creating access between the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) on the north and the Tri-State Tollway on the south, as well as a direct western access to the Illinois Route 390 Tollway and O’Hare International Airport. The I-490 Tollway Project is also creating local access interchanges at Franklin Avenue, Irving Park Road and Touhy Avenue.
“The investments made by this transformational project will improve safety, traffic flow and create long-term economic opportunities for the entire region," said Franklin Park Mayor Barrett Pedersen. "I commend the Illinois Tollway for their continued commitment to utilizing sustainable practices. By reducing, recycling, and reusing construction debris, they have saved countless tons of material from going into landfills. Their adherence to native landscaping and tree planting reduces greenhouse gases and helps improve air quality for the region."
“The opening of the I-490/I-294 Interchange is a significant investment in Bensenville’s future and the economic vitality of our region. This project will improve connectivity, enhance safety and traffic flow, and create new opportunities for businesses and residents,” said President of the Village of Bensenville Frank DeSimone. “We appreciate the Illinois Tollway’s partnership and the collaboration among Cook County and our neighboring communities in bringing this important infrastructure improvement to completion.”
More than 13,000 vehicles daily are projected to use the new I-490/Franklin Avenue Interchange when complete. Tolls will be collected at the Franklin Avenue Toll Plaza and at the Acorn Avenue Toll Plaza. I-PASS toll rates will be set at 55 cents for cars, and I-PASS truck rates will range from $1.45 to $3.85 during daytime hours, with overnight discounts offered. Customers will also have the option to pay tolls via Pay By Plate or invoice with fees.
A complete listing of toll rates is available here on the Illinois Tollway website.
I-490/I-294 Interchange
The $360 million I-490/I-294 Interchange Project provides two new ramp bridges connecting I-490 to I-294. To accommodate the new ramps, the project also included reconstruction and widening of I-294 to five lanes in both directions between North Avenue and Balmoral Avenue in coordination with the Central Tri-State Tollway Project.
The work on the I-294 mainline roadway also included reconstruction of bridges carrying I-294 over the Union Pacific Railroad, Grand Avenue and North Avenue/Lake Street along with lighting and retaining wall improvements.
In addition, as part of the work to construct the new interchange, the Tollway and the Village of Franklin Park partnered on a flood mitigation project capable of storing more than 22 million gallons of stormwater, helping reduce flooding and support future economic development.
I-490/Franklin Avenue Interchange
The I-490/Franklin Avenue Interchange includes construction of four new ramps and with Franklin Avenue intersection improvements and traffic signals to improve safety and efficiency at local access points.
Rehabilitation, reconstruction and widening of Franklin Avenue and Green Street by Cook County will provide increased capacity and improve traffic flow. The addition of a new shared-use path along Franklin Avenue/Green Street will enhance pedestrian and bicycle accessibility.
Cook County work will also provide communities with improved drainage and stormwater management systems.
Project information and maps for the I-490/I-294 Interchange Project can be found in the Projects section on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com. Information about Cook County’s Franklin Avenue/Green Street Improvement Project is available on Cook County’s website at https://www.cookcountyil.gov/content/green-street-and-franklin-avenue-improvement-project
