A brand-new Illinois tollway will aim to connect motorists to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, with the project taking significant steps forward.
Numerous officials were on-hand this week as renderings and planning details were shared on Interstate 490, which will connect the Jane Addams Tollway near Des Plaines on its northern terminus to the Tri-State Tollway in Franklin Park on the southern end, skirting the western edge of O’Hare in the process.
Within the roughly seven miles of new interstate highway, connections will be made to York Road, Irving Park Road and O’Hare, along with Illinois 390, according to officials.
According to the Illinois Tollway’s website, more than a dozen ramps and bridges will need to be build to complete the project, helping to carry traffic over established rail lines and other areas.
“There’s a tremendous amount of freight activity, and a lot of economic development has already occurred,” Manar Nashif, the chief engineering officer of the Illinois Tollway Authority, said. “This will provide a major regional connection to I-90 and to the Tri-State Tollway.”
The initial routing of the project was approved way back in 2009, but construction is set to accelerate on the rest of the project in coming months, with an anticipated completion date of late 2027.
Construction on the interchange with the Jane Addams has been ongoing, and is expected to be finished in coming years, according to the Illinois Tollway.
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Another key component in the construction according to NBC Chicago’s Kye Martin was the approval to lift aviation approach lighting leading into O’Hare, with six east-west runways ending near the brand new tollway.
More information can be found on the Illinois Tollway’s website.
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