Barrington Road, I-90 Interchange Project Gets Underway This Week

The following information comes from an Illinois Tollway press release. 

The Illinois Tollway’s Barrington Road Interchange Project on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) in Hoffman Estates is scheduled to begin next week, with work to prepare for the removal and reconstruction of the bridge carrying Barrington Road over I-90. 

The $68 million project is providing a new, full-access interchange and rebuilding the Barrington Road Bridge carrying traffic over I-90 to accommodate the new, wider Tollway being built as part of the I-90 Rebuilding and Widening Project.

“The Barrington Road Interchange Project is a great example of how the Illinois Tollway is working with the Illinois Department of Transportation and local communities to coordinate local improvements with the rebuilding and widening of I-90,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. “Together, these improvements will open up access between the Tollway and the northwest suburbs and create more opportunity for continued economic development along Barrington Road.” 

The existing interchange provides I-90 access to and from the east – but not the west. 

Once complete, the reconstructed and reconfigured interchange will create full access to I-90 from Barrington Road, reducing congestion and improving traffic flow. The average daily traffic on Barrington Road is approximately 30,000 vehicles to the north of I-90 and 45,000 to the south. The project is scheduled to be complete in 2016.

The Barrington Road Interchange Project is funded in part by the Tollway's 15-year, $12 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the village of Hoffman Estates. 

In addition, in partnership with Pace, the project accommodates construction of a Park & Ride facility along I-90 with direct ramps from proposed bus pull-outs. Pace is leading the design effort to build the Park & Ride lot as well as a pedestrian walkway that will allow commuters to cross I-90 to reach the buses.  

Barrington Road Bridge and Ramp Work Begins

On the morning of Monday, May 12, daytime lane closures will begin on Barrington Road between Hassell Road and Central Road/Studio Drive to remove the median and install temporary pavement to prepare for bridge reconstruction.

Once the temporary pavement is complete, all traffic will be shifted to the southbound lanes of the existing bridge. At that time, the northbound side of the bridge will close for removal and reconstruction. Traffic will remain in this configuration until fall. Once the northbound side of the bridge is reconstructed, traffic will then be moved onto the new lanes on the bridge while the southbound side of the bridge is reconstructed.  

In addition, the week of May 19 work is scheduled to begin on the existing westbound exit ramp from I-90 to Barrington Road. Lane closures will be in place through spring 2015 as pavement and tolling equipment are reconstructed. Two I-PASS Only lanes and one automatic coin machine will be maintained during this work. 

The Barrington Road Bridge and existing interchange ramps will remain open during construction; however, lane closures and traffic shifts will be in place. Temporary weekend ramp closures will be needed during the summer for retaining wall construction and bridge pier removal.

In 2014, work includes reconstruction of the Barrington Road Bridge carrying traffic over I-90 to accommodate the I-90 Rebuilding and Widening Project. Work is expected to begin in early 2015 to reconstruct existing ramps and build new ramps to and from the west. The project is scheduled to be complete in 2016.

Barrington Road Interchange Project

The existing partial interchange with access to and from the east will be reconstructed and reconfigured to provide a new full-access interchange. The project will create one, four-legged signalized intersection on the Barrington Road Bridge and includes reconstruction of the existing ramps on the east side and construction of new access to and from the west.

The new Barrington Road Bridge will be reconstructed and widened to accommodate the new interchange design. In addition, a multi-use bicycle and pedestrian path will be built over I-90.

Barrington Road will be widened and reconstructed from Hassell Road to Central Road/Studio Drive. The roadway will be widened from six to eight lanes from I-90 south to Hassell Road and from four to six lanes from I-90 north to Central Road/Studio Drive. In addition, within the project area, IDOT is planning to widen Higgins Road from four to six lanes, resurface the existing lanes and provide a shared-use path for bicycles and pedestrians on the north side of the roadway.

In partnership with Pace, the project accommodates construction of a Park & Ride facility along I-90. The new interchange will provide direct ramps from the proposed bus pull-outs to eastbound and westbound I-90 for Pace buses. Pace is leading the design effort to construct the Park & Ride lot, as well as a pedestrian walkway to allow commuters to cross I-90 to access the buses.

Work Zone Safety

A 35 mph work zone speed limit will be in effect 24/7 in the construction zone on Barrington Road. 

The work zone speed limit on I-90 is 55 mph in both directions between Illinois Route 25 and Elmhurst Road, whether or not workers are present, while a 45 mph work zone speed limit will be in place in both directions between Elmhurst Road and I-294. Drivers should continue to watch for changing traffic patterns and use caution at all times.  

Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for drivers speeding in work zones. The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $375. Posted signs advise drivers of a $10,000 fine and 14-year jail sentence for hitting a roadway worker.

Getting Tollway Construction Information

The Illinois Tollway has a variety of ways customers can get the latest travel information, including:

• www.illinoistollway.com – Construction/Planning section and Tollway Trip Calculator and real-time roadway incident information
• 1-800-TOLL-FYI – Daily lane closure information
• www.travelmidwest.com – Real-time travel times
• www.nbcchicago.com – Up-to-the-minute traffic by roadway
• www.myfoxchicago.com – Latest traffic conditions
• www.twitter.com – Real-time roadway incident information at Tollway Trip 90, Tollway Trip 88, Tollway Trip 355 and Tollway Trip 94/294