Illinois Tollway Updates Infrastructure for Cashless System

ROSEMONT, Ill. — The Illinois Tollway is removing outdated toll collection infrastructure, including the former Cumberland Toll Plaza along I-90. This initiative follows the switch to a cashless system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Infrastructure like barriers, gates, and canopies, once crucial for toll operations, will be dismantled to streamline traffic flow. Chief Engineer Manar Nashif explained that the changes aim to create a barrier-free system, reducing both maintenance costs and congestion for drivers.

“At the end of the day, it will be a much more open field,” Nashif said. This overhaul will involve not just removing old toll facilities but also installing new toll collection equipment and rebuilding plaza pavements.

The project is divided into three tiers. Work on Tier 1, which addresses areas with heavy traffic or immediate repair needs, will begin in 2025 and continue through 2027. This includes upgrades to the 163rd Street Toll Plaza on the Tri-State Tollway and the East Riverside Toll Plaza on the Jane Addams tollway, both scheduled for completion in 2025.

Additional Tier 1 improvements will be made to several interchanges and toll plazas across the tollway system, including the Halsted Street and O'Hare International Airport interchanges. The timeline for Tiers 2 and 3 will focus on ramp improvements and larger mainline locations, respectively.

Nashif emphasized the importance of coordinating with local municipalities to ensure that the changes meet broader community needs while alleviating traffic congestion. The first phase of the project is estimated to cost $70 million, funded through the Move Illinois program, while future phases will draw from the new $2 billion Bridging the Future capital plan.

“Drivers are going to see work spread out across the system,” Nashif warned. Motorists should be prepared for changing traffic patterns and potential delays as the upgrades commence.