Current Major Projects

I-55/Arsenal Road Interchange

$80 million total is programmed for the project in IDOT’s FY 2011-16 Multi-Year Highway from a variety of state and federal funding sources 

The improvements to the interchange and frontage roads are necessary to accommodate heavy truck volumes generated by Will County ’s Inland Port which are projected to grow significantly in the next decade.  As a critical link between local intermodal facilities and the interstate highway system, the upgraded design and capacity improvements at Arsenal Road will promote the efficient movement of freight in Will County and the region, enhance safety conditions on local roads and support new job growth.

Click here for IDOT I-55 & Arsenal Road interchange info

Click here for IDOT Illiana information

Illiana Expressway (I-55 to I-65 in Indiana )

IDOT has committed $50 million to undertake Phase I and environmental studies in the new corridor; Consultant selection has taken place for project work to begin.

The Illiana Expressway, a new highway proposed to link I-55 with I-65 in Indiana , would enhance access to Will County ’s Inland Port.   It is currently envisioned as a multi-modal transportation corridor with limited access that could act as an alternative to I-80.  Scheduled to begin in early 2011, the study will compare altnernatives and determine the exact alignment of the highway. The Illiana Expressway is being developed as a public-private partnership under newly-adopted Illinois enabling legislation. The project is included on the list of priority highway projects in the region’s long-range comprehensive plan.

I-80 (US 30 to US 45; Ridge Road to US 30)

IDOT has programmed over $60 million to add lanes to I-80 in Will County from US 30 to US 45 in FY 2011; in addition, IDOT has undertaken a Phase I engineering study of I-80 from Ridge Road to US 30 and programmed  over $33 million in funding  for resurfacing and some minimal bridge repair on this segment

Significant population and employment growth in Will County since 1990 has contributed to increased traffic volumes on I-80. I-80 also carries a significant amount of through truck traffic between Midwest consumer markets. No alternative east-west routes currently exist to I-80 in the region. The additional cars and trucks have contributed to congestion, delays and accidents especially at locations where capacity is restricted to 2-lanes, roadway conditions are substandard and access to local arterials is impaired. 

Click here for IDOT I-80 improvements info

Click here for IDOT I-80 Phase I study (Ridge Rd to US Rte 30)

I-355 Veteran’s Highway

The 12 ½ mile southern extension of I-355 from I-55 to I-80 opened in 2007.  The new tollroad carries  north/south traffic through the region and has greatly improved transportation access for Will County communities, many of which experienced rapid population growth in the past decade.  The tollroad was constructed with six interchange locations - Boughton Road, 127^th Street, 143^rd Street, 159^th Street, IL Route 6 and I-80 - directly serving the communities of Bolingbrook, Lemont, Lockport, Homer Glen and New Lenox. 

Opportunities for economic development abound in the corridor which is characterized by superior connectivity to the regional transportation network, prime development sites and a cooperative business approach among the municipalities and county.  The corridor is anchored by the Bolingbrook Promenade, a destination retail center, on the north and Silver Cross Hospital’s $400 million dollar medical campus on the south.  Multi-jurisdictional land use and transportation planning is ongoing through the I-355 Corridor Consortium.  The Consortium’s initiatives include mapping property in the corridor that is available for future commercial and industrial development and developing plans for a recreational trail along the length of the corridor.  

Click here for further information on the I-355 extension

South Suburban Airport

IDOT continues to work with the FAA to submit the required planning documents needed to reach a Record of Decision -  most recently, IDOT submitted the Facilities Requirement Report, one of the last steps in creating an Airport Master Plan;  land acquisition is continuing as a result of a $100 million state appropriation in 2009

As a priority for Governor Quinn and Will County , the South Suburban Airport in Will County is expected to strengthen the area’s role as a major transportation hub and address unmet demand in the passenger and cargo aviation market. 

Click here for further info on the South Suburban Airport
Click here for a status briefing presented to the CED Board on 4-15-2011

The City of Joliet is moving forward with Phase I of the Joliet Regional Multi-Modal Transportation Center in 2011 with funding from a State of Illinois’ Jobs Now! Capital Assistance Grant.  The $32 million grant will be matched by funding from the City as well as contributions from the Burlington Northern Sante Fe and Union Pacific Railroads.  The Transportation Center has been designed with cooperation from Will County and the regional transit agencies to improve the safety and reliability of transportation operations in the city and to anchor the City’s downtown redevelopment plans.

Joliet’s Union Station currently provides Amtrak service to multiple U.S. cities, commuter service to Chicago on the Rock Island and Heritage Corridor rail lines, multiple Pace bus routes and freight rail connections between the east and west coasts.  Improvements scheduled as part of Phase I will involve separating the passenger boarding area from the freight train platforms, providing 500 additional commuter parking spaces and creating a new bus berth/turn-around facility.   

The new station is being developed in conjunction with Midwest High Speed Rail service between Chicago and St. Louis.  As the first stop outside of Chicago, Joliet’s Transportation Center is expected to attract visitors from throughout the region.  Originally proposed in 2008 as part of Joliet’s Central Area Plan and Implementation Strategy, the overall project is expected to create 650 jobs along with new opportunities for transit-oriented development in downtown Joliet.  

Click here for further info on the Joliet Multi-Modal Transportation Center