Interstate 294 Illinois

Interstate 294 Illinois
Lansing, IL ↔ Deerfield, IL•53.42 miles

Overview

The Tri-State Tollway, Interstate 294 between Lansing and Deerfield, was designed initially as a bypass route around Chicago through suburban areas of Cook and DuPage Counties. However, I-294 became as important as any of the intercity expressways, as it connects the suburbs with O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and the rapidly expanded residential and business demands of the region. Avoiding much of the city, the Tri-State Tollway is a heavily traveled route with six to eight lanes for the majority of its length.

The Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project reconstructs and expands a 22 mile section of the toll road between Balmoral Avenue and 95th Avenue. Costing $4 billion, construction got underway in 2018 and extends through 2026. Work is partitioned into three sections:

Southern Section - I-55 to 95th Street

Started in 2019 and running through the end of 2023, construction expands I-294 to five lanes in each direction between I-55 and 95th Street. Work also reconstructs shoulders to accommodate Flex Lanes and rebuilds the Mile Long Bridge spanning the distribution center for UPS and BNSF Railway. An additional interchange joins the toll road with 88th/Cork Avenue at the Village of Justice. Improvements will also be made along the ramp linking I-55 to I-294 north, at overpasses for Willow Springs Road and 5th Avenue and at the Archer Avenue Interchange.

Central Section - St. Charles Road to I-55

Construction underway through 2026 rebuilds the Tri-State Tollway mainline. Work in 2022 removed the Hinsdale Oasis over-the-road pavilion to accommodate roadway expansion. The fuel stations and parking lots were retained. Major work started in 2020 reconfigures the I-290/I-88 Interchange at I-294. The BNSF Railroad span over I-294 was reconstructed and lengthened in 2022.

Additional improvements are made at the overpasses for St. Charles Road, Cermak Road, 31st Street, 47th Street, 55th Street, Plainfield Road and St. Charles Road over Interstate 290. Work also reconfigures the ramps along the east side of I-294 at the Ogden Avenue Interchange. Construction through the end of 2022 replaces the pedestrian bridge between the BSNF Railroad and Ogden Avenue with a new crossing adjacent to 47th Street.

Northern Section - Balmoral Avenue to St. Charles Road

Started in June 2018, work through the end of 2024 expands the Tri-State Tollway between Balmoral Avenue and North Avenue and reconstructs the shoulders to accommodate Flex Lanes. The O'Hare Oasis over-the-road pavilion was removed in 2019 to accommodate roadway expansion. The fuel stations and parking lots at the oasis however were retained.

Improvements are also being made to ramps connecting the O'Hare Oasis and Irving Park Road to Interstate 294, in addition to those as part of the North Avenue Interchange Project. Construction on the Northern Section also includes the I-490/I-294 Interchange supporting the new I-490 Tollway Project. Overpasses for Balmoral Road an Wolf Road are also reconstructed.

I-80/294 east at Thorton Quarry
The Tri-State Tollway takes I-80/294 across the Hanson Aggregrates-Thorton Quarry between IL 1 (Halsted Street) and I-94/IL 394 (Bishop Ford Freeway). Photo by Peter Johnson (05/30/20).
I-80/294 Thornton Quarry
Extending across both sides of the Tri-State Tollway, the Hanson Aggregrates-Thorton Quarry is several square miles wide. A steel girder bridge spans a small portion of the quarry. Photo by Don Hargraves (2001).

Mileage by State

Illinois53.42 mi

Data Sources

December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

History

The Tri-State Tollway, which carries Interstate 294 from Lansing northwest to Deerfield, was constructed starting in 1956 and was completed by 1958.2 Construction of the 83 mile long Tri-State Tollway (and the other original tollways) was funded by a bond issuance in the amount of $415 million by the state tollway commission.4 All of the urban tollways (including the Tri-State Tollway, the Northwest Tollway, the easternmost portion of the East-West Tollway, and the Chicago Skyway) were open to traffic by 1958.

Interstate 294 previously continue east from its present end at I-94/IL 394 into Northwest Indiana. The original Chicago Interstate system outlined Interstate 90 following the Calumet (Bishop Ford) expressway south to I-80 (Kingery Expressway) near Lansing. Interstate 94 was planned to follow the Chicago Skyway and Indiana Toll Road through Gary. I-294 combined with I-80/90 east to Hobart and the Indiana Toll Road where I-94 and I-80/90 switched places. A grand renumbering took place in 1963, with I-90 relocated onto the Chicago Skyway and Indiana Toll Road, I-94 moved southward onto the Borman and Kingery Expressways, and north along the Calumet Expressway into Chicago, and I-294 retracted to the end of the Tri-State Tollway at IL 394/I-94.

A $238 million expansion project widened the tollway to eight overall lanes. The expansion of Interstate 294 from IL 394 north to the 163rd Street Toll Plaza was delayed several times; with an announcement by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority on September 18, 2003, that construction was pushed back to 2005 (as compared to an original proposed construction date in late 2003 or early 2004).

The decision to delay was based upon the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) postponement of the companion "Kingery Expressway: On the Move to Improve" widening project on Interstate 80 near the Indiana state line.1 The first phase of widening I-294 from the interchange with IL 394 south and I-94 north to 167th Street began in January 2005 and was completed in Fall 2006. The second phase, which included expanding the Tri-State Tollway between U.S. 6 (159th Street) and U.S. 12-20 (95th Street), began in 2007.3

North End Interstate 94 ‐ Deerfield, IL

Interstate 294 North at Interstate 94

I-294 north at I-94 - Northbrook, IL

The Tri-State Tollway curves northeast from the IL 68 (Dundee Road) overpass one mile to Lake-Cook Road (Exit 52) and the merge with I-94 at the Edens Spur. Photo by Peter Johnson (06/25/16).

I-294 north at I-94 - Northbrook, IL I-294 north at I-94 - Northbrook, IL I-294 north at I-94 - Northbrook, IL I-294 north at I-94 - Northbrook, IL

Interstate 94 East at Interstate 294

I-94 east at I-294 - Riverwoods, IL

Interstate 94 turns east from the Tri-State Tollway in two miles along the Edens Spur to U.S. 41. 06/24/22

I-94 east at I-294 - Riverwoods, IL I-94 east at I-294 - Deerfield, IL I-94 east at I-294 - Deerfield, IL I-94 east at I-294 - Deerfield, IL I-94 east at I-294 - Deerfield, IL I-294 south at I-94 - Northbrook, IL I-294 south at I-94 - Northbrook, IL

Interstate 94 West at Interstate 294

I-94 west at I-294 - Deerfield, IL

Exiting the Edens Spur main line toll plaza, westbound Interstate 94 approaches Exit 24 for Deerfield Road and the wye interchange with the Tri-State Tollway. 06/13/15

I-94 west at I-294 - Deerfield, IL I-94 west at I-294 - Deerfield, IL I-94 west at I-294 - Deerfield, IL I-94 west at I-294 - Deerfield, IL

North End – Past Views

Past Views Gallery (Tap to Expand / Collapse Section)

Interstate 294 at Interstate 94

I-94 east at I-294 - 2002

Two miles north of the I-94/294 split at Riverwoods. Photo by Don Hargraves (06/02).

I-94 east at I-294 - 2002 I-294 north at I-94 - 2006

South End I-80 I-94 US 6 IL 394 ‐ Lansing, IL

Interstate 80 East Interstate 294 South at Interstate 94 Illinois Route 394

I-80/294 east at IL 1 - East Hazel Crest

I-80/294 combine along the southernmost section of the Tri-State Tollway. The toll road runs east between the city of Harvey and the village of East Hazel Crest to L 1 (Halsted Street). Photo by Peter Johnson (05/30/20).

I-80/294 east at IL 1 - East Hazel Crest I-80/294 east at I-94/IL 394 - Thornton I-80/294 east at I-94/IL 394 - Thornton I-80/294 east at I-94/IL 394 - Thornton I-80/294 east at I-94/IL 394 - Thornton I-80/294 east at I-94/IL 394 - Lansing I-80/294 east at I-94/IL 394 - Lansing

Interstate 80 Interstate 94 West at Interstate 294 Illinois Route 394

I-80/94 west at US 41 - Hammond, IN

Heading west on the Frank Borman Expressway, I-80/94-U.S. 6 split with U.S. 41 north at Calumet Avenue in Hammond, Indiana. I-80/94 proceed two miles west from Exit 1 to the systems interchange (Exit 160) with the Bishop Ford Freeway. 05/24/08

I-80/94 west at US 41 - Hammond, IN I-80/94 west at I-294/IL 394 - Lansing, IL I-80/94 west at I-294/IL 394 - Lansing, IL I-80/94 west at I-294/IL 394 - Lansing, IL

Interstate 94 East at Interstate 80 Interstate 294 Illinois Route 394

I-94 east at US 6 - Dolton, IL

The initial sign for I-80/294 and IL 394 appears along I-94 eastbound at the 154th Street overpass in the village of Dolton. 06/24/22

I-94 east at US 6 - Dolton, IL I-94 east at US 6 - South Holland, IL I-94 east at I-80-294/IL 394 - South Holland, IL I-94 east at I-80-294/IL 394 - South Holland, IL I-94 east at I-80-294/IL 394 - South Holland, IL I-94 east at I-80-294/IL 394 - South Holland, IL

Illinois Route 394 North at Interstate 80 Interstate 94 Interstate 294

IL 394 north at Glenwood Dyer Rd - Lynwood, IL

IL 394 (Bishop Ford Freeway) proceeds three miles north from Glenwood Dyer Road to the systems interchange with I-80/294 (Tri-State Tollway) west and I-80/94 (Kingery Expressway) east. 09/03/05

IL 394 north at Glenwood Dyer Rd - Lynwood, IL IL 394 north at I-80/94/294 - Glenwood, IL IL 394 north at I-80/94/294 - Lansing, IL IL 394 north at I-80/94/294 - Lansing, IL IL 394 north at I-80/94/294 - Lansing, IL IL 394 north at I-80/94/294 - Lansing, IL IL 394 north at I-80/94/294 - Lansing, IL

South End – Past Views

Past Views Gallery (Tap to Expand / Collapse Section)

Interstate 80 East Interstate 294 South at Interstate 94 Illinois Route 394

I-80/294 east at I-94/IL 394 - 2001

Prior to reconstruction, a cloverleaf interchange joined I-80/294 and the south end of the Tri-State Tollway with the Calumet Expressway (I-94 north / IL 394 south). Photo by Eric W. Vander Yacht (04/01).

I-80/294 east at I-94/IL 394 - 2001 I-80/294 east at I-94/IL 394 - 2000

Interstate 80 Interstate 94 West at Interstate 294 Illinois Route 394

I-80/94 west at I-294/IL 394 - 2001

The Kingery Expressway west at the original cloverleaf interchange (Exit 161) with U.S. 6 west and IL 83 (Torrence Avenue). Photo by Eric W. Vander Yacht (04/01).

I-80/94 west at I-294/IL 394 - 2001 I-80/94 west at I-294/IL 394 - 2001 I-80/94 west at I-294/IL 394 - 2001 I-80/94 west at I-294/IL 394 - 2003

Interstate 94 East at Interstate 80 Interstate 294 Illinois Route 394

I-94 east at I-80-294/IL 394 - 2002

I-94 east at the E 170th Street overpass prior to I-80/294. Expansion of the Bishop Ford Freeway here included an additional lane and sound walls separating I-94 from parallel Prince Drive. Photo by Brian Dowd (11/02).

I-94 east at I-80-294/IL 394 - 2002 I-94 east at I-80-294/IL 394 - 2002 I-94 east at I-80-294/IL 394 - 2002

Illinois Route 394 North at Interstate 80 Interstate 94 Interstate 294

IL 394 north at I-80/94/294 - 2002

The concrete roadways along IL 394 leading north to I-80/90/294 were paved over with asphalt in 1990. Signs were replaced by 2009. Photo by Brian Dowd (10/26/02).

IL 394 north at I-80/94/294 - 2002 IL 394 north at I-80/94/294 - 2002 IL 394 north at I-80/94/294 - 2002 IL 394 north at I-80/94/294 - 2002

References

  1. Tollway delays Tri-State widening until '05. (2003, September 19). Chicago Sun-Times.
  2. McClendon, D. Encyclopedia of Chicago: Expressways. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/440.html
  3. Illinois Tollway. South Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Rebuild & Widen. Retrieved from https://www.illinoistollway.com/
  4. Young, D.M. Encyclopedia of Chicago: Tollways. Chicago Historical Society.
  5. http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1257.html
Updated June 28, 2022