Interstate 294 Illinois

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.

Route Information

North End – Deerfield, IL
South End – Lansing, IL
Mileage – 53.42*
Cities – Harvey, Westchester, Oak Lawn, Chicago
Junctions –

Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
* – 5.32 miles on I-80

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 at Hanson Aggregrates-Thorton 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).

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 – Deerfield, Illinois

North at

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).

Lake-Cook Road is a major arterial that straddles the Lake and Cook County lines for 17 miles from Dear Park to Deerfield. Ramps connect with Lake-Cook Road from both I-94 and I-294, with each exit numbered based on their respective mileage. Photo by Peter Johnson (06/25/16).

Exit 52 departs I-294 north for Lake-Cook Road while four lanes continue directly onto Interstate 94 west. A slip ramp beyond the wye interchange with I-94 provides access to nearby Deerfield Road (Exit 24). Photo by Peter Johnson (06/25/16).

Interstate 294 concludes a 52 mile long course through the greater Chicago metro area as I-94 westbound overtakes the Tri-State Tollway. The toll road extends another 24 miles north to I-41/U.S. 41. 06/23/22

East at

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

Continuing south, the Tri-State Tollway passes between Riverwoods and Deerfield to the Deerfield Road entrance ramp. The succeeding exits connect with both Lake Cook Road and the Edens Spur. 06/24/22

Interstate 94 branches east with two lanes as I-294 commences southwest with three lanes beyond Exit 25 A to Lake Cook Road. The Tri-State Tollway bypasses Chicago and is the best route for through traffic, especially during commuting hours. 06/24/22

Interstate 94 crosses the Cook County line at the forthcoming Lake Cook Road overpass. I-94 arcs east around Northbrook to Skokie and the Windy City. 06/24/22

The Edens Spur and Tri-State Tollway separate at a wye interchange (Exit 25 B). 06/24/22

I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) straddles western reaches of Cook County to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Elmhurst. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/30/20).

The first confirming marker for Interstate 294 south. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/30/20).

West at

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

Turning north below the ending I-294 northbound mainline, I-94 west partitions with the off-ramp (Exit 24) for Deerfield Road to the villages of Riverwoods and Deerfield. 06/13/15

Exit 24 separates from I-94 west through a single lane tunnel with a 14 foot clearance below the Tri-State Tollway. 06/13/15

Interstate 94 overtakes the Tri-State Tollway with two lanes as traffic from I-294 merges from the right. 06/13/15

North End Throwback

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

Additional lanes were added to the Tri-State Tollway north at the merge with the Edens Spur in the early 2010s. Ramps for Lake-Cook Road and Deerfield Road were numbered 52 and 24 respectively by 2015. Photo by Steve Hanudel (05/14/06).

South End – Lansing, Illinois

East South at

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).

The last confirming marker for I-294 south stands along the Tri-State Tollway east in the village of Thornton. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/30/20).

Advancing past the Hanson Aggregrates-Thorton Quarry west of Vincennes Road, the Tri-State Tollway approaches the systems interchange with the Bishop Ford Freeway. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/30/20).

The Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis precedes the Exit 0 for the Bishop Ford Freeway. The final service plaza on the Tri-State Tollway southbound houses the Illinois and Chicago Southland Welcome Center. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/30/20).

Two lanes separate from I-80/294 eastbound for Interstate 94 leading north to Chicago and IL 394 south to Crete and Danville. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/30/20).

The zero milepost for Interstate 294 within the three level interchange with the Bishop Ford Freeway. The Tri-State Tollway ends and the Kingery Expressway begins here. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/30/20).

An end sign appears for I-294 below the high speed flyover connecting the Tri-State Tollway with Interstate 94 (Bishop Ford Freeway) north through South Holland, Dolton and south Chicago. Photo by Peter Johnson (05/30/20).

West at

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

Crossing into Illinois, the Borman Expressway becomes the Kingery Expressway. A collector distributor roadway separates next for the continuation of I-94 north to Chicago and for IL 394 south to Crete and Danville. 05/24/08

I-294 appears for the first time along I-80 west just ahead of Exit 160 for the Bishop Ford Freeway. The massive reconstruction of the Kingery Expressway included the addition of the c/d roadway network extending east beyond Torrence Avenue (U.S. 6/IL 83). 05/24/08

Interstate 94 west splits with I-80 along a three-lane c/d roadway. I-80 combines with I-294 along the eight-lane Tri-State Tollway beyond the adjacent SPUI (Exit 161) with Torrence Avenue. 05/24/08

East at

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

U.S. 6 (159th Street) meets I-94 (Bishop Ford Freeway) at a cloverleaf interchange (Exits 73 A/B) one mile north of the Kingery Expressway. U.S. 6 turns south through Lansing to combine with I-80/94 via Torrence Avenue. 06/24/22

Reconstruction of the Kingery Expressway also added a fourth southbound lane to the Bishop Ford Freeway leading to the separation with IL 394. 06/24/22

The Interstate 94 mainline maintains two lanes as it branches southeast to join with the Kingery Expressway (I-80) to Hammond, Indiana. 06/24/22

IL 394 continues the Bishop Ford Freeway south to Crete via Exit 74 A. The state route connects with IL 1 south to Danville. 06/24/22

Exit 74 B follows from IL 394 south for Interstate 80 west to Joliet and the Tri-State Tollway north to the Chicago western suburbs. 06/24/22

North at

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 travels through the Cook County Forest Preserve two miles ahead of I-80, I-94 and I-294. 06/24/22

One mile from the cloverstack interchange with the Tri-State Tollway and Kingery Expressway on IL 394 (Calumet Expressway) north. 06/24/22

I-80/94 combine along the Kingery Expressway eastbound through Lansing to the Borman Expressway into Hammond, Indiana. 06/24/22

The north end of IL 394 was improved during the Kingery Expressway project. A third lane was added for the ramps to I-80/90/294. 06/24/22

IL 394 north transitions onto Interstate 94 (Bishop Ford Freeway) westbound to Dolton and Chicago. 06/24/22

A loop ramp joins I-80 west and the northbound beginning of Interstate 294 along the Tri-State Tollway. 06/24/22

South End Throwback

East South at

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).

The previous end sign for I-294 preceded the loop ramp (Exit 160) from I-80/294 east to the inbound Calumet Expressway. Photo by Stephen Summers (12/00)

West at

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).

The single lane c/d roadway from Torrence Avenue added a fourth westbound lane for I-80/94 to the split at Exit 160B. Photo by Eric W. Vander Yacht (04/01).

Interstate 80 west continued with just two lanes from the Kingery Expressway onto the Tri-State Tollway and I-294. Photo by Eric W. Vander Yacht (04/01).

Westbound at the split of I-94 north to Chicago and I-80 west to Joliet. No advance signs referenced the adjacent loop ramp (Exit 160A) for IL 394 south to Crete. Photo by Chris Patriarca (05/25/03).

East at

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).

Traffic separated for I-94 east to I-80 (Kingery Expressway) and IL 394 south to I-80/294 west. Danville, located far south beyond the end of IL 394 at the cross roads of IL 1 and I-74 in downstate Illinois. Photo by Brian Dowd (06/02).

I-94 previously merged with the left side of I-80 eastbound. This connection was relocated to merge on the right, with a slip ramp linking to the SPUI at Torrence Avenue. Photo by Brian Dowd (06/02).

North at

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).

A third lane opens ahead of the Thornton Road overpass, with the roadway rebuilt using concrete. A sign bridge posted to the south replaced this overhead assembly. Photo by Brian Dowd (06/02).

Exits for I-80/90 (Kingery Expressway) east and I-80/294 (Tri-State Tollway) west formerly departed from the IL 394 (Bishop Ford Freeway) mainline. Photo by Brian Dowd (06/02).

Sources:

“Tollway delays Tri-State widening until ’05.” Chicago Sun-Times, September 19, 2003.
Encyclopedia of Chicago: Expressways by Dennis McClendon of the Chicago Historical Society.
“South Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Rebuild & Widen.” – Illinois Tollway web site.
Encyclopedia of Chicago: Tollways by David M. Young of the Chicago Historical Society.

Page updated June 28, 2022.