The proposal—to be the subject of a public hearing at 4 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Holiday Inn at 6201 Joliet Road in Countryside—would not directly impact existing, free lanes. But with the Stevenson and other highways more clogged every year and money short for expansion, motorists eventually may have to chose between creeping along in heavy traffic or paying up and accessing faster toll lanes.

"We can't go on moving traffic in the same way we have in the past," said IDOT Secretary Randy Blankenhorn. "This approach works in more than 50 cities now," such as Dallas/Ft. Worth, where tolled roads and lanes often adjoin existing free expressways. And, from my experience, vehicles on the toll roads move more quickly.

Blankenhorn said no final decision has been made, but after reviewing various possibilities, including establishing high-occupancy lanes, decided it made the most sense to run this proposal by the public.

Under the current plan, IDOT is considering building one inbound and one outbound lane for toll traffic. The department could operate a toll system itself, or enter into a partnership with a private firm.

Blankenhorn said the "detailed review" will continue for several more months, with a final decision likely next summer. If the agency decides on this approach, construction could begin in 2017 and be be completed by 2018, he added.

Comments can be made in person at the Dec. 9 hearing or on IDOT's project web site.