Major Construction Activities



Through 2018

Existing Elgin O’Hare Expressway rehabilitated and widened (complete)

New interchange configuration at Elgin O’Hare / I-290 and Elgin O’Hare / Illinois Route 53 (under construction)

New access at I-90 / Elmhurst Road (under construction)

Extension of existing Elgin-O’Hare Expressway to O’Hare Airport (mainline now being constructed through Itasca)

Western access into O’Hare Airport via York Road (planned)

After 2018

Long-term activities for the project include:

Constructing a toll road connecting I-90 and I-294 on the west side of O’Hare Airport

New access to I-294/North Avenue

New access from I-294 to Taft Avenue/Irving Park Road (Illinois Route 19)

Local Advisory Committee

As part of its 15-year, $12 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, the Illinois Tollway has committed $3.1 billion toward the $3.4 billion needed to begin building the EOWA Project as soon as 2013.Funding sources to close the remaining $300 million gap have yet to be determined. DuPage County and local officials are working with state and federal officials and the Tollway to identify additional funding sources.Construction of the EOWA Project could began in 2013 with major early milestones consisting of:As part of the EOWA Project, the Illinois Tollway has created a Local Advisory Committee to provide input and help guide construction of the EOWA through 2025.Guidelines approved by the Tollway’s Board of Directors call for the Local Advisory Committee to work with the Illinois Tollway and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to address local construction issues, such as noise abatement, landscaping options, property access and use, as well as drainage and utility issues. The committee will also have the option to explore potential interest in community partnerships for aesthetic additions and bike/pedestrian enhancements, as well as sustainability initiatives and economic development opportunities for the corridor as a whole.Each of the 19 communities and townships along the EOWA Project corridor was asked to designate a member on the committee. In addition, both Cook and DuPage counties have designated a representative to serve as a special liaison to the committee.