The Illinois Department of Transportation last week announced that two construction hot spots are shifting into high gear this month.

As of this week, you'll notice a big increase in construction activities for the Hillside Bottleneck improvement project in Schaumburg. Two exit ramps from the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) to Mannheim Road and one entrance ramp from Mannheim to the Eisenhower will be closed for reconstruction and reconfiguration. However, the interchange will remain fully operational, as temporary traffic signals will allow traffic to enter and exit the Eisenhower from all directions by alternate routes. Several ramps have been closed and are not expected to re-open until July.
Yesterday, work crews on the Mission I-55 project in Chicago closed one lane in each direction from west of Kedzie Avenue to just east of the Des Plaines River. Drivers have two open lanes in each direction for 15-miles between LaGrange Road and Canal Street. This planned patching and resurfacing project adds to the more extensive work that began in early March, which includes the complete reconstruction of the outbound bridges and pavement from Canal Street to Kedzie Avenue and from the Des Plaines River to LaGrange Road.
IDOT expects about 150,000-175,000 vehicles per day to be affected, including many trucks, which comprise a large percentage of the expressway's total traffic volume.
This year marks the final phase of the $567 million reconstruction of the mainline Stevenson Expressway. For the latest information about Mission I-55, call (312) DOT-INFO or visit the Mission I-55 website at www.missioni55.com.