I-90 Reconstruction Master Plan Update & Design

The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) embarked on an ambitious plan to widen and rebuild all 62 miles of I-90, also known as the Jane Addams Tollway, in Cook County, IL. The widening included a new travel lane and a widened interior median that could accommodate vehicles and buses. The project was a massive undertaking, as the goal was to complete the entire project, from planning to final opening, in four years – all while minimizing the right-of-way footprint as much as possible.

As part of a joint-venture team, Benesch led two parts of this project: a seven-mile design section and 25 miles of overall corridor management. Over three years, the design team developed plans for the corridor, including retaining walls, noise walls, mainline pavements widening and reconstruction, watermain, new ramp toll plazas, lighting, ITS and seven bridges.

Benesch ensured that the corridor was consistent across the 52 separate contracts held by ISTHA. In addition, the design team coordinated with an extensive list of stakeholders in the area, including ten neighboring communities, counties, forest preserves, O’Hare International Airport and many others.

The design involved a corridor-wide effort to recommend a Smart Corridor plan consisting of state-of-the-industry equipment, as well as 18 miles of Active Traffic Management and lane control signs/DMS for every lane. An extensive maintenance of traffic plan was also established to eliminate the need for a counter-flow lane, as well as an optimized schedule and cost to reduce the impacts to the motoring public.