illinois tollway

The Illinois Tollway issued a press release (4/18) advising motorists to drive "with caution" on a rainy day recently. These dumb Chicagoites apparently needed to be told that. Once the rain passed of course it was OK by the Tollway for them to throw caution to the wind and drive with their normal reckless abandon.

TOLLROADSnews 2013-04-23

In reponse we got this:

Illinois Tollway is trying to make it easier for people to contest common 'violations' for which they really aren't responsible. Circumstances such as:

- Sold: vehicle is sold and in possession of a new owner at the time the violations occurred.

- Stolen: vehicle had been stolen and was not in my possession at the time the violations occurred.

2012-10-30: At the Illinois Tollway's offices at Downers Grove this week they had a ceremonial signing of final planning and permitting documents (the famous federal FEIS) needed to start construction on an upgrade and tolling of an arterial west of O'Hare Airport. Plus a new stretch of highway east of the Airport, and a north south connector pike arouind the western edge of the Airport.

2012-09-21: The Illinois Tollway is moving to award a $61.5m 5-year contract for call center services to a local blind people's charity called The Chicago Lighthouse. The board of directors customer service committee is recommending Chicago Lighthouse Industries (CLI) be contracted to manage and staff the Tollway's I-PASS call center available via 800-UCI-PASS. A formal decision will be made by the full board due to meet Sept 27.

2012-09-06: The Illinois Tollway says it is owed around $300 million in unpaid tolls and penalties. Those uncollected debts are associated with about 550,000 vehicle owners as of July. By way of comparison in fiscal 2011 toll revenues were $686m, so the uncollected debt and penalties is over 5 months' toll revenues.

2012-08-16: The Illinois Tollway has published a draft "Interchange and Roadway Cost Sharing Policy" for comment. It looks to be an effort to support an ordered technocratic decisionmaking process where otherwise quasi-corrupt politics or crony capitalism often prevails.

The Illinois Tollway calls a refurbished pair of interchange ramps the Tri-Level Bridge. One ramp of this bridge - just reopened - takes northbound Tri-State Tollway (I-294) traffic to westbound Addams Tollway (I-90.) And there's a matching ramp that takes traffic southbound on I-294 to eastbound I-90. The second was rebuilt last year.

see aerial graphic nearby highlighting the I-294NB to I-90WB

HNTB has gotten a program management job at the Illinois Tollway that should pay $69.9m, the Tollway announces. The work is described as "systemwide program management, technical and administrative services for the Move Illinois program."

HNTB was competing with Parsons Brinckerhoff.

"Move Illinois" is the PR name for a $12 billion capital program to

- rebuild, widen and modernize the Jane Addams Tollway (I-90)

The Illinois Tollway is looking to employ a major engineering firm to review its management of construction projects and suggest how it can improve in its next 15 year, $12b capital program.