Interstate 88 (Illinois)

Interstate 88 marker

Interstate 88
Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway/Tollway
I-88 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by IDOT and ISTHA
Length 140.60 mi[1] (226.27 km)
Existed July 1987[2] – present
Major junctions
West end
I-80 / IL 5 / IL 92 / IL 110 (CKC) in East Moline
 
East end
I-290 / I-294 / IL 110 (CKC) in Hillside
Location
Counties Rock Island, Whiteside, Lee, Ogle, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, Cook
Highway system
Illinois State Highway System
← IL 84IL 89 →

Interstate 88 (I-88) is a tolled Interstate Highway in the US state of Illinois that runs from an interchange with I-80 near Silvis and Moline to an interchange with I-290 and I-294 in Hillside, near Chicago. I-88 is 140.60 miles (226.27 km) long. This route is not contiguous with I-88 in New York. Since 2010, all of I-88 has been part of the Chicago–Kansas City Expressway. The highway also runs through the cities of Aurora, Naperville, DeKalb, and Dixon.

History

Prior to its designation as an Interstate Highway, the route was known as Illinois Route 5 (IL 5), and before that, IL 190.

The reason for I-88's original designation and continued existence as an Interstate has to do with a technicality in the old National Maximum Speed Law (NMSL). Originally passed in 1973, the NMSL was amended in 1987 to permit 65-mile-per-hour (105 km/h) speed limits on rural stretches of Interstate Highways only. Even though IL 5 was fully up to Interstate Highway standards, it still had to carry a 55-mile-per-hour (89 km/h) limit because of this wording in NMSL. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) petitioned the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to re-designate IL 5 as an Interstate, and in 1987, AASHTO approved the request and assigned the I-88 numbering to the highway.[2] The NMSL would be completely repealed only eight years later in 1995, but the I-88 shields remain to this day, even though Chicago–Kansas City Expressway (IL 110) markers are being posted throughout the entire length of I-88, since it is now part of the Chicago to Kansas City Expressway project, bannered with special "CKC" logos.

Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway

Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway in Naperville, heading east

The Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, originally known as the East-West Tollway, is a toll road in northern Illinois.

Opened November 21, 1958, it was initially designated as U.S. Route 30 Toll (US 30 Toll), and later IL 190. The original routing extended from the I-294 interchange near Hillside to IL 47 near Sugar Grove. IL 56 was overlapped on the East-West Tollway between North Aurora and Sugar Grove in 1965.

Map of the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway, the tolled portion of I-88

When the East-West Tollway was extended to Dixon in the 1970s, the IL 190 numbering was removed from the stretch between Aurora and Sugar Grove, making that section strictly IL 56. Once complete, the new routing of the combined tollway and freeway between I-80 near the Quad Cities and I-294 became designated as IL 5. In the late 1980s, it was renumbered I-88.

Officially, the tollway portion begins in Rock Falls, starting at the intersection with US 30 at mile marker 44, although the first toll plaza does not appear until after the IL 26 interchange in Dixon, making the section between US 30 and IL 26 technically a freeway. It continues as a tollway until its terminus in Hillside, although there is a free section between exit 76 (IL 251) and exit 78 (I-39). West of US 30 to I-80, I-88 is a freeway. The tollway portion is 96 miles (154 km) long.

After the death of Illinois native and former President Ronald Reagan in 2004, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISHTA) voted to rename the toll roadway "Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway" in his memory, as it passes near his birthplace of Tampico and grazes the south outskirts of his boyhood hometown of Dixon. The tollway portion of I-88 was previously known as the "East–West Tollway" and is still displayed as such on some signs near Chicago.

There is no direct off-ramp access to US 52, IL 23, IL 25, and IL 83 (northbound). In addition, I-88 merges with IL 56 for a short distance.

Although a federal law, 23 U.S.C. § 111, prohibits the operation of commercial rest areas constructed after January 1, 1960, on Interstate Highways, the DeKalb oasis was constructed at milepost 93 in 1975, prior to the route's designation as I-88 and remains in operation.

From 2005 lasting through 2012, ISTHA reconstructed and widened much of the original portion of I-88, between York Road and IL 56. Approximately $991.6 million was budgeted for I-88 over that period.[3] Between 2005 and 2009, I-88 was reconstructed and widened to four lanes in each direction between IL 59 and York Road, with work progressing gradually from west to east. The project included a reconstruction and reconfiguration of the Naperville Road interchange.[4] Between IL 56 and the Aurora Toll Plaza, I-88 was reconstructed and widened to three lanes, including the reconstruction of the IL 31 interchange and new bridges over the Fox River.[5][6]

A $36 million interchange at Eola Road in Aurora opened on November 20, 2009, after approximately 10 years of planning and less than one year of actual construction.[7] Toll booths at this ramp accept only I-PASS, and have no provisions for accepting cash payments.[8][9]

Exit list

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
Rock IslandEast Moline0.000.00 IL 5 / IL 92 west – Moline, Rock IslandContinuation beyond western terminus; west end of IL 92 overlap
1
I-80 / IL 110 (CKC) south to I-74 – Des Moines, Peoria		Signed as exits 1A (east) and 1B (west); west end of IL 110 overlap; I-80 exits 4A–B
2Old IL 2
Joslin6 IL 92 east – JoslinEast end of IL 92 overlap
Hillsdale10Hillsdale, Port Byron
WhitesideErie18Erie, AlbanyTo IL 84
Lyndon26 IL 78 – Morrison, ProphetstownFormer IL 2
Rock Falls36 US 30 west – Clinton, Rock Falls, Sterling
41 IL 40 – Rock Falls, Sterling
44 US 30 – Joliet, Rock Falls
Lee​Eastern end of Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway
Western end of Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway
Dixon54 IL 26 – Dixon
Dixon Toll Plaza
OgleRochelle76 IL 251 – Rochelle, Mendota
78 I-39 / US 51 – Rockford, Bloomington, NormalI-39 exits 97A-B; signed as exits 78A (south) and 78B (north).
DeKalbDeKalb86.25138.81DeKalb Toll Plaza
9114691 To IL 38 / IL 23 / Lincoln Highway / Annie Glidden Road – DeKalb, Cortland, Creston, MaltaToll on eastbound exit and westbound entrance ramps
93.25150.07DeKalb Oasis
94.25151.6894 To IL 38 / Lincoln Highway / Peace Road – DeKalb, Cortland, Creston, MaltaToll on westbound exit and eastbound entrance ramps
KaneSugar Grove109175109 IL 47Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Aurora113.75183.06113 IL 56 west to US 30 / IL 47 – Sugar GroveWest end of IL 56 overlap; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
114.5184.3114Orchard RoadToll on eastbound exit and westbound entrance ramps, was exit 115
North Aurora116.75187.89117 IL 31 / IL 56 eastEast end of IL 56 overlap; toll on eastbound exit and westbound entrance ramps
Aurora118190Aurora Toll Plaza
119.25191.91119Farnsworth AvenueToll on westbound exit and eastbound entrance ramps; signed as exits 119A and 119B westbound
DuPage121.25195.13121To Eola RoadI-PASS only on westbound exit and eastbound entrance ramps
Naperville123.5198.8123 IL 59Diverging diamond interchange as of 2016
Warrenville125.5202.0125Winfield RoadToll on eastbound exit and westbound entrance ramps
Naperville127204127To Naperville RoadToll on eastbound exit and westbound entrance ramps
Lisle130210130 IL 53 (Lincoln Avenue)Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
Downers Grove131–
133.5		211–
214.8		131
I-355 (Veterans Memorial Tollway) – Joliet, Northwest Suburbs		I-355 exit 20; signed as exits 131A (south) and 131B (north) westbound; signed as exits 131 (south) and 132 (north) eastbound
134.5216.5134Highland AvenueToll on eastbound exit and westbound entrance ramps
Oak Brook135217Meyers Road Toll Plaza (eastbound)
136.5219.7136Midwest RoadEastbound exit and entrance only; toll on eastbound entrance ramp
137.3221.0137 IL 83 south (Kingery Highway)No westbound entrance; toll on eastbound entrance ramp
138 To IL 83 north (Kingery Highway) / 22nd Street (Cermak Road)Westbound entrance and exit only; toll on westbound entrance ramp
York Road Toll Plaza (westbound)
138.5222.9138
I-294 south (Tri-State Tollway) / York Road – Indiana		Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; exit includes direct exit ramp onto York Road
CookHillside—
I-294 north (Tri-State Tollway) / I-290 west (Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway) – Milwaukee, Rockford		Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
—
I-294 south (Tri-State Tollway) / IL 38 west (Roosevelt Road) – Indiana		Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
— I-290 east (All trucks) to US 12 / US 20 / US 45 (Mannheim Road) – ChicagoEastbound exit only

I-290 / IL 110 (CKC) east (Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway) – Chicago		Eastern terminus; east end of Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway; exit 15A on I-290
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ↑ Illinois Technology Transfer Center (2006). "T2 GIS Data". Illinois Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
  2. 1 2 Mehler, Neil H. (July 6, 1987). "Road with Many Names Gets a New One". Chicago Tribune (National ed.). p. C3. Retrieved February 16, 2008.
  3. ↑ Staff (September 2007). "Executive Summary". Congestion-Relief Program Summary (PDF) (Report). Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. pp. 3–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2011. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  4. ↑ Staff (May 5, 2009). "Washington Street to Finley Road Rebuild & Widen Project & Naperville Road Interchange" (PDF). Reagan Memorial Tollway. Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  5. ↑ Staff (December 2, 2009). "Aurora Toll Plaza to Orchard Road Rebuild & Widen Project" (PDF). Reagan Memorial Tollway. Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  6. ↑ "I-88 Rebuild and Widen Project" (PDF). Reagan Memorial Tollway. Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  7. ↑ Sanchez, Robert (November 20, 2009). "Long-Awaited Eola Road/I-88 Interchange Opens". Daily Herald. Arlington Heights, IL. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  8. ↑ Griffin, Jake (April 15, 2009). "Tollway Expects Eola Interchange at I-88 by End of Year". Daily Herald. Arlington Heights, IL. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  9. ↑ Smith, Gerry (November 27, 2009). "New I-88 Interchange at Eola Road Opens in Aurora". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 2, 2010.

Route map:

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