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Elgin O’Hare Western Access (Illinois Route 390 & I-490 Tollway)

The Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project aims to connect Chicagoland like never before. Driven by the need to reduce traffic and enhance access to O’Hare International Airport, the new Illinois Route 390 Tollway and I-490 Tollway will serve an estimated 120,000 vehicles a day, alleviating delays on local roads while dramatically cutting down travel times.

V3 is the Corridor Construction Manager for this $4 billion project, overseeing more than 100 separate construction contracts, coordinating activities with more than 14 local agencies, two Class I Railroads, the FAA and O’Hare Airport, and managing more than 20 separate construction management firms to inspect and document the improvements.

With more than 17 miles of new tollway, four interstate system interchanges, and 15 new and/or improved local interchanges, this ambitious project has been designated as a “Project of National and Regional Significance” by federal transportation legislation.

Owner

Illinois Tollway

Market Sector

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Region

View Additional Project Highlights
  • From 2014 through 2020, our team served as the Corridor Construction Manager for the Illinois Tollway leading the delivery of more than 12 miles of new Illinois Route 390 Tollway, the first segment of the project. From 2020 to present day, our team serving as the Corridor Construction Manager for the Illinois Tollway has been leading the delivery of 6.5 miles of the new I-490 Tollway and three interchanges, the second segment of the project.
  • The overall limits of the Elgin O’Hare Western Access project extend along the new Illinois Route 390 Tollway from US 20/Lake Street to O’Hare Airport and along the new I-490 Tollway from the Central Tri-State (I-294) to the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90).
  • The vast majority of the tollways are being constructed on new alignments with:
    • More than 1,500,000-cubic-yards of imported embankment and more than 3,000,000-cubic-yards of overall earthwork
    • Nearly 60 lane miles of new concrete pavement
    • Construction of 52 new bridges
    • 12 rehabilitated/improved bridges
    • Installation of new fiber optic and tolling facilities
    • Installation of a variety of intelligent transportation system elements
    • Relocation of runway approach lighting on new bridges
    • New noise walls and retaining walls
    • New sign structures and dynamic message trusses
    • Numerous detention facilities
    • Extensive landscaping
  • Extensive electrical work was done to install intelligent transportation system equipment which transmits real-time traffic and roadway data to the Illinois Tollway and IDOT.
  • The western part of the corridor was converted from an expressway to a tollway; and required approval by both the Illinois General Assembly and Federal Highway Administration.
  • The project also included more than $250,000,000 of utility relocations as well as the relocation of 15 high-mast regional electrical transmission towers.
  • Due to limited space for conventional embankment processes, an innovative solution utilizing lime kiln dust was used to reduce moisture contents in the existing site material.
  • The modified soils were inspected and tested to assure lime application rates were met, optimum moisture content attained and required compaction was reached.
  • Coordination efforts between multiple contracts and adjacent businesses were required on this multi-year project that involved complex traffic staging through multiple construction seasons.
  • This project also includes the installation of O’Hare International Airport runway approach lighting bridges, which help guide commercial jets to safe airport landings.

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