Illinois toll hike eyed to rebuild aging tollway system

Springfield, IL, United States (AHN) – With continued widespread support from commuters and nearby communities, the Illinois Tollway Board is poised to approve on Thursday a toll increase that it says will help fund a proposed $12 billion, 15-year capital improvement plan on the 52-year-old tollway system.

The additional 35-cent toll is nearly double the current fee for I-Pass users, and 70 cents for cash payers. For a commuter who pays for at least two I-PASS tolls a trip, twice a day, the increase would mean an extra $7 a week, or $350 for a 50-week year. If approved, the new fares would go into effect Jan. 1, 2012.

The board said the expected additional revenue will cover the rebuilding of the Jane Addams Tollway, modernization of Interstate 90 from O’Hare International Airport to Rockford for the first time in 50 years, creation of a south suburban interchange between I-294 and I-57 and construction of an additional leg of the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway that still connects neither Elgin nor O’Hare.

Nearby communities said they support the fare adjustment for the 120,000 jobs generation expected from the project.

The last toll hike the Illinois Tollway Board made was in 1983.

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