By Marney Simon | Bugle Staff
Looking for ways to ease congestion through the heart of Joliet, city leaders have reached out to the Illinois Tollway Authority for ideas for a solution.
In October, Robert Schillerstrom, Chairman of the Illinois Tollway, spoke to members of the Joliet City Council on the possibility of adding I-80 through Will County to the Illinois toll road network. Schillerstrom told the council that not only can a 65-year-old tollway system help earn the funds for repairs and upkeep, but changing into a toll road would involve an overhaul of the entire road that would include added lanes and improved interchanges.
“There is a committee that has been put together by John Grueling and the Center for Economic Development regarding I-80 and moving the project forward,” said Mayor Bob O’Dekirk. “[He discussed] some of the options that we, not Joliet, but the area faces with I-80.”
Schillerstrom told the council that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is unlikely to secure enough funding to address all of I-80’s issues for another 20 years. A problem that could haunt the area, which has become the biggest inland port in the United States.
“The biggest inland port in the country is located right here, there’s a tremendous amount of truck traffic. Much of that flows on to I-80 and I-55, which makes it imperative that if we are going to realize the potential opportunities for growth and economic development in the future, that we invest in those roadways,” Schillerstrom said “I-80 is one of those roads that does need investment. IDOT has recognized that, they’ve put together a plan [but] we need about $50 billion to keep our interstates in northeastern Illinois, to bring them up to a standard that we have them at.”
Schillerstrom said a new toll road would be a 21st Century road, similar to the current upgrades underway along 22 miles of I-294. That project’s current price tag is $4.1 billion, but it’s cash that the toll system says they have to invest in the local road network. A proposal through Will County would be similar, and would include added lanes for congestion relief, widening of shoulders, and even specialized lanes for electric-powered vehicles.
“I don’t know what to tell you it would look like other than we are going to try and make the best road possible for the people of northeastern Illinois that will serve them throughout the 21st century and will help to put people to work and to bring people home safely,” Schillerstrom said. “We won’t start the discussion with a lot of impediments.”
Council members said their main concern is long-term residents who may use the roadway several times a week suddenly being made to pay tolls.
But, Schillerstrom said, it would be unlikely for locals to be exempt from paying those tolls, due to existing law and the trust agreement the toll authority has with the state.
While Joliet has little say in changing the road into a tollway, city officials noted that they would offer support to the plan.
“Some people realize that waiting for IDOT probably isn’t going to happen, as we said it could take 20 years, which really is intolerable,” O’Dekirk said. “The situation on 80 is bad.”
Bringing a toll to I-80 would be completed through a partnership with local, state and federal agencies.
“Ultimately, if a decision is going to be made to toll I-80, we’re going to have to work with our legislators. We may have to work with our federal representatives, and we’re going to need support from local government and also from citizens who use the road,” Schillerstrom said. “We’d like to be on the team, we’d like to help, we’re ready, willing and able.”
The plan is currently in a discussion stage, with no immediate plans to add tolls along the interstate.
The Illinois Tollway covers 294 miles of roads in northeast Illinois, and currently includes four interstates and one state road. The toll roads service 1.6 million vehicles per pay, earning $1.5 billion per year in toll payments, and is currently in the middle of a $14 billion, 15-year capital improvement program.
“We are a profitable entity, and one that has the ability to invest in infrastructure,” Schillerstrom said.