Chicago I-290

Study Initiated The section of the Eisenhower Expressway from west of Mannheim Rd. (US 12/20/45) to east of Cicero Ave. (IL Route 50), is one of the oldest segments of the region’s highway infrastructure. Serving as the western gateway to the city of Chicago and the Chicago Central Area, I-290 is a major link in the transportation network serving northeast Illinois. This study will be developed based upon taking a fresh look at the transportation needs.

Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) The purpose of CSS is to gather and consider input on the project from all interested stakeholders. IDOT understands that other independent studies within the study area have similar interests intertwined with those of the I-290 project. IDOT will continue to reach out and coordinate with these stakeholder groups throughout the study process. There are many opportunities to get involved in the study process.

Federal Process The study will follow the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and will involve the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is expected to take approximately three years. NEPA is a federal law that requires federally funded projects to evaluate a range of alternatives-including doing nothing, known as “No-Build”- and assess the impacts of those alternatives on the environment.

Funding Currently, funding for Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Studies (Phase I) is available. However, no funding is currently programmed for final design and land acquisition (Phase II), or construction (Phase III).

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This website has been created to facilitate public input and provide facts about the study, the process and schedule. We invite you to explore the website and provide your comments and recommendations regarding the study through our Stay Informed section.

News & Events

Additional Stakeholder Input Sought for Purpose and Need
Upon obtaining public input on the first draft of the project Purpose and Need in the Spring of 2011, the Illinois Department of Transportation released a refined Purpose and Need document dated September 2011.Upon obtaining public input on the first draft of the project Purpose and Need in the Spring of 2011, the Illinois Department of Transportation released a refined Purpose and Need document dated September 2011. The release of this document initiates a new review period allowing stakeholders an opportunity to provide additional comments on the document. The review and comment period is 30 days in length and all comments received during this time period will be incorporated into the public record for the I-290 Environmental Impact Statement.

A Purpose and Need is a concise statement of the transportation problems to be addressed. It contains a purpose sentence, reflecting the desired outcome of the project, and a description of the project needs. For the I-290 Study, the purpose of the project is to provide an improved transportation facility along the I-290 Eisenhower expressway multi-modal corridor. The five specific needs identified for the project include: improve regional and local travel, improve access to employment, improve safety for all users, improve modal connections and opportunities, and improve facility deficiencies.

The full purpose and need document started as a July 2010 outline that was further developed, discussed and detailed resulting in the Spring 2011 version of the purpose and need. The transportation problems or needs identified in the document were determined based on a combination of stakeholder input and detailed technical studies. The technical studies focused on an assessment of the existing transportation system to identify transportation needs that exist today, and those that are anticipated to exist in the future should no major improvements occur in the study area. Each transportation mode in the corridor was reviewed and documented as well, including the highway and arterials, commuter rail (Metra), CTA heavy rail transit, CTA and PACE bus service, and freight rail systems and facilities. The results of these studies, combined with stakeholder input, influenced the development of the Purpose and Need. Each of these need points is broken down into more detail as follows:

Improve Regional and Local travel addresses the need to improve mobility, or the movement of people and goods, within the region and the study area. Regional travel is considered travel through the corridor that begins or ends outside the study area; while local travel either begins, ends or occurs entirely within the study area.
Improve access to employment focuses on improving mobility for workers who reside in, work within, or travel through the study area. Current conditions in the study area give facilities limited ability to accommodate commuter markets and accessibility to regional jobs is expected to decrease between 2010 and 2040 as congestion along roadways increases.
Improve safety for all users concentrates on reducing the overall frequency and severity of vehicular crashes in the study area; and, reducing conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians or bicyclists on facilities that accommodate these modes.
Improve modal connections and opportunities addresses the need to improve connections between all modes within the study area, and to accommodate all modes through cooperation and joint planning with transit providers.
Improve facility deficiencies focuses on addressing deficiencies in the condition of pavement and structures, as well as deficiencies of the current system in meeting current design standards.

The Purpose and Need serves as an important tool in the initial screening of alternatives. Those alternatives that do not adequately address the transportation needs will be dropped from further consideration. The remaining alternatives will be further developed, compared against purpose and need criteria as well as social, environmental, economic and cost factors. Stakeholder input will continue to be a significant factor in alternatives evaluation and testing.

Please click here to view the September 2011 draft of the refined Purpose and Need. Additional comments on the refined Purpose and Need are due by midnight on November 30, 2011.

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Over 200 Stakeholders Attend Second Public Meeting
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) held the second public meeting for the Eisenhower Study on May 18, 2011 at the Proviso Math and Science Academy in Forest Park, Illinois. The meeting was an open house format, and featured a continuous PowerPoint presentation and exhibit boards. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) held the second public meeting for the Eisenhower Study on May 18, 2011 at the Proviso Math and Science Academy in Forest Park, Illinois. The meeting was an open house format, and featured a continuous PowerPoint presentation and exhibit boards. The purpose of this public meeting was to obtain public input on the Purpose and Need and initial project alternatives. Stakeholder input will continue to be considered as the planning process moves forward.

IDOT has been gathering public input and presenting technical analysis through a series of nine Corridor Advisory Group (CAG)/Task Force (TF) meetings involving elected officials, community representatives, agencies and other interested stakeholders. Thus far, IDOT and stakeholders have identified the existing and future transportation needs and deficiencies in the study area for all modes of travel, including rail, bus, auto and bike/pedestrians. The results of the need analysis, in combination with stakeholder input, lead to the development of the project Purpose and Need. The following five need points summarize the project Purpose and Need: improve regional and local travel, improve access to employment, improve safety for all users, improve modal connections and opportunities, and improve facility deficiencies. By identifying the transportation problems to be addressed, the project Purpose and Need serves as a basis for evaluation of proposed project alternatives as the study progresses.

In addition to the Purpose and Need, an initial list of potential solutions was on display at the public meeting. Approximately 170 alternatives have been submitted by stakeholders over the course of the study including at Public Meeting #1 and the CAG/TF alternatives workshop. The alternatives were divided by mode for easier viewing and included: Heavy Rail Transit (HRT); Bus Rapid Transit (BRT); Commuter Rail; Automated Guideway Transit (AGT); Local and Express Bus; Expressway Improvements; Managed Lanes (HOV and Tolling); Arterial Improvements; Traffic Management; Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements; and, other alternatives. Stakeholders were encouraged to comment on the displayed alternatives or suggest additional alternatives or enhancements for consideration.

An Environmental Inventory Map of the study area was also available for viewing and comment. The purpose of this map was to assist IDOT in the identification of environmental features within the study area that must be considered during the evaluation of alternatives and for identification of potential impacts. Impacts to the identified environmental features will be avoided wherever possible.

Approximately 150 comment forms, suggested transportation alternatives, and website comments were submitted. Stakeholders comments included: the importance of addressing regional transportation; the desire to consider multi-modal alternatives to improve both vehicular and transit travel; improving highway access and safety; expanding transit options; improving bicycle and pedestrian access and circulation in the study area; and, positive feedback regarding the study process. Stakeholder input will also influence the development and evaluation of potential alternatives in the next steps.

Stakeholders are encouraged to continue to get involved in the Eisenhower Expressway Study by regularly visiting the project website, attending public meetings, and providing comments and feedback.

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Corridor Advisory Group and Task Forces will Influence Decisions
Interaction with potentially affected communities is important for ensuring that IDOT proposals are consistent with community goals and objectives. To provide a forum for discussions of details about the goals, objectives, potential improvements, and design of I-290, IDOT is forming a Corridor Advisory Group (CAG) and Task Forces (TF).Interaction with potentially affected communities is important for ensuring that IDOT proposals are consistent with community goals and objectives. To provide a forum for discussions of details about the goals, objectives, potential improvements, and design of I-290, IDOT is forming a Corridor Advisory Group (CAG) and Task Forces (TF). The CAG will consist of elected officials from two counties and eight municipalities. These include Cook and DuPage Counties, and the municipalities of Bellwood, Broadview, Chicago, Forest Park, Hillside, Maywood, Oak Park, and Westchester.

Corridor Advisory Group

To assist in the development of the environmental and engineering studies for the I-290 study, IDOT is forming a Corridor Advisory Group (CAG). The purpose of the CAG is to provide input on various study elements including defining needs and alternative development and evaluation criteria. The CAG consists of community leaders from each of the eight communities in the study area and representatives from Cook and DuPage Counties The responsibilities of this group include providing input to the study process, and reaching a consensus at key project milestones, e.g. project Purpose and Need, range of alternatives to be advanced for detailed study, and the recommended alternative(s).

Task Forces

A Task Force (TF) group provides a means for obtaining technical support to the CAG from a diverse set of stakeholders. The two TF categories (Transportation/Engineering and Land Use/Environmental) intend to focus on technical aspects of the project development, and provide external information and input with respect to transportation, engineering, land use and environmental topics.

Task Force Groups will be formed as needed, and be comprised of stakeholders with expertise in these categories. The TF members may include CAG members or designated staff, or representatives from other governmental bodies, transportation agencies, or interest groups. The TF's will meet throughout the project development process and their input will be shared with the CAG.

The TF's will focus on understanding and resolving more specific technical issues as they arise and report back to the Project Study Group (PSG). The TF's may be asked to address the CAG to help communicate technical subject matter issues.

To keep staffing requirements manageable, TF's would be organized and focused on a particular topic to limit the number of study specialists needed to attend. The meeting program will be designed to encourage timely and meaningful opportunities for input into the project process. To assure proper balance with safety, mobility, and cost, IDOT and FHWA will ultimately determine the direction.

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