Elgin-O'Hare Expressway

infobox road
highway_name=Elgin O'Hare Expressway
marker_

alternate_name=
length_mi=6
direction=East-west
starting_terminus=
ending_terminus=
cities=Schaumburg, Roselle
established=November 2, 1993cite news |publisher=Chicago Tribune |title=Gridlock bandage: Elgin-O'Hare Expressway - at least part of it - opens |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0FFECEADCE8D3DBF&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |author=Ibata, David |date=1993-11-03]
system=Illinois State Highway System

The Elgin-O'Hare Expressway is an Interstate-standard freeway in northeast Illinois, United States. Contrary to its given name, the expressway does not enter either Elgin or O'Hare International Airport. It currently connects U.S. Route 20 (Lake Street) in Hanover Park to the intersection of itself, Illinois Route 53 (Rohlwing Road) and Thorndale Avenue in Itasca. The only other towns it borders are Schaumburg and Roselle. The Elgin-O'Hare Expressway is about convert|6|mi|km|0 long.

Route description

The Elgin-O'Hare Expressway is a four lane freeway that parallels Interstate 90, which is located about 5 to 7 miles (8 to 11 km) to the north. From U.S. 20, the highway travels over a half mile (.8 km) long bridge over the Metra Milwaukee District West Line tracks, and some wetlands. The freeway then enters Cook County from DuPage County and intersects Illinois Route 19 (Irving Park Road). At Meacham Road, the freeway enters back south into DuPage County.

The expressway is unusual in that both its termini have traffic signals with major arterial roads in the area. This arrangement causes large backups during weekday rush hours. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, average daily traffic counts (in 2003) for the Elgin O'Hare Expressway are 39,600 for the western two miles and around 82,000 to 87,000 cars per day for the remainder.cite web |url=http://www.gettingaroundillinois.com/default.aspx?ql=aadt |title=Getting Around Illinois |date=2006 |author=Illinois Department of Transportation |accessdate=2007-03-03]

A four-lane arterial roadway continues east, named Thorndale Avenue. This road terminates at York Road near the western border of O'Hare Airport.

History

The expressway was considered in the late 1980s due to increasing congestion on local roads, especially U.S. 20 (Lake Street). Although Lake Street was widened prior to the completion of the expressway to six lanes, initially to Glen Ellyn Road and then to the Roselle-Bloomingdale border nearly ten years later, its capacity was still insufficient for the rapidly growing western suburbs. Construction began around 1991 and completed two years later.

Prior to the expressway's opening, the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway was briefly marked as Illinois Route 19 on guide signs over the highway. [Choate, Jim. Roadgeek Yahoo! Group. As documented in . April 7, 2006.] The signs were removed shortly before the highway was opened, but it is unknown as to whether Illinois 19 will be moved onto the expressway after it is fully completed. Governor Jim Edgar opened the expressway at an afternoon ceremony on November 2, 1993.

Future

Original plans had the Elgin-O'Hare looping around the Ontarioville neighborhood of Hanover Park, rejoining Lake Street on the west side of Hanover Park. From there, existing pavement would be used to connect the expressway to Elgin.cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0FFECEADCE8D3DBF&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |title=Gridlock bandage: Elgin-O'Hare Expressway - at least part of it - opens |date=1993-11-03 |author=Ibata, David |publisher=Chicago Tribune] The western extension of the Elgin-O'Hare has not yet been funded as of the 2008-2013 Highway Improvement Plan.

The villages of Bensenville and Elk Grove Village have been actively fighting any highway expansion through their towns, as the right of way (ROW) runs directly through the heart of the largest industrial park in the Midwest, largely in Elk Grove Village. In addition, up to one hundred Wood Dale homes would be destroyed if the highway were to circumvent O'Hare Airport along the southern side.

However, other western suburbs that do not have direct access to the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (Interstate 90) are in support of the completion of the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway. A ring road around the airport and a western terminal are also part of eventual O'Hare expansion plans.

In addition, the Chicago Transit Authority has studied adding rail mass transit to the expressway.cite web |url=http://www.chicago-l.org/articles/blue_extension02.html |publisher=Daily Herald |date=2002-10-04 |accessdate=2007-03-03 |author=McCoppin, Robert |title=Surprise CTA Detour]

Exit list

There are only five exits as of 2007. The sixth intersection is a traffic light. In addition, exits on the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway are not currently numbered.

While the exits are unnumbered, the light poles are numbered with mileposts.

External links

* [http://illi-indi.com/il_EndsPage.php?id=1919&section=1 Illinois Highway Ends: Elgin-O'Hare Expressway]
* [http://www.dupageco.org/edp/ohareIGA.pdf#search=%22Elgin%20O'Hare%20Expressway%22 Intergovernmental Agreement Concerning Roadway Improvements in the Vicinity of the Western Boundary of Chicago O'Hare International Airport]
* [http://www.ohare.com/MasterPlan/ O'Hare International Airport Master Plan]

References