Photo courtesy of Illinois Tollway
Workers reconstruct the ramp carrying traffic from the Tri-State Tollway to the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Now completed, the project was made possible by the Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future capital program and is a significant milestone for the Illinois Tollway.

Fox Valley Labor News staff
Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013
     The Illinois Tollway is highlighting its foremost accomplishments for 2012, including significant milestones achieved in the first year of the 15-year, $12 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.
     In 2012, the Illinois Tollway launched Move Illinois, the largest capital program in the agency’s history, and invested in projects to repair and rebuild roadways, bridges and interchanges and other capital investments across its 286-mile system. Move Illinois will provide customers with a fully rebuilt, state-of-the-art system and critical new regional projects that will improve mobility, relieve congestion, reduce pollution, create as many as 120,000 jobs and link economies across the Midwest.
     “The Illinois Tollway set the wheels in motion on our most ambitious capital program ever, making progress toward preserving our existing system and preparing for new construction projects to begin in 2013,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. “We look forward to building upon our successes to deliver even greater benefits to our customers moving forward.”
     The Tollway commission said the organization is committed to putting customers first and delivering benefits for Illinois’ residents in the most effective and efficient way. The agency’s goals include promoting the regional economy, fostering environmental responsibility and sustainability, increasing collaboration with regional transportation and planning agencies, furthering transparency and accountability and enhancing customer service.
     “Looking back on the Illinois Tollway’s accomplishments in 2012, we are pleased to have reached several significant milestones, and we have more to do,” said Illinois Tollway Chair Paula Wolff. “This year, we set a solid foundation for taking on the challenges of the coming construction season and making sure that everything we do demonstrates that the Illinois Tollway is providing good value for its customers.”
     In 2012, the Illinois Tollway worked to contribute to the regional economy:
     — The Illinois Tollway Board approved more than $628 million in construction and engineering contracts in 2012, awarding 79 contracts to 66 unique construction and engineering firms. In addition, the Tollway’s capital program created or sustained an estimated 3,180 jobs in 2012.
     — In cooperation with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the Illinois Tollway began work on the I-294/I-57 Interchange Project in May. As part of Move Illinois, the $719 million project will connect I-294 and I-57, one of only two points in the nation where interstates cross but do not connect, and improve access and economic development in the Chicago Southland.
     — In September, the Tollway completed reconstruction of the I-294/I-90 Tri-Level Bridge, one of the most complicated, heavily traveled interchanges on the 286-mile Illinois Tollway Illinois system in Northern Illinois. The $13 million project was completed on time and on budget and was recognized as one of Roads and Bridges magazine’s Top 10 Bridges in North America.
Also in 2012, the Illinois Tollway planned and implemented a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing customer service:
     — The Illinois Tollway added an easy-to-use Trip Calculator to its website that allows customers to select specific start and end points on an interactive map of the Tollway system and then calculates tolls along the designated route. Designed to help customers plan their trips and pay missed tolls, the Trip Calculator has had more than 505,200 total visits since it debuted in March.
     — In November, the Illinois Tollway began offering customers a better way to contest toll violations for which they are not responsible. Drivers who receive a toll violation notice can go online, download a user-friendly form, attach the required documentation and return it to the Tollway for review and consideration. Previously, customers needed to call the Tollway or visit a Customer Service Center to explain why they were not legally responsible for the violations. The new form has been viewed by nearly 8,000 customers so far.
     — In September, the Illinois Tollway approved a new five-year, $61.5 million contract with The Chicago Lighthouse to manage the Tollway’s Customer Call Center, providing assistance to Tollway customers calling 800-UCI-PASS for account services. This contract award completed the Tollway’s goal to break up the large, single contract for IPASS services into four smaller contracts in order to increase opportunity for businesses to work with the agency. The Tollway bid the work for this contract through the Illinois State Use Program, which is designed to provide employment for underserved communities, persons with disabilities and veterans.