Driving the Tri-State is basically a sport in Chicago, and honestly, if you're looking at traffic on 294 south right now, you already know the stakes are high. It's January 15, 2026. The wind is biting, the sun is setting early, and the Central Tri-State project is still very much a reality of our daily existence.
You’ve probably heard people say the construction is "almost done." It’s not. Not really.
While the Illinois Tollway has made massive strides, the stretch between Rosemont and 95th Street remains a complex jigsaw puzzle of orange barrels and lane shifts. If you are sitting in your car right now near the I-290/I-88 interchange, you’re feeling the brunt of the $4 billion reconstruction.
The I-290/I-88 Interchange Mess
Basically, the biggest chokepoint on the entire system is right where the Eisenhower and Reagan meet the Tri-State. If you're heading south, you've likely noticed that the ramp from westbound I-290 to southbound I-294 is still closed.
This isn't a "weekend repair" situation. It’s a long-term closure that has been redirected through Mannheim Road or York Road.
The Tollway team is currently working on bridge reconstruction over Vallette Street and the Canadian National Railroad. What does that mean for your commute today? It means counterflow configurations.
✨ Don't miss: Noticias de Donald Trump: Lo que realmente está pasando en 2026
In early January 2026, the Tollway shifted a chunk of southbound traffic onto the northbound side of the road between St. Charles Road and the Cermak Toll Plaza. If you feel like you’re driving on the "wrong" side of the highway, you aren't crazy. You’re just in a counterflow lane designed to keep four lanes open while they rip up the actual southbound pavement.
Why Your GPS Might Be Lying
We all love Waze and Google Maps, but on a day like today—Thursday, January 15—the sudden "20-minute delay" warnings can be misleading. Often, these apps struggle with the specific lane-level closures happening at the I-290 interchange.
One lane might be moving at 45 mph, while the one next to it is dead stopped because of a truck trying to navigate a narrowed 11-foot lane.
The work zone speed limit is a strict 45 mph. Honestly, even if you want to go faster, you usually can't. The concrete barriers are incredibly tight through the Elmhurst and Oak Brook stretches. If there’s even a minor fender bender near the Hinsdale Oasis, the ripple effect back to O'Hare is almost instantaneous.
What’s Actually Happening South of I-55?
Once you clear the "spaghetti bowl" of the I-290 interchange, things usually open up, right? Usually.
But right now, the Tollway is finalizing bridge repairs over the Cal-Sag Channel and the Mile Long Bridge area. While the new Mile Long Bridge is a dream compared to the old one, there are still periodic nightly lane closures for "punch list" items—things like fiber optic installation and roadway camera mounting.
- Bridge Work: Expect occasional shifts near the 88th/Cork Avenue interchange project in Justice.
- Surface Conditions: It’s mid-January. Salt trucks are out. If the pavement looks "wet," it might just be the pre-treatment brine, which can be surprisingly slick.
- The "Brake Check" Zones: Watch out for the area near the 83rd Street Toll Plaza. People tend to slam on their brakes there even with I-PASS, just out of habit or confusion over the lane splits.
How to Actually Beat the Traffic Today
If the southbound Tri-State looks like a sea of red brake lights on your map, you have a couple of real-world alternatives.
Manheim/La Grange Road (US-12/45) is the classic escape hatch. It runs parallel to I-294. However, it’s filled with stoplights and heavy trucks. Use it only if the Tollway is a literal parking lot due to a crash.
I-355 (The Veterans Memorial) is often the better "long way around" if you’re trying to get from the Northwest suburbs down toward Joliet or the South suburbs. It’s an extra few miles, but the 70 mph speed limit and lack of massive reconstruction projects usually make up the time.
Real-Time Checklists for the Southbound Commute
- Check the I-290 Ramp: If your route involves the Eisenhower to the Tri-State, remember the SB ramp from WB I-290 is closed. Follow the Mannheim detour.
- Watch the Counterflow: If you end up in the counterflow lanes near Cermak, remember you cannot exit at certain ramps. If you need to hit a specific exit in Oak Brook, stay in the right-hand local lanes.
- Winter Awareness: It’s 2026, and our cars are smarter, but black ice on the Mile Long Bridge doesn't care about your AWD. The wind coming off the canal hits that bridge hard.
The construction is slated to wrap up significantly by the end of 2026, but we aren't there yet. We are in the thick of the "winter work" phase where crews focus on drainage and retaining walls that don't require warm-weather asphalt pouring.
To stay safe, keep your phone in the cupholder. The ISP (Illinois State Police) has been incredibly active with distracted driving stings in the 45 mph zones lately. It’s not worth the $160+ ticket just to check an email while you’re crawling past the O'Hare Oasis.
If you are heading toward the south suburbs, keep an eye on the overhead digital signs. They are surprisingly accurate regarding the "Time to I-55" or "Time to I-80" estimates. If the time to I-80 jumps above 50 minutes from O'Hare, you're officially in a "major delay" scenario.
Check your wiper fluid. The road spray from the salt on the Tri-State is notorious for blinding drivers within ten miles.
Actionable Next Steps
- Download the Virtual Tollway Map: Instead of just relying on generic GPS, the Illinois Tollway's own "Virtual Map" shows the exact camera feeds. You can see the snow or traffic levels at every major milepost.
- Verify the Ramp Closures: Before you leave, check the "Daily Construction Alert" on the Tollway’s media center page. It’s updated every morning and is the only way to know if a ramp was closed overnight and failed to reopen on time.
- Adjust Your Departure: On a Thursday, the "afternoon rush" on 294 South starts as early as 2:30 PM. If you can't leave by 2:00 PM, you might as well wait until 6:30 PM to avoid the worst of the I-290 interchange chokepoint.