AAA Predicts Highest Traffic in Years in Illinois This Thanksgiving. See IDOT’s List of Construction Closures

(WTTW News)

Thanksgiving travelers should expect to gobble up traffic over the next few days, with AAA forecasting 2.46 million vehicles to hit the roads in Illinois — some 60,000 more drivers than last year.

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Should AAA’s predictions bear out, it would be the second-highest year for Thanksgiving auto travel on record, following the “all-time high” set in 2005 when 2.75 million took to the roads.

But there’ll be some relief.

From 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, Illinois is reopening some lanes that would otherwise be closed for construction work. Not all lanes can safely reopen, so some lanes will remain closed.

Construction work zone rules, like slower speed limits and no cellphone use, still apply.

Per the Illinois Department of Transportation: “Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through these areas. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and stay alert for workers and equipment.”

Extra patrols will be on the lookout for violators and for drunk drivers.

IDOT and state police said they and other law enforcement agencies will “see hundreds of additional seat belt enforcement zones and other enforcement patrols looking for seat belt law violators and drug- and alcohol-impaired drivers through Nov. 28.”

Police can write tickets to anyone not wearing a seat belt. State law also requires children ride in a car safety seat until at least age 8.

According to IDOT and ISP, 10 people were killed last Thanksgiving weekend in Illinois.

AAA lists 4 p.m. Wednesday on I-94 westbound, from Chicago to Milwaukee, as the peak time for congestion, with an estimated travel time of two hours — 18% longer than normal.

Even if traffic is heavy, travelers can take some solace that gas prices are lower, with AAA reporting the average per gallon price of $3.55 versus an average last year of $3.58 nationally and $3.89 in Illinois.

AAA also projects air travel will hit a high, with 290,000 Illinois residents set to travel by plane — up 22,000 from last Thanksgiving weekend.

IDOT’s List of Thanksgiving Road Construction Conditions:

District 1

City of Chicago

Outbound Bishop Ford Freeway (eastbound I-94) ramp to eastbound 130th Street; closed, detour posted.
Southbound Du Sable Lake Shore Drive (U.S. 41) along Jackson Park; two lanes closed.
Inbound Kennedy Expressway (eastbound I-94) between Lawrence Avenue and Ohio Street; lane and ramp closures continue.
- Reversible lanes at Diversey Avenue; lane reduction continues.
Outbound Kennedy Expressway west of Addison Street; right shoulder closed.

Cook County

Westbound Oakton Street between River Road and the Des Plaines River in Des Plaines; lane reductions continue.
National Parkway between Golf Road and American Lane in Schaumburg; closed, detour posted.
Washington Boulevard between 19th and Ninth avenues in Maywood; closed, detour posted.
Eastbound Chestnut Avenue between Lehigh Avenue and Waukegan Road in Glenview; closed, detour posted.
Rand Road (U.S. 12) at Central Road in Des Plaines; lane reductions continue on both roads.
Stanley Avenue and Windsor Avenue between Harlem Avenue (Illinois 43) and Ridgeland Avenue in Berwyn; lane reductions continue.
Franklin Avenue between Runge Street and Mannheim Road (U.S. 12/45) in Franklin Park; lane reductions continue.
183rd Street at Pulaski Road in Country Club Hills; lane reductions continue on both roads.
Chicago Avenue over Des Plaines River Road between First and Thatcher avenues in Maywood and River Forest; lane reductions continue.
Inbound Eisenhower Expressway (eastbound I-290) between First Avenue (Illinois 171) and the Des Plaines River; right shoulder closed.
Roy Avenue over Addison Creek in Northlake; closed, detour posted.
Cicero Avenue (Illinois 50) between 67th and 71st streets in Bedford Park; lane reductions continue.
Cermak Road between 19th Street and Gardner Road in Broadview and Westchester; lane reductions continue.
I-57 over I-80 in Country Club Hills; lane reductions continue in both directions.
College Drive (Illinois 83) at 127th Street in Alsip; lane reductions continue in both directions with left-turn lanes closed, detour posted.
Ashland Avenue/Wood Street between 127th Street in Calumet Park and 147th Street/Sibley Boulevard (Illinois 83) in Harvey; closed, detour posted.
Cicero Avenue (Illinois 50) at Steger Road in Richton Park; lane reductions continue.

DuPage County

I-55 at Lemont Road in Woodridge; all ramps closed with traffic controlled by temporary signals.

Kane County

Eastbound Chicago Street between Center Street and Liberty Street (Illinois 25) in Elgin; closed, detour posted.

Lake County

Grand Avenue (Illinois 132) between Deep Lake and Munn roads in Lindenhurst; lane reductions continue.
Grand between Cedar Lake Road and Lake Avenue in Lake Villa; lane reductions continue with detour posted for eastbound traffic.
Illinois 60 between Peterson Road and Belvidere Road (Illinois 120) in Volo; closed, local traffic only.
Atkinson Road between Belvidere Road (Illinois 120) and Buckley Road (Illinois 137) in Grayslake; closed, detour posted.

McHenry County

Souwanas Trail between Vista Drive and Riverwood Drive in Algonquin; closed, detour posted.

Will County

Moen Avenue between Mound Road and Larkin Avenue in Rockdale; closed, detour posted.
Sioux Drive/Dove Drive between Sunset Drive and Eames Street (U.S. 6) in Channahon; lane reductions continue.
Essington Road between Pandola Avenue and Citadel Drive in Joliet; lane reductions continue.
Northwest Frontage Road between Jefferson Street (U.S. 52) and Black Road in Shorewood; closed, detour posted.
Wheeler Avenue over I-80 in Joliet; closed, detour posted.
- I-80 at Wheeler Avenue; all shoulders closed.
Shepley Road over I-80 just east of Minooka; closed, detour posted.
I-55 between I-80 and Jefferson Street (U.S. 52) in Shorewood and Joliet; all shoulders closed.
- Southbound I-55 ramp to Jefferson in Shorewood; lane reductions continue.
I-80 at Briggs Street in Joliet; all shoulders closed.
Westbound I-80 between River Road in Shorewood and Ridge Road in Minooka; all shoulders closed.
Jefferson Street over I-55 in Shorewood; lane reductions continue.
Illinois 59 at Seil Road in Shorewood; lane reductions continue.
Westbound I-80 at Richards Street in Joliet; all ramps closed; detour posted.

District 2

Jo Daviess County

Eastbound Spring Street (Illinois 84/U.S. 20) between Gear and Main streets in Galena; closed, detour posted.

Rock Island County

I-280 between Illinois 92 and the Milan Beltway; lane reductions continue.

Whiteside County

Illinois 78 between Academic Drive and Madison Street in Morrison; local traffic only, detour posted.
Illinois 78 over I-88 west of Lyndon; lane reductions continue.

Winnebago County

Perryville Road over I-39/U.S. 20/51; closed, detour posted.

District 3

Bureau County

I-80 about 3 miles east of Mineral; lane reductions continue.

Kankakee County

I-57 through Kankakee; lane reductions continue.
Armour Road just west of Kinzie Avenue (Illinois 50) in Bourbonnais; lane reductions continue.

District 4

Knox County

Illinois 180 north of Williamsfield; lane reductions continue with traffic controlled by temporary signals.

Peoria County

Eastbound War Memorial Drive (U.S. 150) at Adams Street (Illinois 29) in Peoria; lane reductions continue.
Adams Street (Illinois 29) between Lorentz Avenue and Eureka Street; lane reductions continue.
I-474 over Plank Road (Illinois 116) west of Peoria; lane reductions continue.
Bob Michel Bridge (Illinois 40) over the Illinois River; closed, detour posted.

Tazewell County

I-155 at Illinois 98 in Morton; lane reductions continue.

District 5

Champaign County

I-74 between Cunningham Avenue/U.S. 45 (exit 184) in Urbana and 2 miles west of St. Joseph; lane reductions continue.
Westbound I-74 ramp to northbound I-57 in Champaign; closed, detour posted.
- Northbound I-57 ramp to westbound I-74; closed, detour posted.

Edgar County

Illinois 49 about 5 miles south of U.S. 36 near Brocton; lane reductions continue with traffic controlled by temporary signals.

McLean County

Old U.S. 51 about a mile north of Heyworth; closed, no detour.

Vermilion County

I-74 between mileposts 205 near Oakwood and 215 at Danville; lane reductions continue.

District 6

Christian County

Illinois 29 northwest of Pana; lane reductions continue with traffic controlled by temporary signals.

Macoupin County

Illinois 16 about 1 mile east of Illinois 111; lane reductions continue with traffic controlled by temporary signals.

District 7

Effingham County

Fayette Avenue between Raney and Walnut streets in Effingham; lane reductions continue.

Fayette County

U.S. 51 over I-70 in Vandalia; lane reductions continue.

Macon County

William Street (Illinois 105) over Lake Decatur; lane reductions continue.

District 8

Madison County

U.S. 40 between Triad Lane and Illinois 162 east of Troy; lane reductions continue with traffic controlled by temporary signals.

District 9

Alexander County

U.S. 60/62 bridge over the Mississippi River at Cairo; closed.

Franklin County

Illinois 34 just west of Thompsonville; lane reductions continue with traffic controlled by temporary signals.
Illinois 34 just east of Hanaford; lane reductions continue with traffic controlled by temporary signals.

Jackson County