Interstate 290

Interstate 290 is a significant auxiliary interstate highway located entirely within the Chicago metropolitan area of northeastern Illinois. It serves as a crucial east–west connector between the major radial expressways of the region, linking the Northwest Tollway with the Kennedy Expressway and the Eisenhower Expressway. The highway is a vital commuter and freight corridor, passing through numerous suburbs and the city of Chicago itself, and is officially designated as the Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway for much of its length.

Route description

Beginning at a complex interchange with Interstate 90 and Interstate 39 in Hoffman Estates, the route heads southeast through the suburbs of the Fox Valley. It passes near Schaumburg and Wood Dale before intersecting the Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 294) near Itasca. Continuing eastward, it enters the city limits of Chicago near O'Hare International Airport, where it meets the western terminus of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway extension. The highway then transitions into the Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway, a depressed freeway that runs through the Austin neighborhood and the West Side. It passes the United Center and the Illinois Medical District before culminating at the Jane Byrne Interchange, a massive multi-level junction with the Dan Ryan Expressway (Interstate 90/Interstate 94) and the Congress Parkway in the Near West Side.

History

The corridor's origins lie in the early 20th century with the construction of the Congress Street Expressway, a project championed by Chicago Plan Commission and Mayor Richard J. Daley. This expressway, designed to provide a direct route from the Chicago Loop to the western suburbs, was opened in stages throughout the 1950s and incorporated into the fledgling Interstate Highway System. The western extension from Hillside to Hoffman Estates was constructed later, with the final segment opening in the early 1970s to connect to the newly built Northwest Tollway. Significant reconstruction projects have occurred over the decades, including major work at the Jane Byrne Interchange and ongoing efforts by the Illinois Department of Transportation to modernize its aging infrastructure. The highway's designation honors President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the father of the interstate system.

Junction list

The entire route is in Cook County. {| class="wikitable" |- ! Location ! mi ! km ! Exit ! Destinations ! Notes |- | Hoffman Estates | 0.00 | 0.00 | – | I-90 / I-39 – Chicago, Milwaukee, Rockford | Western terminus; I-90 exit 59 |- | Itasca | 8.5 | 13.7 | 8 | I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) – Wisconsin, Indiana | I-294 exit 44 |- | Chicago | 15.2 | 24.5 | 15A–B | IL 390 (Elgin–O'Hare Expressway) / O'Hare International Airport | Western terminus of Eisenhower Expressway concurrency |- | rowspan="2" | Chicago | 20.1 | 32.3 | 20 | IL 171 (1st Avenue) | – |- | 29.84 | 48.03 | – | I-90 / I-94 (Dan Ryan Expressway) / Ida B. Wells Drive | Eastern terminus; Jane Byrne Interchange |}

Auxiliary routes

As a three-digit auxiliary interstate, Interstate 290 does not have its own spur or loop routes. However, it directly connects to several other critical auxiliary routes within the Illinois highway system. These include Interstate 294, the Tri-State Tollway that forms the southern portion of the Chicago beltway, and it provides access to the western terminus of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (Interstate 90). Furthermore, it intersects with several major Illinois State Highway routes, such as Illinois Route 53 and Illinois Route 64, which serve as important arterial feeders to the interstate corridor.

Category:Interstate Highways in Illinois Category:Transportation in Chicago Category:Transportation in Cook County, Illinois