The new plaza building built on eastbound I-88 at Meyers Road outside of Chicago is now complete with Open Road Tolling (ORT) lanes that will provide much-needed congestion relief in the area.
The new Meyers Road Plaza opened last week, replacing the I-88 eastbound toll at the York Road Plaza, which also debuted ORT lanes for vehicles heading westbound on I-88. Most drivers report an average savings of 10 minutes each way with OTR lanes that will now ease travel to and from the city on the entire length of the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88).
It also will take those who use the Elgin Road Toll Plaza on I-90 less time to reach their destinations in the city or suburbs. The plaza also just debuted two ORT lanes, so drivers no longer have to stop or slowdown at tollbooths. With the debut of ORT at this location, non-stop tolling is now available on the entire length of I-90, from the River Road Toll Plaza to the Rockford area.
In less than two years, the Tollway has delivered ORT to 19 out of 20 mainline plazas, and the Waukegan toll plaza on I-94 will debut ORT lanes later this fall, making Illinois the first state to convert its entire system in such a short time. Based on a recent survey of Tollway drivers, 83% thought the inconvenience of ORT construction was worth the benefits of Open Road Tolling.
