Illinois Tollway expects 6.5M holiday-weekend travellers

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – Officials expect 6.5 million automobiles to travel the Illinois Tollway during the coming holiday weekend.

The Easter and Passover holiday-travel weekend runs Friday through April 2. Officials say the heaviest day will be Friday. They expect 1.8 million vehicles on the 294-mile (473-kilometre) Tollway system in northeast Illinois.

A typical day sees 1.6 million autos on the roads.

Tollway Executive Director Liz Gorman says new speed limits will be posted on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway in northern Illinois — also known as Interstate 90 — after completion of engineering and traffic analysis.

Officials are also encouraging motorists to take the “Give Them Distance ” pledge to slow down and move over for cars or workers stopped on the side of the road.

Construction will also be limited during the weekend.