A preliminary study released by the Illinois Department of Transportation finds that a north-south expressway connecting the Jane Addams Tollway to the Tri-State Tollway on the west side O’Hare International Airport would significantly cut travel times to the airport.
In addition, a long-planned extension of the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway would contribute to halving travel times for fliers and commuters.
The Tribune’s Jon Hilkevitch, who broke the story Friday, wrote that the project would create tens of thousands of jobs and bring an estimated $5 billion in benefits to the local economy.
Based on preliminary estimates, the project would cost $3.6 billion, but think of the relief for motorists.
A reduction in roadway congestion by 10 percent; travel times to and from the airport decreased by 49 percent; use of public transportation increased by 37 percent.
But there is the little matter of the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway — which doesn’t begin in Elgin or end at O’Hare – and has been talked about since the 1980s.