UPDATE: Tollway Board Approves 35 Cent Increase

UPDATE 12:00 P.M.: Tollway board passes toll increase, effective Jan. 1, 2012.

Illinois Tollway officials could decide today whether to increase tolls by 35 percent to help fund a 15-year capital project, an increase that would help put the

Officials will meet today at 10 a.m. in the tollway’s Downers Grove offices. A webcast of the meeting will be available at www.illinoistollway.com.

Among the agenda items is feedback from the series of public hearings the tollway hosted in the last week about the toll increase. Spokeswoman Joelle McGinnis said the board could decide to vote on the increase following that discussion.

One hearing was held in Aug. 19 Tollway representatives stated the agency has not raised tolls since 1985 when a 5-cent increase was passed.

This time around, the tollway needs a 35-cent increase for capital projects including the reconstruction and widening of I-90 and expanding interchanges throughout its system, including in Huntley.

Rocco Zucchero, Deputy Chief of Engineering, said the Route 47 project would be able to go forward a few years ahead of schedule if the toll increase and capital project program are approved.

Huntley officials have show vision to pull together the tollway, the Illinois Department of Transportation, McHenry and Kane Counties together to partner in the interchange project, Zucchero said. Huntley also put up about $2.5 million for engineering.

“They (Huntley officials) came with clarity and brought money to the table,” which always helps, he said.