President Preckwinkle, Officials Break Ground on County’s Largest Ever Transportation Project
Nearly $100 million Touhy Avenue project will reduce congestion, improve safety and promote economic growth throughout Cook County
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, alongside federal, state and local officials, celebrated the groundbreaking today of the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways’ (DoTH) largest project to date. The $99.1 million major roadway project is along Touhy Avenue and Mount Prospect Road in Elk Grove Village, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Township and Chicago.
The regionally significant project will fully reconstruct Touhy Avenue between Elmhurst Road and Mount Prospect Road, substantially reducing congestion for residents and businesses located near the corridor. This stretch of Touhy Avenue currently carries more than 32,000 vehicles per day. A new bridge will be constructed over the Union Pacific Railroad and the planned I-490 Tollway. Old Higgins Road will be realigned east of Elmhurst Road to create a new intersection at Touhy Avenue. Mount Prospect Road will be realigned to create a new intersection at Touhy Avenue as well.
The project will also provide enhanced safety and expanded access for bicyclists and pedestrians by building a new shared use path and modernizing lighting and drainage systems.
“This project was truly a team effort, combining the resources of local, state and federal governments to ensure its success,” said President Preckwinkle. “Motorists will be able to travel safely and more efficiently through the Touhy Avenue corridor and local businesses will benefit from new access to the Tollway’s new I-490 corridor, bringing important economic activity to areas across the County.”
Touhy Avenue is a critical link in the regional transportation network. It serves as a major corridor for trucks, providing access to the largest industrial district in the Chicago metropolitan area, located north and west of O’Hare International Airport. The project will also improve access to airport amenities, including the new northeast air cargo facility, employee parking, remote parking and car rental facilities. The roadway will provide access to the new I-490 Tollway as well.
“The Illinois Tollway and Cook County have a successful track record for advancing joint initiatives that enhance mobility for drivers and deliver meaningful benefits for communities,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse. “Working together again, this Touhy Avenue Project is integral to construction of the new I-490 Tollway and the completion of our $4.3 billion Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project that will improve north-south traffic around the western border of O'Hare International Airport and create long-awaited western access into the airport.”
“Union Pacific would like to say, “thank you” to our partners – Cook County, Illinois Tollway, the Illinois Department of Transportation and all the local communities involved – for making this long-desired project a reality,” said Liisa Lawson Stark, Vice President – Public Affairs, Union Pacific Railroad. “Safety is the heart of everything we do, and this project puts it at the forefront by removing risks associated with at-grade crossings, while improving the efficiency of our rail network.”
The roadway reconstruction project is the result of a multi-agency partnership between Cook County, the Illinois Tollway, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), City of Chicago, Chicago Department of Aviation, Elk Grove Township, Elk Grove Village and the City of Des Plaines.
The Touhy Avenue project will improve freight operations, support transit, modernize the transportation network and significantly leverages the County’s local funding. The project exemplifies the policy priorities of Connecting Cook County, DoTH’s long range transportation plan.
Cook County is leading construction for the project and has secured $41.5 million in Congestion Mitigation Air Quality federal competitive funding and $5 million from IDOT’s 2024 Local Project Funding program, which provides funding for nearly half of the project costs. Motorists are encouraged to allow extra time when driving through the area and exercise caution around construction activity and workers. Project completion is expected at the end of 2027.
To view the DoTH 2026 highway construction project map, visit: www.cookcountyil.gov/service/highway-construction-projects