Truckers and commuters who use Interstate 80 through Joliet face a new traffic pattern from Monday, November 2, when the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) moves westbound traffic into a temporary split-lane configuration between Center Street and Houbolt Road. The change is part of the rebuilding of I-80 from Ridge Road in Minooka to U.S. 30 in Joliet and New Lenox, and IDOT says it is needed so crews can build the interstate's center lanes.
The new pattern will stay in place for approximately one month, IDOT announced on October 28. Two westbound lanes will continue through the work zone, but they will split after Center Street, separated by concrete barriers, with the work zone occupying the center lane. The lanes merge back together just before Houbolt Road.
The lane choice drivers must make early
The detail that matters most for drivers is the split itself. Motorists who need the Larkin Avenue (Illinois 7) exit must stay to the right at the split, following the signs IDOT will post. The left lane continues as a through lane, and drivers in it will not be able to exit until Houbolt Road. IDOT is urging the public to choose a lane early and to expect delays in the first few days of the new configuration.
For heavy trucks crossing the Chicago region on I-80 — one of the main east-west freight corridors in the United States, and a route used daily by Punjabi truckers working out of the Joliet and Chicago logistics hubs — a missed exit at the split means continuing to Houbolt Road before there is another chance to leave the interstate. Dispatchers and drivers running overnight schedules through Will County this weekend also face the two nights of preparatory closures described below.
Two overnight closures this weekend come first
On Saturday, October 31, starting at 8 p.m., westbound I-80 will be reduced to one lane from Chicago Street (U.S. 52/Illinois 53) to Houbolt Road. Between midnight and 7 a.m., traffic will be fully stopped for periods of no longer than 15 minutes at a time. All lanes temporarily closed overnight are scheduled to reopen by noon on Sunday.
On Sunday, November 1, starting at 7 p.m., westbound I-80 again drops to one lane from Chicago Street to Houbolt Road, and the westbound ramps to and from Larkin Avenue will close at the same time. Full traffic stops of up to 15 minutes will take place between midnight and 5 a.m. By 6 a.m. Monday, all ramps and lanes are to reopen with the new traffic pattern in place.
The stage change lands on the same weekend as separate work on the eastbound side. As Awaaz Punjab reported earlier in this series of I-80 closures, IDOT's bridge deck repairs and pavement patching between Wheeler Avenue and Richards Street in Joliet are closing eastbound lanes from 10 p.m. Friday, October 30, until 5 a.m. Monday, November 2, with at least one eastbound lane open at all times — the second of four planned weekend closures on that stretch. Drivers crossing Joliet in either direction this weekend should therefore allow extra time.
Background: a corridor being rebuilt while it stays open
IDOT is rebuilding I-80 through Will County while keeping the interstate in service, which is why the work proceeds through stage changes, split lanes, overnight closures and short full stops rather than a single long shutdown. The department says all schedules are weather-dependent and that updates will be shared in advance where possible. Later this fall, a similar split-lane configuration will be needed on the eastbound side so the eastbound center lanes can be built; exact dates have not yet been announced.
Westbound drivers needing Larkin Avenue: stay right at the split after Center Street. Through traffic for Houbolt Road and beyond can use the left lane — but there is no exit from it until Houbolt. Expect 15-minute full stops overnight on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, and check I80will.org or gettingaroundillinois.com before travelling.
IDOT reminds drivers to pay close attention to flaggers and signs in work zones, obey posted speed limits and stay alert for workers and equipment. Project information, photos and a way to submit questions are at I80will.org, and current road conditions are posted at gettingaroundillinois.com. What happens next is the Monday morning debut of the split: IDOT expects the first few days to be the slowest as drivers learn the pattern, and it will announce the eastbound split-lane dates later this fall.