Illinois Tollway Open Road Tolling-Plaza 51

Regina Webster and Associates was a subconsultant to A. Epstein and Sons responsible for the reconfiguration of Plaza 51 (York Road) for the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. The design will allow I-Pass Express users to stay in the mainline for toll transactions at normal expressway speeds, with manual users diverted to the right side of the roadway for stopped vehicle transactions at newly configured plazas. RWA designed overhead and ground-mounted signs to direct vehicles to the desired lanes based on I-Pass use. The sign design and placement follows recent standards for open road tolling adopted by ISTHA.  Final sign layouts were prepared using GuidSign Software, and the final product included plan sheets, a schedule of sign work activities, pay items, standard specifications, standard drawings and estimates. RWA also prepared pavement marking drawings along a 2.5-mile project area that conformed to the revised roadway geometry, including lane channelization for system and ramp interchange merges, two new toll ramp plazas and a split toll plaza configuration. In developing the roadway lighting design, RWA performed a photometric analysis of the design areas, and prepared preliminary and final roadway lighting and communication plans for Plaza 51, including plan sheets, line diagrams, and specifications and estimates. RWA applied the latest standards by ISTHA and AASHTO to analyze the need for traffic safety barrier treatment along the 2.5-mile project area.  Barrier warrants for guardrail, crash attenuators, and rigid barrier wall were presented in a detailed report, and the required roadside elements were inserted on the roadway plans. The final deliverables also included a list of standard pay items with quantities and cost estimates. RWA staff also applied ISTHA landscaping criteria and guidelines to prepare over drawings showing the desired roadside landscaping treatment in all project areas that were disturbed due to construction. The final deliverable included a schedule of landscape pay items, quantities, and a cost estimate.