Tollway committee backs fiber expansion, recommends five engineering contracts for board approval

The Engineering, Planning and Development Oversight Committee of the Illinois Toll Highway Authority recommended that five engineering items, including a fiber construction contract along I‑355 between I‑55 and Army Trail Road, be placed on the full board agenda for approval.

Committee members heard a presentation from Chief of Planning Ken Robles on the Tollway’s fiber program, which Robles said supports toll operations and can generate revenue when excess capacity is leased. Robles told the committee, “We own the fiber.”

The presentation said the Tollway’s network includes about 329 centerline miles, roughly 2,000 duct miles and about 48,000 fiber miles. Robles reported the Tollway brought in $31,900,000 in combined lease revenue over the past five years and had duct agreements with 33 lessees in 2025. He said roughly 25% of the duct network and 50% of fiber capacity remain available, and that some segments are near full capacity.

Why it matters: the Tollway is marketing spare fiber capacity as an alternative revenue source while also ensuring its communications and intelligent-transportation systems have required redundancy and capacity. The committee’s approval moves contract awards and a supplemental design agreement one step closer to board action.

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