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Cook County officials brief Des Plaines on I‑490/Tuohy reconstruction and schedule
Summary
Cook County engineers told the city council the I‑490/Tuohy Avenue reconstruction will improve traffic flow, add pedestrian and bike facilities, and includes bridge work; the department cited a total project estimate near $99 million and a target completion of November 2027.
Officials from the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways updated the Des Plaines City Council on May 4 about the I‑490/Tuohy Avenue reconstruction project, describing traffic, drainage and pedestrian improvements and outlining a two‑year construction schedule.
Aaron Leibowitz, associate director for construction, said the project includes elevating Tuohy Avenue over the new I‑490 and Union Pacific Railroad crossings, realigning several intersections, constructing new bridges and traffic signals, installing ADA‑compliant sidewalks and a multiuse path, and performing water main and sanitary sewer upgrades. "The benefits of this project...include improved traffic flow, decreased congestion, traffic signal improvements, bicycle and pedestrian sidewalk improvements," Leibowitz said.
Leibowitz said work underway in 2026 focuses on storm sewer, temporary roadway construction and installation of temporary signals; planned 2027 work includes bridge construction and completing the realigned roadway. He identified April 2027 as a target for relocating the Cook County Police Department into a new facility and said the project’s overall target completion is November 2027. Leibowitz characterized the initiative as his department’s largest dollar project in recent memory and cited an estimated total cost of about $99 million.
Council members asked about impacts and phasing. Leibowitz said Mount Prospect Road would be closed for reconstruction roughly from July to November (year provided in the presentation), and that the I‑490 tollway work would proceed when county bridge work allows. He also highlighted planned sanitary repairs and a new water supply connection intended to add redundancy for the west side of the system.
What happens next: county staff will proceed with the planned phases and provide updates to the city; council members asked staff to continue coordinating traffic and construction impacts with residents and local businesses.
