New toll road leads to Joliet intermodal facilities

April 28, 2023

Chuck Robinson

|

A new toll road opened this week at the intermodal shipping facilities in Joliet, Ill., near I-80 and I-55.

A 1.5-mile, four-lane toll road extended Houbolt Road south of U.S. Route 6 over the Des Plaines River into two intermodal facilities, where freight is transferred from railcars to trucks. The Houbolt Road Extension

The $170 million project is the first privately built toll road in Illinois.

Houbolt Road Extension, a private toll road to the CenterPoint Intermodal Center
The Houbolt Road Extension is a privately financed 1.5-mile long extension of Houbolt Road from U.S. 6 to Schweitzer Road with a new bridge over the Des Plaines River. (Photo courtesy of the I-80 Coalition)

 

The Houbolt Road Extension Joint Venture LLC is a business partnership between United Bridge Partners and CenterPoint Properties. There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, April 27.

Construction of the Houbolt Road Extension Project began in March 2021.

The toll road creates a direct route between I-80 and the CenterPoint Intermodal Center. The intermodal center is the nation’s largest inland port. It has as many as 20,000 trucks passing through it daily.

Houbolt Road Extension map

CenterPoint Intermodal Center is about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. It is the largest master-planned inland port in North America, covering 6,400 acres. It is built on the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant. It opened for business in August 2010. BNSF and Union Pacific railroads have facilities there.

The project has been touted as a direct route from I-80 to the intermodal centers that will save drivers time and money. It is expected to increase fuel efficiency for trucks, help reduce emissions with less idling and few miles. The project used no local, state or federal funds for construction, nor are government funds expected to be used for operation of the toll road.

Toll road rates

The Houbolt Road Extension uses an all-electronic system that accepts toll payments through I-PASS, E-ZPass, and Pay by Plate (no transponder). The over-the-roadway tolling gantry is between the bridge and U.S. Route 6.

For large trucks, referred to as Class 3, the toll rate with a transponder is $8 and without $11.50.

The toll for passenger vehicles is $2 with a transponder and $5.50 without one. Medium-duty vehicles are charged $4 with a transponder and $7.50 without one.

Houbolt Road Extension toll road rate chart

 

CenterPoint

CenterPoint, founded in 1984, is headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill.

From 2008 through 2014, it expanded its footprint to the coasts and western U.S. by opening regional offices in Los Angeles; Norfolk, Va.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Saddle Brook, N.J. It operates intermodal centers in Savannah, Ga., and Manteca, Calif., in addition to the Joliet/Elwood facility. LL