At least one westbound I-80 lane planned open during first Joliet weekend

At least one westbound lane of I-80 is planned to remain open during the first weekend of bridge-deck repairs and pavement patching in Joliet, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. The work is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, on the stretch between Wheeler Avenue and Richards Street, weather permitting. All lanes are expected to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26.

The scheduled 55-hour period is not a full highway shutdown: IDOT plans to keep at least one westbound lane open, and says eastbound lanes are not expected to be affected during this first weekend. That arrangement applies to the Oct. 23-26 work period; IDOT has not announced lane availability for the later weekends.

Drivers should plan for congestion i

IDOT anticipates heavy congestion and advises westbound motorists to consider alternate routes. Its Oct. 19 notice also said the westbound I-80 ramps to northbound and southbound Chicago Street (U.S. 52/Illinois 53) are closed for interchange reconstruction, and advised motorists to follow the posted detour.

IDOT says local streets cannot accommodate heavy or wide trucks and recommends those drivers use other interstate routes. That guidance is distinct from the department’s advice for westbound motorists generally to consider alternate routes.

Three more weekends are planned i

IDOT plans approximately three additional weekend work periods, alternating between westbound and eastbound I-80. Each is planned to run from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, weather permitting. The department says it will announce the dates and specific traffic impacts closer to those closures, so drivers should not assume the first weekend’s lane arrangement will apply to later work.

IDOT lists $1.3 billion as the cost of the broader I-80 rebuild, not these weekend repairs.