They Are Removing Tollway Oasis’s! Hinsdale and O’Hare Oasis Have Been Removed (Chicago: how much, construction)

[RJ8089]

I come back to Chicago and see that the Hinsdale Oasis is gone. The only thing left is a tiny Mobil/7-Eleven! Really?!? So they are widening the Tri-State (I-294), but can’t replace it?!? This is really unacceptable. You pay to use the tollway, at bare minimum keep the amenities! This is part of the crapifying of everything. Not happy!

[ChiGuy2.5]

I didn't know anybody cared. Those Oasis' have always been extremely overpriced compared to just getting off the highway. All of them are in areas where you can easily get off find something to eat and some gas and get back on quickly. They always seemed redundant to me.

Also, just an FYI, the O'Hare oasis was removed to make way for the interchange that will connect the west side of O'Hare to both 90/294 and 390.

[Bitey]

I literally can't remember the last time I stopped at one of the oases. The gas stations and all the shops overcharged for everything because they had a semi-captive clientele.

[rjs54321]

As you haven't been around, did you also notice that there is no one manning the tollbooths either? Do you miss those too?

[Kmanshouse]

Originally Posted by Bitey

I literally can't remember the last time I stopped at one of the oases. The gas stations and all the shops overcharged for everything because they had a semi-captive clientele.

Totally true. The captive audience.

I used the O'Hare one a few times as a de facto cell phone lot. I'd just hang there, get the call, and head over, takes 10 minutes. But gas? Never.

[MarianRavenwood]

The main reason the oases were built was to give people a place to refuel on long drives. With cars having longer ranges/better fuel efficiency, it's rare that anyone needs to refuel at an oases, even if they are traveling from one end of the metro area to the other.


I do miss the big restrooms--my fuel tank may last longer but my bladder doesn't!


I don't like the tiny gas stations and their bathrooms....but I'm not sure if those are permanent or if they are temporary until the road construction is finished.

[GWoodle]

The oasis at Hinsdale & O'Hare will be gone forever. Some others may be on the block.

Now they need to remove the cash toll lanes.

[SonySegaTendo617]

Originally Posted by GWoodle

The oasis at Hinsdale & O'Hare will be gone forever. Some others may be on the block.

Now they need to remove the cash toll lanes.

Illinois Tollway decided in the early part of the pandemic to not take cash anymore, and do all electronic tolling. Unless there was some announcement about bringing cash booths back, that I missed.

Still are a few oasis buildings left(i.e. Lake Forest, Lincoln near South Holland, one in Belvidere, but I wonder how much longer the existing buildings will be in use over the tollway? Have this weird feeling they may not last much longer, if the IL tollway widens more of their expressways in the future. But what do I know?

I know a few of their oasises don't have a building over the expressway, such as DeKalb, Des Plaines, and Hinsdale.

[ChiGuy2.5]

Originally Posted by SonySegaTendo617

Illinois Tollway decided in the early part of the pandemic to not take cash anymore, and do all electronic tolling. Unless there was some announcement about bringing cash booths back, that I missed.

Still are a few oasis buildings left(i.e. Lake Forest, Lincoln near South Holland, one in Belvidere, but I wonder how much longer the existing buildings will be in use over the tollway? Have this weird feeling they may not last much longer, if the IL tollway widens more of their expressways in the future. But what do I know?

I know a few of their oasises don't have a building over the expressway, such as DeKalb, Des Plaines, and Hinsdale.

I believe the poster you're responding too was referring to the actual lanes that are always closed off because there are no manned tollbooths anymore.

It's silly that we have cashless tolling but we still have gates and lanes galore with most of them blocked off except for a couple.

[Bitey]

Originally Posted by ChiGuy2.5

I believe the poster you're responding too was referring to the actual lanes that are always closed off because there are no manned tollbooths anymore.

It's silly that we have cashless tolling but we still have gates and lanes galore with most of them blocked off except for a couple.

It's cheaper to just leave them there unmanned than to remove them.