HILLSIDE, Ill. – State Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, is leading efforts to stop the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) from adding new tolls to the Eisenhower Expressway.

“There needs to be a plan to address the bumper to bumper traffic on the Eisenhower Expressway, but adding another tollway is not the way to do it,” Welch said. “We also need a better way to fund our roads than requiring middle-class families to pay a toll while they are on their way to work and school.”

IDOT recently announced a plan to add another lane on the Eisenhower Expressway between Mannheim Road and Austin Boulevard in each direction. Under this plan, drivers would be charged a toll for driving in that lane, unless there were three or more people in the vehicle. Welch believes this is an insufficient plan to fully address the congestion on the Eisenhower Expressway since it would create additional confusion for drivers. He also does not want to put an additional burden on hard-working taxpayers while millionaires and billionaires are not paying their fair share in taxes.

“This proposal will cause a lot of confusion for drivers as they try to make sure they are in the correct lane,” Welch said. “If drivers are accidently in the wrong lane, it also has the potential to cost drivers a significant amount of money in missed tolls or late fees. We need a better plan that won’t force drivers to pay to get where they need to go. I encourage local residents to sign my petition telling IDOT and Governor Rauner to stop this new toll.”

To sign Welch’s petition against creating toll lanes on the Eisenhower Expressway visit: http://bit.ly/StopEisenhowerTolls.