Editing Interstate 355 (section)

===Southern extension===
[[Image:Des Plaines River Valley Bridge.JPG|thumb|right|[[Des Plaines River Valley Bridge]] during Roll the Tollway opening ceremonies on November 11, 2007]]
In addition to the original alignment of I-355, the Transportation Plan of April 1962 included the concept of a route that ran from [[Bolingbrook, Illinois|Bolingbrook]] south to [[Joliet, Illinois|Joliet]]. After the northern portion of I-355 opened in 1989, the [[Illinois General Assembly]] authorized the tollway authority to begin studying the southern extension of I-355.<ref name=herald_timeline>{{cite news |title = Tollway timeline |date = November 11, 2007 |access-date = January 11, 2008 |author = The Herald News |work = The Herald News |location = Joliet, IL |url = http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:JHNB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=11D34AA8AA1B9250&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name = "rmcn"/>

The discovery of the [[Hine's Emerald Dragonfly]], an endangered species, and related concerns for the environmental health of the Des Plaines River wetlands in 1995, ignited a series of legal challenges that delayed construction of the I-355 extension for several years. The [[Sierra Club]] filed a lawsuit in 1996 to block planning of the southern extension. In January&nbsp;1997, a federal judge sided with the Sierra Club, halting construction of the southern extension while the state appealed. In 1999, the state dropped its appeal and amended the environmental impact study (EIS) to meet the Sierra Club's concerns.<ref name=herald_timeline /> The state released the supplemental EIS in 2000, and in 2002 the FHWA issued a Record of Decision, allowing construction of the tollway to proceed after six years of delays. Land acquisition and utility relocation took place in 2004. Governor [[Rod Blagojevich]]'s $5.6&nbsp;billion Congestion-Relief Program for the Illinois Tollway passed the General Assembly in September 2004, with $729.3&nbsp;million being set aside for the extension (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|5600000000|2004}}}} and ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|729300000|2004}}}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}, respectively).<ref name=congestion-relief>{{cite web |url = http://www.illinoistollway.com/pls/portal/url/ITEM/125BFC01743142A898A446A31484DAE1 |title = Congestion-Relief Program Summary |publisher = Illinois State Toll Highway Authority |author = Illinois State Toll Highway Authority |year = 2007 |access-date = November 15, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071025124942/http://www.illinoistollway.com/pls/portal/url/ITEM/125BFC01743142A898A446A31484DAE1 <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date = October 25, 2007 }}</ref> Bidding on an excavation contract passed on November 18, 2004 with construction beginning several days later.<ref name=tribune_may07>{{cite news |url = http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=1191C375AFE907A8&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |work = Chicago Tribune |title = Bridge to southwest around the corner |last = Ziemba |first = Stanley |access-date = January 11, 2008 |date = May 13, 2007 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

To document and reduce the impact of construction on the dragonfly's habitat, construction crews agreed to keep carcasses of any dragonfly kills. In addition, the tollway authority funded the construction of separate habitats for the dragonfly near the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve in [[Lemont, Illinois|Lemont]] and in two other preserves in Cook and Will counties.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.nbc5.com/news/11113073/detail.html |publisher = [[WMAQ-TV]] |location = Chicago |date = February 26, 2007 |access-date = March 15, 2007 |title = Endangered Dragonfly Relocated For Interstate }}</ref> In late 2005, construction began on the roadway of the {{convert|12.5|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} southern extension of I-355 from I-55 in Bolingbrook to I-80 in New Lenox.<ref name="tollway_I355_south_extension">{{cite web|url=http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_pageid=133,1401899&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL |year=2007 |author=Illinois Tollway |access-date=November 17, 2007 |title=I-355 South Extension |archive-url=https://archive.today/20071107050330/http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_pageid=133,1401899&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL |archive-date=November 7, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Another controversy erupted in February 2006, when the tollway authority threatened to build the tollway with no interchanges unless the suburbs through which the new extension ran contributed $20&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|20000000|2006}}}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}) for construction of the interchanges. This marked the first time that the tollway authority had required local municipalities to contribute funds for interchange construction.<ref name=ziemba_200602>{{cite news |url = http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=10F9784D3100AD80&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |title = A tollway that has no exits? |work = Chicago Tribune |last = Ziemba |first = Stanley |date = February 5, 2006 |access-date = January 11, 2008 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The towns of Homer Glen, Lemont, New Lenox, Lockport and Will County agreed in a June 2006 intergovernmental agreement to provide $20&nbsp;million in both cash and [[in-kind]] contributions for the interchanges.<ref name=cain_2006>{{cite news |work = Chicago Sun Times |title = County to vote on I-355 local contribution plan |url = http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:NPSB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=115FF103C90E2D20&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |date = June 2, 2006 |access-date = January 11, 2008 |last = Cain |first = Cindy Wojdyla |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The southern extension is expected to become an economic catalyst for municipalities located along the tollway. The Village of New Lenox estimates that it will receive an additional $12&nbsp;million in sales taxes after its two malls are built out. In Lockport, officials have announced that new [[Home Depot]] and [[SuperTarget]] stores are planned for the areas near 159th&nbsp;Street and I-355. Commercial developers are also building large warehouse facilities in areas near the Lockport interchanges.<ref name=graf200711>{{cite news |url = http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:JHNB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=11D34AA8A903C568&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |title = I-355 extension will change travel |date = November 11, 2007 |access-date = November 12, 2007 |work = The Herald News |location = Joliet, IL |last1 = Graf |first1 = Tony |last2 = Ferrell |first2 = Patrick |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

One of "the most impressive engineering feats on the state's {{convert|274|mi|km|0|disp=sqbr}} of toll roads"<ref name="tribune_may07" /> is the [[Des Plaines River Valley Bridge]], a bridge over the Des Plaines River, the [[Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal]], the [[Illinois and Michigan Canal]], Bluff Road, New Avenue, numerous railroads, and a major Commonwealth Edison utility corridor. The bridge is {{convert|1.3|mi|km|1}} long, and constituted $125&nbsp;million of the cost of the extension. Work on the bridge included the construction of 34&nbsp;piers and elevation of existing high-voltage electricity lines to accommodate the highway.<ref name="tollway_I355_south_extension"/> To limit the number of piers in the valley, the tollway authority built the bridge with both {{convert|170|ft|m|0|adj=on}} pre-stressed bulb tee girders and {{convert|270|ft|m|0|adj=on}} post-tensioned segmental concrete girders. This was $12&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|12000000|2007}}}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}) cheaper than the concrete box girder design option, and $50&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|50000000|2007}}}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}) less than the steel plate girder design option. A [[design-build]] clause in the original contract for the bridge, in addition to success in the design-build contracts on the 2004–07 [[Tri-State Tollway]] widening and reconstruction, allowed project managers to redesign and build the new bridge.<ref name="concrete_products">{{cite web |url = http://concreteproducts.com/mag/concrete_prairie_passage/ |title = Prairie Passage |publisher = Concrete Products |last = Marsh |first = Don |date = October 1, 2007 |access-date = November 15, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071030093841/http://concreteproducts.com/mag/concrete_prairie_passage/ <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date = October 30, 2007 }}</ref>

The tollway authority held a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony on [[Veterans Day (United States)|Veterans Day]] (November 11), 2007, officially renaming the entire length of I-355 the Veterans Memorial Tollway.<ref name=homer-glen-PR>{{cite press release |author = Staff |url = http://www.homerglenil.org/CurrentEvents/I355TollwayOpening/I355HGCelebrationArticle.pdf |title = Homer Glen Announces Its Portion of the I-355 Grand Opening Celebrations |access-date = April 2, 2012 |publisher = City of Homer Glen |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://www.webcitation.org/68nqNzMUk?url=http://www.homerglenil.org/CurrentEvents/I355TollwayOpening/I355HGCelebrationArticle.pdf |archive-date = June 30, 2012 }}</ref> Ceremonies were held on the tollway near the 127th&nbsp;Street interchange in Lemont, at 147th&nbsp;Street in Homer Glen, and at [[U.S. Route 6 in Illinois|US&nbsp;6]] in New Lenox. In addition to the dedication, the tollway authority sponsored a Charity Walk/Run/Roll and "Roll the Tollway", a charity pre-opening bicycle ride on the highway's south extension.<ref name=i-355_news>{{cite press release |author = Staff |url = http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_pageid=133,1401626&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL |title = I-355 South Extension Open for Business |year = 2007 |access-date = August 29, 2007 |publisher = Illinois State Toll Highway Authority |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070824163918/http://www.illinoistollway.com/portal/page?_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&_pageid=133,1401626 |archive-date = August 24, 2007 }}</ref> After noting the success of the festival, a tollway spokesman announced plans to repeat the event annually, including the closure of the entire southern extension.<ref name=nbc5_200711>{{cite news |url = http://www.nbc5.com/news/14566047/detail.html |publisher = WMAQ-TV |location = Chicago |author = WMAQ-TV |date = November 12, 2007 |access-date = November 12, 2007 |title = Will County Commuters Hit Open Road On I-355 }}</ref> He later clarified the tollway's position, indicating that while the extension would probably not be closed in its entirety in the future, a possible {{convert|5|mi|km|spell=in|adj=on}} ride across the Des Plaines River Valley Bridge may be held.<ref name="tridgell_20071114">{{cite news |url = http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:JHNB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=11D447FC82C0AE70&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |title = Unique I-355 bike ride will not happen again |work = The Herald News |location = Joliet, IL |date = November 14, 2007 |access-date = January 11, 2008 |last = Tridgell |first = Guy |url-access=subscription }}</ref> At around 10:00&nbsp;p.m. on November 11, a group of [[Illinois State Police]] vehicles and tollway maintenance vehicles escorted the first motorists southbound along the I-355 extension, stopping at each interchange to remove barricades. By the time the maintenance crews began to remove barricades along the northbound lanes of the extension, a group of 50 to 60&nbsp;vehicles had gathered behind the crews.<ref name="obrien_20071113">{{cite news |url = http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:JHNB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=11D3F5AFDDB40100&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |title = Veterans Memorial Tollway: I-355 extension traffic flowing smoothly |date = November 13, 2007 |access-date = January 11, 2008 |last = O'Brien |first = Ken |work = The Herald News |location = Joliet, IL |url-access=subscription }}</ref>