Illinois Tollway board approves significant toll increases for 2027

The Illinois Tollway board of directors has unanimously approved significant toll rate increases scheduled to begin in 2027. Under the new plan, I-PASS passenger vehicle tolls will rise by an average of 57%, increasing from 7 cents to 11 cents per mile. Commercial vehicles are expected to see a 30% increase.

Following the initial hike, tolls will undergo inflation-related adjustments every two years based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with annual increases capped at 4% and biennial increases capped at 8%. These funds are intended to support the Tollway’s 15-year, $26.5 billion ‘Driving Connections’ capital program, which aims to reduce congestion, improve mobility, and upgrade infrastructure such as interchanges and fiber optic cables.

The rate hike follows the passage of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, signed by Governor J. B. Pritzker. This legislation redirected funds from the state’s Road Fund to public transit, prompting lawmakers to allow the Tollway to raise rates to offset the loss. While critics have characterized the move as political cronyism intended to secure labor support, Tollway officials maintain that even after the increase, passenger vehicle rates will remain below the national average of 16 cents per mile.