Statistics warn that 18-wheelers are more likely to be involved in a fatal truck crash when moving through a construction work zone.
Chicagoland is a worldwide transportation hub. Chicago offers not only our global port facilities and six Class 1 railroads, but one of the premier air cargo airports in the world. O’Hare International Airport ranks first in the country for freight value as it processes over 2,000,000 metric tons of cargo annually.
The necessity of our huge commercial trucking industry is clear. Accordingly, an astonishing number of semi-trucks, big rigs, tractor-trailers, and 18-wheelers roll on Chicago roadways at all times of the day and night. Large trucks like the standard 18-wheeler are built especially for long-haul transportation of goods and cargo. With their powerful engines, they are capable of carrying all sorts of freight in loads of 80,000 pounds or more.
Obviously, the quality of our infrastructure and the ease of movement within Chicagoland’s roads, streets, expressways, and interstates is important to all truckers, as well as their carriers, shippers, etc. Trucks are driven according to time schedules. Roadways can make or break a destination deadline.
And Chicago is notorious for being a difficult place to maneuver for large truck traffic. Consider this: in its latest annual truck driver survey, all six of the state’s most notorious bottlenecks as well as the second biggest truck bottleneck in the country are all found in Chicago. See, “Top 100 Bottlenecks – 2025,” published by the American Transportation Research Institute (“ATRI”). (includes online pop-up map for each bottleneck and a clever animation for traffic movement at I-294 at I-290/I-88).
Chicago Construction: Road Work Zones
For anyone driving through the greater Chicago area, whether 4-wheelers or motorcyclists as well as big rigs, the ongoing efforts of Project Rebuild Illinois are unmistakable. Work zones are active throughout the state, as our roadways and transportation infrastructure are repaired or replaced. The Illinois Department of Transportation provides an online map for drivers of current work zones, to help us move through all this road construction.
Jane Byrne Interchange
Things are getting better, as our plethora of road work zone projects progress. A recent report from the ATRI confirms the road work project targeting the notorious Jane Byrne Interchange has been a success.
Their research finds that daytime vehicle speeds on JBI have changed from 12 – 37 MPH to 21 – 40 MPH, with truckers seeing a “…huge improvement in travel time reliability, whereby speed variability (i.e., unpredictability) improved by more than 90 percent on many JBI road segments.”
Re-routing around Chicago versus time deadlines
For both local drivers and long-haulers, the reality is that construction road work zones are going to be a part of the Chicago metropolitan routes for the next few years. There are a great many projects to be completed, and moving through Chicagoland is likely to involve driving through one or more road work zones for the remainder of the decade.
It should come as no surprise that many truckers will try and find alternatives, like adding thirty minutes to a schedule in order to avoid driving through Chicago (such as opting for I-39 and I-43 instead of I-55 when driving cargo from Bloomington to Kenosha).
For more on Chicago road work construction, read: Fatal Road Work Zone Accidents in Indiana and Illinois.
Work Zone Dangers for Semi-Truck Crashes in Chicago
For safety agencies and advocates for truck accident victims and their loved ones, the risk of a catastrophic or deadly semi-truck crash is extremely high here in Chicagoland. The combination of our traditionally high large truck traffic and the rapid increase in construction road work zones involved in Project Rebuild Illinois is staggeringly hazardous.
It is widely recognized that large trucks have a greater chance of being involved in a fatal truck crash when the accident involves a work zone. This has been documented for over a decade, with the Federal Highway Administration (“FHWA”) confirming that over the past ten years:
- There has been a steady, rising trend in fatal work zone truck crashes over the past decade;
- Over 30% of all fatal work zone crashes involved a commercial motor vehicle, compared to a lesser 15% being involved in fatal accidents in locations other than a work zone;
- Over half (57%) of fatal work zone crashes on rural interstates involved a commercial motor vehicle;
- Over a third (36%) of fatal work zone crashes on urban interstates involved a commercial motor vehicle.
For anyone driving in Chicagoland, it is vital to be alert and aware of the current risks they face while driving in any road work zone where a big rig or 18-wheeler may need to travel. There are several unique hazards in any of the Chicago road work zones that invite a semi-truck crash, such as:
- cement barriers that block avoiding a crash
- unexpected detours
- lane changes or shifts required by the project
- lanes narrowed to accommodate the construction work (tight lanes are difficult for big rigs)
- traffic bottlenecks
- traffic congestion
- speed limits that start and stop (fluctuate)
- distractions from the road work itself (heavy equipment, machinery, workers on task, etc.).
In any Chicago road work zone, the big rigs will be required to move alongside smaller vehicles with everyone being vulnerable to the particular construction project. Construction workers may flag vehicles to change course suddenly. Construction equipment may be noisy or distracting. Work trucks may be moving in and out of traffic, as the project requires.
And of particular concern is the need that the 18-wheeler will have to be given sufficient distance to come to a stop should the work zone demand it. These large trucks cannot brake to a full halt in the same small distance as a sedan or SUV. Especially at a high rate of speed, the big rig will need a long stretch of road to accommodate the stop signal of the road construction site.
Claims for Justice After a Semi-Truck Crash in a Chicago Road Work Zone
For truckers moving through Chicago with the responsibility of hauling vital cargo to its destination, the road work construction zones throughout Chicagoland are nightmarish. These are professional drivers tasked with doing their job in compliance with Hours of Service rules that demand rest breaks at set times, alongside pressures from carriers and supervisors to get the load delivered by the deadline.
The pressure of Chicago’s combined heavy traffic truck routes interspersed with road construction is understandably intense. And frustrating. Sadly, the Chicagoland roadways will see these commercial trucks involved in serious or deadly accidents regardless of the awareness of the dangers here.
When a semi-truck crash happens, the accident victim and their loved ones have a right to independently investigate all the reasons for what happened. There may be more than one cause of the truck crash. While many may find it easy to point the finger at the trucker, facts may prove liability lies elsewhere. Several parties may be liable for damages under the law.
For details, read:
- Chicago Truck Accidents: Liability after Serious Chicagoland Semi-Truck Crash
- Shifting Loads and Unstable Cargo: Dangerous Causes for Semi-Truck Crashes
- When Defective Products or Manufacturing Mistakes Cause Fatal Semi-Truck Crashes
- Black Box Data in Semi-Truck Crashes: The Importance of EDR Evidence.
Road work zones are known to have a higher likelihood of fatal truck crashes than other commercial vehicle accident locations. Chicago has a record number of these work zones on truck routes today. This combined with the extreme volume of large truck traffic in Chicagoland exacerbates the risk of a serious crash. Please be careful out there!
