NIU students are annoyed about the construction hassles involved when traveling I-88, but tollway officials claim there have been no formal complaints about the construction.

Tollway construction began on Aug. 6 to “rehabilitate, fill in cracks and joints and level the course to smooth it out,” said Sari Mintz, manager of Public Relations at the Toll Highway Authority.

A reduction in the speed limit is a major grievance with students because it has been reduced from 65 to 45 miles per hour, and since there is often only one lane open, passing is difficult.

Senior Bob Koch said that even if there is not a lot of traffic on I-88 there are still back-ups.

“If you get one slow driver everybody suffers,” said Koch.

Senior Coleen Murphy said she wished the construction would have been started earlier in the summer.

“Traffic is a mess. Why do they have to do 60 miles at once?” Murphy said.

Mintz, however, said the construction has caused “no bad problems so far” and that her office “has not had any complaints” about the construction.

“There are 69 miles of construction from Route 56 to Holland Creek,” Mintz said.

Construction is broken into several 10-mile construction zones where only one lane is closed.

The completion date for the construction is scheduled for November, but Mintz said she is not sure of the exact date.