Construction on the DeKalb toll plaza at the Annie Glidden Road exit from I-88 will not impede traffic for NIU’s move-in day, tollway officials say.

About 4,000 students and many of their parents will travel to DeKalb for NIU’s move-in day Thursday, Aug. 24, the first day students living in the residence halls are scheduled to move into their rooms. Some families also may stay for opening-weekend activities through Aug. 30.

Much of the traffic bringing this new generation of Huskies to NIU normally enters DeKalb from I-88 using the Annie Glidden Road exit. In a total overhaul of the DeKalb plaza, the Annie Glidden exit will close from July 5 through Aug. 18.

With the reopening of the exit set for just six days before move-in day, some have expressed concern over the possibility that the project will run late and interfere with the thousands of students traveling through the city.

The project, however, is expected to be complete on or before the deadline of Aug. 18, said Jan Kemp, assistant press secretary for the Illinois Tollway Authority.

“There is no expectation that this project will not be completed on time. We are committed to opening the ramp on schedule by Aug. 18,” Kemp said.

All tollway construction contracts include liquidated damages that are assessed if the contractor misses the completion date, Kemp said. Along with this contractual incentive to finish on time, the Illinois Tollway also works closely with the construction manager and the contractor to make sure they stay on schedule.

The project itself will move the DeKalb Toll Plaza five miles west of its current location. The new plaza will have two open road tolling lanes, allowing I-PASS users to pay without stopping or slowing down. Drivers without I-PASS will be able to use a smaller cash plaza to the right.

This larger project will force the Annie Glidden ramps to close and be completely reconfigured. Drivers entering DeKalb between July 5 and Aug. 18 must use the Peace Road exit and follow detour signs directing them back to Annie Glidden Road.

Once the new DeKalb Toll Plaza is up and running, traffic to and from the west will pay at the new plaza and be able to use the Annie Glidden ramps without paying a toll. Traffic to and from the east, however, will still have to pay a toll at the exit ramps.

As part of Governor Blagojevich’s $5.3 billion Congestion-Relief Program, the DeKalb project was specifically awarded $34.5 million with which to spend on construction. The project is being performed and paid for by the Illinois Tollway Authority, with the funding coming from the collection of tolls in Illinois.

“The main objective of the Congestion-Relief Program is to reduce travel times so customers can spend less time on the roads and more time with their families,” Kemp said.