IDOT Presents Early Holiday Gift to Southland Retailers

Opening of Torrence Avenue to Two Lanes in Each Direction Expected to Give
Much-Needed Shopping Traffic Boost for Calumet City and Lansing Businesses

      Holiday Shopping Coverage Opportunities - Nov. 23 and Nov. 25

  WHAT:        Early morning and daytime coverage opportunities for this
               Wednesday and Friday "Busiest Shopping Day."  Major milestone
               accomplished with Torrence Avenue bridge reconstruction along
               Kingery Expressway (I-80/94) in Chicago's Southland Corridor.

  WHO:         --Mike Wiater, engineer in charge of Kingery Expressway
                 reconstruction
               --Dennis Gilliam, general manager of River Oaks Mall
               --Michelle Qualkinbush, mayor of Calumet City
               --Dan Podgorski, mayor of Lansing

  WHEN:        Wednesday, Nov. 23rd or Friday, Nov. 25th ("Busiest Shopping
               Day")
               --Availability for early morning live shots (5 a.m. - 8 a.m.)
               --Availability for day-long coverage (9 a.m. - 6 p.m.)

  WHERE:       --On or near Torrence Avenue Bridge in Lansing where it
                 crosses the Kingery Expressway (I-80/94)
               --In or near River Oaks Mall at 159 Street and Torrence Ave.

  BACKGROUND:  Working closely with IDOT, the cities of Lansing and Calumet
               City are conducting a major push to get business traffic back
               to their communities with the opening this Wednesday
               (Nov. 23rd) of Torrence Avenue to two lanes in each direction
               near the Kingery Expressway.  Business at some locations was
               down about 40 percent from pre-construction levels.

               IDOT is about to conclude the first year of the two-year
               reconstruction of the Kingery Expressway (I-80/94) along
               Chicago's Southland Corridor from the Indiana state line to
               the interchange of the Kingery with Ill. Rte. 394/Bishop Ford
               Expressway (I-94).

  CONTACTS:    Louis G. Pukelis (312) 208-0560
               Pukelis & Lehrer Communications, Inc.

               Carolyn Tucker (312) 240-9900
               Danielle Ashley Communications

               Mike Claffey (312) 814-3957
               IDOT

PRNewswire -- Nov. 22