Approaching the Combs-Hehl Bridge, a pair of cantilever bridges spanning the Ohio River between Kellogg Avenue in Cincinnati and Fort Thomas, Kentucky, along Interstate 275 west (inner loop). These bridges opened in 1979 and carry six lanes of travel. More info on the span can be found at Cincinnati-Transit.net.

A short distance west of the Combs-Hehl Bridge is directional interchange with Interstate 471 and the U.S. 27 connector. U.S. 27 travels high above the beltway via Alexandria Pike in this scene. Construction underway along Interstate 275 involves concrete pavement replacement for both directions of the freeway within Campbell County and the addition of cable barriers along the highway median. Eastbound work will be completed by December 1, 2011; westbound construction commences on April 1, 2012 and lasts through September 1, 2012.

Spanning the Ohio River again via the Taylor-Southgate Bridge of U.S. 27. This cantilever bridge opened in 1995, replacing the original Central Bridge that was demolished by late 1992. Bridge placards from the 1890-built cantilever truss bridge were restored and mounted at both ends of the Taylor-Southgate Bridge.

Heading into downtown Cincinnati, we documented the west end of U.S. 22 and the north end of U.S. 22. U.S. 22 & Ohio 3 follow a one-way street couplet of 7th (eastbound) and 9th (westbound) Streets between Main and the U.S. 27-42-52-127 couplet of Central Avenue and Plum Street. U.S. 22 & Ohio 3 end at the intersection of Central Avenue and 6th Street (Ohio 264), sharing an overlap with U.S. 27-52-127. U.S. 25 has a simpler end, concluding at the Ohio state line along the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge with U.S. 42 & 127.

U.S. 27 north & U.S. 52 west (and U.S. 50 Truck west) follow Central Avenue northward from Mehring Way to 3rd Street (U.S. 42 & 127). The U.S. 50 mainline parts ways with Interstate 71 above after sharing a brief overlap from Fort Washington Way to the east. U.S. 42 & 127 combine with U.S. 27 & 52 along Central Avenue beyond 3rd Street.

Reassurance shields for U.S. 27-42-52-127 follow the Central Avenue intersection with 4th Street and the northbound on-ramp to Interstate 75.

U.S. 22 & Ohio 3 begin at the Central Avenue intersection with Ohio 264 (5th Street) east. A six-way overlap with U.S. 27-42-52-127 continues for two blocks. Pictured here is the first shields for U.S. 22 & Ohio 3. North for U.S. 22 should display East.

U.S. 22 & Ohio 3 part ways with U.S. 27-42-52-127 (Central Avenue) for 7th Street eastbound and follow that street through to Gilbert Avenue. U.S. 42 also splits here but is not acknowledged along the two-block overlap with 7th to Elm Street northbound.

U.S. 22 & Ohio 3 west follow Main Street one block north to make the connection between 8th and 9th Streets in downtown Cincinnati. 9th Street carry the tandem west to Central Avenue.

U.S. 27-52-127-42 eastbound / southbound utilize Plum Street southbound from Ezzard Charles Drive through the turn onto 6th Street west to Central Avenue and Ohio 264. This photo looks at the southbound block of Plum between 8th and 7th (U.S. 22 & Ohio 3 east) Streets.

U.S. 27 & 42 follow 3rd Street west under the Interstate 71 and U.S. 50 ramps to Interstate 75 and turn again onto the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge to Covington, Kentucky. U.S. 25 used to follow this bridge fully, but now ends at the state line. “JCT” was added to this button copy overhead to indicate the truncation of U.S. 25 from Ohio.

U.S. 25 begins formally at the Kentucky state line, midway across the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge over the Ohio River. The US Route travels 750 miles south to Brunswick, Georgia, but originally continued all the way north to Port Austin, Michigan. The route north from Cincinnati was vastly replaced by Interstate 75 and so Michigan and Ohio truncated the route wholly from their jurisdictions by 1974.

Westbound end shield assembly for Ohio 562. Following the Norwood Lateral, Ohio 562 provides a freeway connection between Interstate 71 at Norwood with Interstate 75 at St. Benard. Completed in the 1970s to coincide with Interstate 71 construction, the freeway utilizes a portion of right of way originally allocated for a 1920s subway system.

Interstate 74 carried us westward to Indianapolis from Cincinnati. A new six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange opened July 9, 2008 at Greensburg.¹ The exit brings U.S. 421 westbound onto the freeway for its overlap through to the Indianapolis Beltway and also serves a new Honda auto assembly plant constructed to the west.

Once I-74 reaches Interstate 465, the designation shifts to the south side of the Indianapolis Beltway between Exits 94 and 73. A freeway spur continues the I-74 mainline otherwise to Southeastern Avenue (former U.S. 421). ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) mileposts continue for Interstate 74 until the the stub overtakes old U.S. 421. This is not a unique scenario to just this location, as Interstate 670′s ITS markers continue along the U.S. 62 freeway spur from its end at Interstate 270 at Columbus, Ohio.

We opted for a revisit of Interstate 70 through the Circle City. Pictured here is the merge with Interstate 65 southbound along the east side of the central business district. The two freeways share 2.13-miles of pavement and a lengthy collector/distributor roadway system (Exit 83A) acts as local lanes to the express lanes of the freeway mainline.

Part of the work involved with the Accelerate 465 project to reconstruct the Indianapolis Beltway includes a redesign of the former directional-cloverleaf interchange with the Sam Jones Expressway. When the expressway first opened in 1969, it served as the main route to Indianapolis International Airport from downtown and points eastward. A new terminal for the airport opened in 2008 west of the beltway by Exit 68 of Interstate 70, reducing the traffic along the Airport Expressway. Renamed in 2007 after local civic leader Sam Jones, the west end of the expressway is now being redesigned to utilize a standard diamond interchange with Interstate 465. Traffic lights will govern all movements between the north-south freeway and now downgraded arterial.

Work of Accelerate 465 entails all of the beltway from Mann Road northward to 56th Street. Construction is completed north of the 38th Street (Exit 17) interchange and in portions between Interstates 70 and 74. A major component of the work otherwise is the upgrade of the former cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 74 west and Crawfordsville Road (former U.S. 136) east at Exit 16. Work focuses on eliminating the I-74 freeway stub to Crawfordsville Road, adding ramps to U.S. 136 (Crawfordsville Road) west of the beltway, and replacing the antiquated loop ramps with high-speed ramps. This will truncate U.S. 136 to its new interchange with the beltway and provide two continuous lanes for Interstate 74 west and east from and to the beltway.

Another new interchange to open along Interstate 74 in 2008 is the Exit 68 diamond interchange with Ronald Reagan Parkway at Brownsburg. Funded by the Major Moves initiative, the exit is part of an overall plan for a new 15-mile north-south roadway linking Interstates 70, 74 and 65 to the west of Indianapolis.

Approaching the junction with Interstate 57 along Interstate 74 west in Champaign. Interstate 57 meets Interstate 72 at the next interchange southbound from Interstate 74.

Traveling through a substandard section of Interstate 57 through the city of Kankakee. Road work is presently underway just north of Exit 312 at the interchange with Illinois 50. A $39.5-million project is underway to reconstruct SR 50 from Armour Road to Larry Power Road, rebuild the ramps between the state route and freeway, and replace the Interstate 57 overpass. That work will be underway until December 2013.²

An Interstate 294 trailblazer directs motorists from Interstate 57 north onto Interstate 80 east at Exit 345A. There is no direct connection between Interstate 57 and the Tri-State Tollway presently and U.S. 6 provides the shortest route between the two roads via 159th Street. A proposal is underway to build a new interchange between the two highways at a cost of $580 million.

Interstates 80 & 294 combine along the southeastern most portion of the Tri-State Tollway through to the merge with Interstate 94 (Bishop Ford Freeway / Calumet Expressway) at SR 394. Major reconstruction occurred here between January 2005 and July 2007, resulting in an improved Kingery Expressway (Interstates 80 & 94 east to the Indiana state line).

Sources:

1. "INDOT officially opens revamped I-74." Greensburg Daily News, July 9, 2008.
2. “Kankakee County: I-57 construction clogs traffic” The Daily Journal, November 5, 2011.

Amstutz northbound at Grand Ave in Waukegan, January 2011.

The Waukegan portion is about two miles long and gets fewer than 15,000 cars per day – mostly Abbott Labs employees commuting from points north. The factories and industrial areas on the lakefront that the freeway was intended to serve have since closed. Due to its short distance and ease of blocking off, the expressway has been the filming location for a number of productions including The Blues Brothers, Ordinary People, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Groundhog Day, and Batman Begins.

The road was named after Melvin Amstutz, a former Lake County highway department director. Melvin died before the groundbreaking, and never got to see his namesake road.

The Amstutz Expressway in Waukegan, looking north, January 2011.

The expressway portion in Waukegan has a single junction at Grand Avenue. The portion of the freeway to the south of that point opened in 1974, and separates the downtown area from an ageing industrial area on the lake. North of Grand, the road opened in 1990 for a total cost of about $60 million. It is an interesting remnant of freeway planning lagging behind industrial reality, and is worth a look.

The uncompleted north end of the expressway in Waukegan, featuring a half-completed SPUI.

Started out the day being greeted by this VMS with the message "I-80 EB Closed at Mississippi River". Had to turn around and trudge southward along the real I-74 eastbound, which was equally under construction for an ARRA based resurfacing project. A routine inspection revealed damage to a faulty floor beam and currently only one lane of westbound traffic is permitted to use the bridge due to repairs. Work began on April 5, 2010 on a $10.3-million project. Construction on the October 27, 1966-opened span will shift to the westbound lanes by early July, with on eastbound lane restored at that time.

A new set of Clearview signs were added to the 2008-replaced Lincoln Road overpass. Signs over the westbound lanes were added during the evening of May 5 as we drove under.

Clearview signs were also added to Interstate 180 north at Interstate 80. The freeway spur remains vastly devoid of traffic.

Interstate 80 traffic is squeezed down to one lane per direction as crews completely replace the westbound spans over East Bureau and Brush Creeks (between Exits 61 and the La Salle County line).

Turned north onto Interstate 39 & U.S. 51, which surprisingly had more traffic then we anticipated.

Joining U.S. 20 eastbound on Interstate 39 & U.S. 51 north. U.S. 51 utilizes the Northwest Tollway with Interstates 39 & 90 east of the split with U.S. 20.

Virtually all signage along the Interstate 39-90 & U.S. 51 triplex in Rockford was replaced. Guide signs utilize Clearview font, and a few U.S. 51 shields do as well.

Hart Road eastbound sees a diamond interchange with Interstate 43 (Exit 2). The at-grade intersections of both off-ramps are in the process of being converted to roundabouts.

Wisconsin typically uses uni-signs on a black panel for shield assemblies of various types. Junction shields for Interstate 39 and Wisconsin 81 join the end sign for Interstate 43 in this particular group. Even after the many years since Interstate 39 was extended north into Wisconsin, there is still no mention of it on the Exit 1A/B guide signs for Interstate 90.

Southbound at the eastbound split of Interstate 90 from Interstate 39 at Rockford. A two-lane flyover was added to replace a loop ramp that brings Interstate 39 & U.S. 51 north onto the Northwest Tollway.

Interstate 90 (Northwest Tollway) retains some button copy signage leading east from Rockford toward Chicago. A state-named Interstate 290 shield resides on this mileage sign found just east of the split with Interstate 39.

A 17 mile exit less stretch culminates at the U.S. 20 trumpet interchange north of Hampshire. Exits along the Illinois Tollway system remain number less at this time.

Older button copy signs posted along the Northwest Tollway omit the state name from the route markers and include no control points. A number of suburban exits line the stretch between Elgin and Schaumburg.

The Illinois Tollway system typically uses state-based or suburbs-based control points for its Interstate highways. Occassionally though, Interstate 294 north will use Milwaukee as the destination of choice.

Interstate 90 (Kennedy Expressway) splits with a set of express lanes ahead of the merge with Interstate 94 (Edens Expressway) east. The express lanes are reversible and line the median of the north-south portion of the Kennedy.

The Interstates 90 & 94 (Kennedy Expressway) express lanes periodically see slip ramps to and from the general travel lanes. The express lanes feature less entry and exit points, and thus few slowdowns due to merging traffic.

Continuing along the Interstates 90 & 94 express lanes leads drivers to the Kennedy Expressway inbound at Ohio Street. The express lanes default onto the Ohio Street freeway spur east while returning traffic to the mainline joins ahead of junction Interstate 290 (Eisenhower Expressway).

Trudging through the Congress interchange along Interstates 90 & 94 east. The ramp to Congress Parkway eastbound is presently closed as IlDOT reconstructs the Congress Parkway bridge over the South Branch of the Chicago River. This work coincides with work to rebuild the Congress Parkway interchange with Lower Wacker Drive.

Information overload on this set of signs along Interstate 55 (Stevenson Expressway) northbound for McCormick Place.

A pair of begin shields usher in the start of Interstate 55 south from U.S. 41 (Lake Shore Drive) in Chicago. We head south to Lincoln.

Interstate 55 is fairly industrial in nature, angling southwest to a partial interchange with Interstate 294 (Tri-State Tollway). Access to Interstate 294 south requires one to take U.S. 12-20-45 south.

Interstate 55 reduces from six to four overall lanes between Interstate 80 and U.S. 6 (Exit 248).

Illinois 129 departs from the left-hand side of Interstate 55 south via Exit 238. The state route follows historic U.S. 66 through Braidwood.

Business Loop Interstate 55 follows a 1950s-built alignment of Historic U.S. 66 around the city of Bloomington. Motorists can find pretty much any business they desire along the north-south stretch of the commercial arterial.

We arrive at the south end of Interstate 155 outside Lincoln, where we drove last December, and thus clinch the entire 964.25-mile route.

Driving along Business Loop I-55 (Historic U.S. 66) in Lincoln, we spotted this wooden cutout along southbound. It appears to be a custom hand-painted replica.

Two-digit width Interstate 155 trailblazer posted along Illinoi 10 west & 121 north. Interstate 155 replaced IL-121 leading north to Morton.

Oddly shaped cirrus clouds north of Illinois 10 near Burton View. A frontal system moved in later this day and dropped 1″ of rain in many areas.

Approaching the Scott W. Lucas Memorial Bridge of U.S. 136 west across the Illinois River.

Westbound U.S. 136 after its split with U.S. 24 at Duncan Mills.

Spurred southward through the dilipated town of Vermont and discovered two old gas station signs at the town square. The stations are long gone, but both signs remain in good condition.

U.S. 67 follows a 65-mph expressway north from Good Hope to a brief merge with U.S. 34 around Monmouth.

Sources:

• "Eastbound lane of-80 bridge closed to traffic." Quad-City Times, May 12, 2009.
• "I-80 eastbound closes today at Mississippi River." Quad-City Times, April 5, 2010.

Almost devoid of snow, U.S. 61 northbound after its split with U.S. 67 in downtown Davenport, Iowa. A full day of rain washed most of the snow away, but it would return with a vengeance later Christmas day.

More snow fell then forecast, with the Quad Cities area receiving 3 to 4 inches. This photo, taken at 7:47 am, shows the condition of Interstate 74 near Exit 4 to U.S. 67. The overpass above was replaced in 2009, and the Clearview-fonted signage below was added in place of an overhead assembly.

Snow covered Illinois-Iowa Memorial Bridge across the Mississippi River.

The roads were no better in Illinois this morning.

Not many other drivers were out this early, but the first of 13 accidents we witnessed occurred at the east end of Interstate 280.

Wintry scene along Interstate 80 east between Interstates 74-280 and Exit 19.

The degree of plowing varied from county to county. Bureau County’s stretch of Interstate 80 was somewhat better than Rock Island’s.

Interstate 80 east at Interstate 180′s southbound beginning, now in Clearview.

Eastbound Interstate 80 at Illinois 251 (Exit 75), the old alignment for U.S. 51. Signs for Interstate 39 & U.S. 51 are posted at 3.50 miles ahead of their cloverleaf interchange with I-80…

Equally snowy Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge across the Illinois River on Interstate 39 & U.S. 51 south.

Interstate 39 & U.S. 51 carried a lot more traffic than Interstate 80 by mid-morning. Drivers tended to clump together too, and several accidents were noted on the 59-mile drive to Bloomington-Normal.

Road conditions worsened along Interstate 55 south between Interstate 39 and Interstate 74.

Interstate 55 south & 74 east split on the southwest side of Bloomington. Interstate 74 carries U.S. 51 back to its original alignment south of town. Business Loop I-55 ties into the split from Veterans Parkway to the northeast.

Winds shifted from the south around the low pressure system over Illinois, resulting in blowing snow over Interstate 74 between Bloomington and Champaign.

Shocked shield posted for Interstate 57 between Exits 232 and 229. The pavement condition was markedly better through Champaign.

Moderate snow squall along Interstate 57 south on the south side of Mattoon near junction U.S. 45 & Illinois 121 (Exit 184).

Merging with Interstate 70 west along Interstate 57 south.

The first sunlight we saw in eight days, Interstate 57 south near the Fayette and Clay County line.

Interstate 64 west joins Interstate 57 south through the Mt. vernon area. A new interchange (Exit 94) opened between the freeway and Veterans Memorial Drive in 2009. Veterans Memorial Drive was extended west from 42nd Street to the adjacent Wells Bypass. A stub exists at their intersection for further lengthening.

Now out of the snow finally, Interstate 57 splits with the eastbound beginning of Interstate 24. Plenty of snow birds and other holiday travelers using each freeway.

Descending toward Exit 14 with U.S. 45 near Vienna, Illinois on Interstate 24 east.

The day’s snowfall slowed our southward progress and gobbled up most of our daylight. We spanned the Ohio River southward along Interstate 24 toward Paducah by 4:12 pm.

A rare business loop exists in western Kentucky for Interstate 24 through Paducah. The route is signed at both ends and with some consistency on its surface alignment through the city.

U.S. 30 joins U.S. 61′s freeway briefly at DeWitt, Iowa. The exit numbering of the U.S. 61 interchanges shifts to U.S. 30′s mileage along their shared alignment.

U.S. 61 varies between a four-lane freeway and four-lane expressway between Interstate 80 and its merge with U.S. 151 near Dubuque Regional Airport. U.S. 151 merges with the divided highway at a trumpet interchange.

U.S. 52 enters Dubuque from the southeast and joins U.S. 61 & 151 from Bellevue Road.

U.S. 52, 61 & 151 upgrade to a brief freeway on the approach to downtown Dubuque. Interchanges connect the trio with Grandview Avenue and Locust Street. Locust Street provides a connection to U.S. 20, which passes over U.S. 52-61-151 along the Julien Dubuque Bridge.

U.S. 52-61-151 see traffic lights with Jones Street and the Locust Street/U.S. 20 connector before upgrading to another freeway leading northeast from downtown Dubuque to Wisconsin. The freeway elevates onto a viaduct from 4th Street and splits with U.S. 52 at 11th Street west before spanning the Mississippi on the arched Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge.

Spanning the Mississippi River along U.S. 61 & 151 north. The Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge opened to traffic in 1982 and is the second longest arch bridge across the Mississippi (the first is the Interstate 255 Jefferson Barracks Bridge).

Looking south at the frozen Mississippi River from the Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge. The Mississippi River was frozen southward toward Clinton.

Wisconsin typically uses a uni-sign type configuration when signing overlapped routes. This particular assembly lies along the northbound freeway of U.S. 61-151 & Wisconsin 35.

U.S. 20 briefly sees its own freeway through parts of Dubuque. The freeway sinks toward the Mississippi River, intersecting Locust Street at-grade, before crossing the Mississippi River.

Crossing the Mississippi River on the narrow Julien Dubuque Bridge of U.S. 20. The steel-arch truss bridge opened in 1943.

A rock cut along Wisconsin 11 after its intersection with Rock Cut Road.

Snow covered trees shroud the landscape of U.S. 20 east on its ascent from the historic town of Galena.

A scenic lookout area resides along the westbound side of U.S. 20 east of Galena.

Descending along Illinois 84 south after its split with U.S. 20.

Straddling the Mississippi River along Illinois 84 south near the Savanna-Sabula Bridge of U.S. 52. Illinois 84 travels between a railroad line and Mississippi Palisades State Park.

Traveling west across the Mississippi on U.S. 52 over the Savanna-Sabula Bridge. A bridge plate attached to the beginning of the span installed in 1932 reads "Short Route Cedar Rapids – Chicago".

A short truss bridge carries U.S. 52 drivers over the waterway linking the Mississippi River with adjacent Town Lake. Sabula constitutes a small town on an island bound by the river, Town Lake, Israel Day Lake, and Sabula Lakes. U.S. 52 turns west from Broad Street onto Sycamore Street from a causeway over Sabula Slough onto a second causeway between North and Middle Lakes of the Sabula Lakes system.

U.S. 67′s north end shield posted at the U.S. 52 merge/split with Iowa 64 west of Sabula. U.S. 67 continued northwest with U.S. 52 to Dubuque between 1934 and 1967.

Iowa 136 becomes Illinois 136 as it crosses the Mississippi River via the Lyons-Fulton Bridge between Lyons, Iowa and Fulton, Illinois. This steel truss bridge opened to traffic in 1975.

U.S. 30 enters Clinton, Iowa from East Clinton, Illinois along the Gateway Bridge. This suspension bridge opened to traffic in 1956 and was rebuilt in 1999.

U.S. 30 and 67 combine for a short distance between downtown Clinton and north of Camanche. The intersection where the two split doubles as an entrance to a big box retail center. U.S. 67 utilizes a two-lane controlled-access type bypass of Camanche west of town.

U.S. 67 enters the riverside town of Princeton. The US route parallels the Davenport, Rock Island & North Western Railroad. through both Princeton and nearby Le Claire.

Continuing the drive north from Sikeston to the Quad Cities, clouds dominated the day, and from Springfield northward, snow flakes joined the fray. Generally traveled northward along Interstate 55, with a loop onto the new I-64, I-270, and I-255 around St. Louis. Took Interstate 155 to Interstates 74/474 to the Quad Cities in light snow. Saw a pair of cars dislodged from the road, one of which was wrapped in barbed wire, the other perpendicular to the westbound carriageway within the median…

Southbound Interstate 55 at the loop ramp onto Interstate 57′s northbound beginning. It appears that the I-57 shield may be covering up a square shield?

No Interstate 57 shields were posted between the beginning and Exit 4. We settled for this shot on County Road B.

An older spec Interstate 55 Missouri shield in place on U.S. 60 eastbound at the northbound loop ramp to Interstate 55 at Interstate 57′s northbound beginning.

Business Loop Interstate 55 crosses paths with Interstate 55 with U.S. 61 between Cape Girardeau and Jackson. The loop returns at Exit 105.

Some of the generous rock cuts along Interstate 55 near Exit 170 (junction U.S. 61).

Interstate 55 expands from four to eight overall lanes ahead of the Exit 186 diamond interchange with Imperial Main Street through the south St. Louis suburbs.

Interstate 55 north merges with Interstate 44 east at Exit 207C to Truman Parkway. Exit 207C constitutes a directional interchange with the unconstructed Route 755. Route 755 was a freeway planned to bypass downtown St. Louis between Interstate 55 and 70. The only portions built were the interchange here (Exit 207C) and the one with Interstate 64 (Exit 39A).

Interstate 55 northbound at its merge with Interstates 64 & 70 and U.S. 40 east across the Poplar Street Bridge. Interstate 70 turns northward at this junction toward the Gateway Arch. A new alignment and span is planned to relocate Interstate 70 to the north, but funding issues are delaying any work on the new Mississippi River Bridge. If completed, Interstate 70 will no longer travel the Poplar Street Bridge and either an extension of Interstate 44 north of a newly designated Interstate 264 will begin here and join Interstate 55 with the new bridge.

A surprisingly empty Poplar Street Bridge eastbound as Interstates 55-64-70 & U.S. 40 span the Mississippi River. Note the lack of shoulders on the eight-lane bridge.

Interstates 55-64-70 & U.S. 40 split into an express/local configuration east from the Poplar Street Bridge through to their merge with Illinois 3. The local lanes see an off-ramp to 4th Street and the East St. Louis business district before merging with the express lanes.

The split of Interstates 55 & 70 east/north with Interstate 64 at Exit 2. Interstate 64 continues to Evansville and Louisville.

Like eastbound, westbound Interstates 55-64-70 also split into a local/express type configuration. The local lanes provide access to Illinois 3 southbound’s split from the freeway. Interstate 70 departs Interstates 55 & 64 and U.S. 40 at the west end of the Poplar Street Bridge from the right. Therefore drivers bound for I-70 are directed onto the local lanes.

Interstate 64 & U.S. 40 leave the Poplar Street Bridge and travel along side the newly built Busch Stadium. Will they ever rename it InBev or Anheuser-Busch InBev Stadium?

Interstate 64 & U.S. 40 leave their viaduct and lower into the directional interchange with another section of the planned Route 755 freeway. Signed as "Market Street at 21st Street", Exit 39A links the freeway with parallel Market Street via a four-lane stub freeway.

Interstate 64 & U.S. 40 reaches the Kingshighway Boulevard off-ramp (Exit 36A). The stretch of freeway between Exit 36A and Interstate 270 was reconstructed between 2008 and 2009 as part of the "New I-64" project. Completed on December 7, 2009, the work focused on a complete rebuilt of the aging freeway by closing entire sections of freeway for the construction. The sign pictured here indicates "completed as promised", at the gateway to the revised stretch of freeway.

Many of the interchanges along the "New I-64" were upgraded including that of the substandard south end of Interstate 170. The new interchange facilitates movements between the two freeways with high speed flyovers. Previously motorists encountered a traffic light between the two highways. Additional work focused on the rebuilding of all overpasses, giving them a cosmetic facelift with decorative lettering and fencing.

Emerging from the redesigned stretch of Interstate 64 ahead of Exits 25A/B (junction Interstate 270). Interstate 64 recently was extended through to Interstate 70, with the last traffic light along the previous divided highway removed by October 15, 2009.

Interstates 270 and 255 utilize variable speed limits that change depending upon traffic conditions. Digital speed limit signs are posted periodically along the route, with the speeds set at 60 mph otherwise. This is similar to Interstate 495 in Delaware, Interstate 4 in Orlando, and Interstate 10 across Mobile Bay.

Spanning the Mississippi River along the Jefferson Barracks Bridge between Missouri and Illinois. The steel arch bridges opened in 1983 and 1992 respectively.

Interstate 255 transitions into Illinois 255 at its junction with Interstate 270. The freeway spur resets the exit numbers. The state highway freeway opened in stages between 1998 and August 2008.

Nearing the merge with Interstate 72 east on Interstate 55 at the Illinois Capital city of Springfield. Business Loop Interstate 55 begins and follows 6th Street north from the Interstate merge to Sherman Boulevard (Exit 105) north of town. Interstate 72 saw extension west from its original end at I-55 officially in 1995.

Interstates 55 north & 72 east combine with U.S. 36 east around the city of Springfield. Some industry rises between the freeway and Lake Springfield near the northerly turn ahead of Stevenson Drive (Exit 94).

Snow kicked in in earnest at the split of Interstates 55 and 155 outside Lincoln. Interstate 155 replaced Illinois 121 as the designation for the freeway between Lincoln and Morton outside of Peoria in 1991.

Spanning the Mackinaw River along Interstate 155 north. A truss bridge remains in use along Old IL-121 to the west.

Clearview signage is now in place ahead of the split of Interstates 74 & 474 east of Peoria.

A snowy Shade Lohmann bridge carries Interstate 474 across the Illinois River south of Peoria.

Interstate 74 prepares to merge with Interstate 280 at the bump with Interstate 80.

Picture of the Illinois-Indiana Memorial Bridge from the north banks of the Mississippi River at Bettendorf. A levee system protects the downtown area of Bettendorf from the river. Along the barrier is a walk/bike path, boat ramp, park area, and the Isle of Capri Casino.

Forward to May 23, 2006, the Iowa and Illinois Departments of Transportation held a joint public meeting to select the recommended bridge type for the Interstate 74 replacement. Four designs were considered until the end, the first consisted of a basket handle true arch twin bridge, essentially spans side by side with arches that converge at the top. Second on the list was a modified basket handle tied arch bridge design, with vertical pier and hangers. This configuration is similar in design to what is used for Interstate 280′s crossing of the Mississippi River west of Rock Island, with cross members joining two sets of arches on each span. Design three was similar to the basket handle design but with tied arches. The final design consisted of a cable stayed sing bridge with a semi-fan stay arrangement, essentially a cable-stayed bridge with three support towers. View the designs for yourself here.

The Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge travels 66 feet above the Mississippi and is 5,148 feet in overall length. Its name honored the veterans of World War I during its dedication (northbound span) on November 18, 1935. The southbound bridge was built for $8.1 million in 1958, with both open for traffic after a 1959 closure of the original for repairs on January 20, 1960.

After the public meeting held jointly by Iowa and Illinois DOTs, the new bridge was chosen as officials announced the basket handle true arch twin bridge design. The new bridge will accommodate a bike path and observation platform, similar in scope to the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge in Charleston, South Carolina. Additionally each span will carry four overall lanes with full inside and outside shoulders.

Approaching the south tower of Interstate 74 & U.S. 6 east as travelers enter Moline, Illinois. The bridge originally carried just U.S. 6 until the 1974 addition of Interstate 74. Work connecting the Illinois-Iowa Memorial Bridge to new Interstate 74 began in 1971 and was completed on November 26, 1974. Interstate 74 was finished in Quad Cities on December 10, 1975.

Due to the importance of the existing Interstate 74 & U.S. 6 bridge to the daily traffic movements of the Quad Cities, the span will remain open during construction of its replacement. The new span will be built just east of the existing, which works because the present freeway takes a bend in Moline before spanning the Mississippi to Bettendorf and Davenport. Work will also entail building a new south approach and reworking the north approach into the new bridge. That scope of the work does not end there however, as adjacent interchanges will also be reworked in conjunction with a widening to six-lanes of the overall freeway (with several eight lane sections due to new auxiliary lanes). See schematics of the new alignment and ramps changes here.

A platform joins both spans of the Interstate 74 & U.S. 6 Bridge over the south banks of the Mississippi River. The platform used to support toll collection facilities (15 cents per direction), which were removed on January 1, 1970.

As time passes, costs of the new span continue to escalate. Originally estimated to cost $600-million in 2002, prices increased to $650 million in 2006 and now have increased to $791 million. With all of the push backs during the study phase, filing of an Environmental Impact Statement, finalizing a bridge alternative, the construction timetable shifted from a potential completion date of 2011 early on to a construction start date no sooner than 2012. If you factor in the overall corridor expansion project from 53rd Street in Davenport to Avenue of the Cities in Moline, the completion day may await until December 2022.

For an in depth look at route numbering changes and a construction time line of the Quad Cities Interstate system and proposed Interstate renumbering, please see Jason Hancock’s Highways of Davenport and Bettendorf.

Sources:

• “Bridges to the Future.” River Cities’ Reader, August 13, 2002.
• i-74corridorstudy.org – Iowa Department of Transportation / Illinois Department of Transportation.
• “New estimate puts cost of I-74 bridge at $791 million.” QC Times, February 26, 2008.
• “New I-74 Bridge Plan Chosen.” WBHF 4, Quad Cities, August 30, 2006.
• I-74 Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge, John Weeks.
• Mississippi Bridge Timeline (QCQ&A), Quad Cities Online.

Interstate 74 cuts a swath through the downtown area, meandering along a curved path from junction Interstate 474 & Illinois 6 northwest of the city to a brief depressed section of freeway near the central business district. A high-level cantilever bridge carries the freeway across the Illinois River into East Peoria. Once across, the road bisects hills on a southeastern trajectory to Interstate 474, Interstate 155, and Morton.

Interstate 74 descends toward the Perry Avenue under crossing through the eastern outskirts of downtown Peoria. U.S. 24 & Illinois 29 meet the freeway ahead.

Road work recently saw completion on a multi-year project to upgrade Interstate 74 through the Peoria metro area. Begun in 2002 with reconstruction of the North Street and Forrest Hill Bridges, work continued through Fall 2007.

Every bridge over Interstate 74 was reconstructed or replaced and now features ornamental columns. Pictured here is the Forest City Avenue overpass at the Gale Avenue (Exit 90) off-ramp of I-74 east.

Highlights of the near $500 million work included the construction of new ramps at Sterling Avenue, the raising of the Adams Street bridge over Interstate 74, rebuilding of both freeway carriageways, landscaping, and other improvements. Work affected 11 miles of roads, 32 bridges were either removed or replaced, 8 bridges were widened or reconstructed, and two tunnel ramp tunnels were built. Additionally the interchange with the Industrial Spur was reconstructed from a trumpet into a directional interchange near the east end of the Murray Baker Bridge.

Entering the directional interchange (Exit 94) with the Industrial Spur, a short freeway connector joining Interstate 74 with Washington Street (Illinois 40), Camp Street, and the Riverside Drive industrial area adjacent to the Murray Baker Bridge.

The Murray Baker Bridge carries Interstate 74 over the Illinois River, an important waterway linking the Mississippi River basin with Lake Michigan via a system of canals. The bridge was repainted warm gray as part of the I-74 upgrade project in 2004 from its 1984 orange. Spanning the river at a distance of 3,247 feet, the bridge is 61 feet wide and 80 feet tall.

The Shade Lohmann Bridge carries Interstate 474 over the Illinois River between Bartonville and Creve Coeur.

Colored blue, the Shade Lohmann Bridge was built between 1973 and 1975 at a length of 3,421 and 3,425 feet per span. Each span is 39 feet in width, traveling a height of 65 feet above the river below. The bridges were rehabilitated in 2002 and are named after J. Normal Shade, Pekin mayor between 1942 and 1945, and Martin B. Lohmann, a former state congressman between 1923 and 1953.

A half-used trumpet interchange joins the premature end of Illinois 6 with adjacent Illinois 29 and Peoria County R59 to the east. A pair of signs reside beyond the barrier displaying “Dead End” and “Road Ends 500 Feet”.

Empty sign brackets hang above the unopened northbound on-ramp to Illinois 6. A northbound ramp may ultimately join Illinois 6 with an upgraded Illinois 29.

A 2005 plan that is receiving new interest from the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce would extend Illinois 6 east and south to Interstate 474, thus completing the Ring Road. The cost estimate is $800 million and a corridor study underway may be completed by winter 2009.

Another touted plan is the Peoria to Chicago freeway concept that would extend Illinois 6 north to Interstate 180 to provide an alternate of Interstate 74 east to Interstate 55 at Bloomington. One plan involves the widening of Illinois 29 to expressway standards with a 65 mph design speed in conjunction with bypasses of Chillicothe and Henry. Approval of that plan is anticipated sometime in 2008. A second proposal involves the building of a diagonal Interstate connection along an unknown corridor steming northeast from the planned northeast quadrant of the Ring Road.

A third road project in development is the extension of Illinois 336 northeast from the Quincy area to Peoria with expressway standards. The connection in conjunction with Illinois 6 and the Illinois 29 upgrade project is expected to enhance Peoria’s position with the market between Canada and Mexico. Extension of Illinois 336 northward is estimated to cost $700 million. An alternatives map can be viewed here; a map of the overall corridor between Interstate 172 and Peoria is found here.

Illinois has the third most Interstate miles behind Texas and California and the third most number of Interstates behind New York and California.

Sources:

• Upgrade 74: Upgrade 74 – Illinois Department of Transportation.
• Shade-Lohmann Bridge, Creve Coeur, IL, John A Weeks III.
• SAFETEA LU legislation from 2005 (bill number HR 3) for the $2.4 million for land acquisition and study
• Regional Chamber Transportation Issues, Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce.

Interstate 355 northbound at Illinois 171.

One of the main aspects of the project was the modernization of the 20 main line toll collecting facilities. Work involved the conversion of the conventional toll booth barriers into a hybrid of high-speed electronic toll collection, called “open road tolling” and newly built attended toll booths for cash and coin based payment. The open road tolling works with I-Pass, a prepaid toll program that works with transponders affixed to car’s windshields that are read by sensors as drivers pass under pass readers at normal freeway speeds. Account holders may bypass the conventional toll booths, which were relocated to outside carriageways, on the tollway mainlines. Additionally I-Pass account holders are charged reduced rates.

Reaching the Des Plaines River Bridge on Interstate 355 north. Monuments are posted at each bridge end with “Veterans Memorial Tollway” inscribed on the columns.

We checked out two of the Illinois Tollway system roads over Memorial Day Weekend. In November 2007, the Veterans Memorial Tollway, a 12.5-mile extension of Interstate 355 south from Interstate 55 to Interstate 80 opened to traffic as a new facility. The North-South Tollway extension acts mainly as a commuter freeway through the western suburbs and includes a $2 cash toll for travelers between the aforementioned Interstates. Among the highlights of the $729.3-million route is the Des Plaines River Bridge, the longest span on the Illinois Interstate system. The span is even featured on the cover of the newest Illinois Tollway map cover.

Just beyond the current construction zone at the ramps to Interstate 88. Interstate 355 and 88 parallel one another briefly north of U.S. 34.

Work on original Interstate 355 is also underway in the form of lane widening (from six to eight) and resurfacing. Construction between 75th Street and Interstate 88, a distance of 4.5 miles, is underway currently between 75th Street and Maple Avenue at a cost of $60.4 million.

Approaching the first mainline toll plaza of Interstate 88 west at the beginning of the eight-laning project.

Interstate 88, the East-West Tollway and formerly Illinois 5, joins Chicago with Aurora and other western suburbs as part of a longer route joining Chicagoland with the Quad Cities. The route exists partially as a commuter freeway and partially as a long distance route with its connection to Interstate 80 and Iowa.

Ramps to Interstate 355 part ways with Interstate 88 west near their parallel alignment.

Modernization is underway along Interstate 88 from Aurora to Hillside in a multi-stage project. Work is underway along a 2.2 mile segment between York Road and Illinois 83 to widen the road from six to eight lanes. This $178.2-million project includes the initial main line toll plaza which is already partially complete.

A short expressway connector (Illinois 53) joins Interstate 88 with U.S. 30 west of Aurora. The partial “Y” interchange represents the end of Aurora area road work.

Adjacent to that project is the 5.1-mile to expand Interstate 88 from six to eight lanes between Illinois 83 and Finley Road, a $99.7-million investment that is underway concurrently with the easternmost work. Following that work is the $273.4-million phase to eight-lane Interstate 88 westward to Washington Street, also underway.

Farm land and long exit less stretches are the norm along Interstate 88 west of the last suburbs.

Those projects lead drivers into a completed stretch of eight-lane tollway between Washington Street and Illinois 59, a huge relief to travelers that trudged westward from Hillside. However before one can get accustomed to jersey-barrier freeway driving, construction again joins the fold along Interstate 88 west of the Aurora main line toll plaza to Deerpath Road in the form of a $162.5 million six-laning project.

Other projects to either expand or replace the aged pavement are proposed for after 2010, but for now the drive beyond Aurora is devoid of construction barrels and barriers.

Drawbacks to the Illinois Tollway system:

• While Travel Oases (service plazas) are provided along the Tollway mainlines, no other travel service signs are posted along the facilities, including the rural stretches of Interstate 88 west of Aurora.
• All exits along the Tollway system are unnumbered, irregardless of the Interstate.
• Tolls are sometimes twice as much for cash-based payments, which makes the venture pricey when entering from out of state.
• When departing the tollway system in search of services, tolls are levied for reentry, even if tolls at a nearby plaza were previously paid.

The good news is that the Illinois Tollway now accepts EZPass! Though no signs display this information yet in the field, it is mentioned on the Illinois Tollway web site.Sources

Congestion-Relief Program SUMMARY, Illinois Tollway Authority.