Illinois notes

[paulthemapguy]

If they are going to make I-39 four lanes each way there, they better make sure I-80 through Joliet and towards Minooka

Plans are already drawn up...

http://i-80will.com/

EDIT: Link seems not to be working...

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/projects/i80-ridge-rd-to-us30

I did see this site previously. This is sorely needed, and why this wasn't done years ago is beyond me. Basically, I just don't get how Illinois has a habit of purposefully neglecting some highways while making sure others get more than their share of attention. For example, I-55 in Bloomington-Normal vs. Springfield.

I guess a triplex is given higher precedence than a duplex  regardless of their AADT.

(55+74+51 > 55+72)

[tribar]

If they are going to make I-39 four lanes each way there, they better make sure I-80 through Joliet and towards Minooka

Plans are already drawn up...

http://i-80will.com/

EDIT: Link seems not to be working...

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/projects/i80-ridge-rd-to-us30

I did see this site previously. This is sorely needed, and why this wasn't done years ago is beyond me. Basically, I just don't get how Illinois has a habit of purposefully neglecting some highways while making sure others get more than their share of attention. For example, I-55 in Bloomington-Normal vs. Springfield.

Because the bureaucrats in Springfield have no reason to drive around Springfield.

[hobsini2]

Widening the Des Plaines River Bridge on I-80 is going to be the biggest cost IMO. That's probably why it has not been addressed. But it should be addressed really soon. Last week when I was on the bridge I noticed a lot of open rebar exposure.

[inkyatari]

Apparently Plainfield IL has done some of it's own studies for fixing the I-55 / IL 126 interchange.

Oh, and the estimate for construction of the project has gone up over $1 million since the studies were first enacted in 2009.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/05/17/plainfield-adds-on-to-interstate-55-engineering-study/an87133/

Also, has the construction of the I-55 / Weber road Diverging Diamond started in earnest? I'm noticing a lot of utility surveying flags around the Weber / Normantown Rd. interesction.

[Rick Powell]

Apparently Plainfield IL has done some of it's own studies for fixing the I-55 / IL 126 interchange.

Oh, and the estimate for construction of the project has gone up over $1 million since the studies were first enacted in 2009.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/05/17/plainfield-adds-on-to-interstate-55-engineering-study/an87133/

In reading the article, it appears that Plainfield (along with Bolingbrook and Romeoville) is contributing money to the IDOT study by intergovernmental agreement, rather than them doing something on the side of the IDOT study, and this is the best way to do it. In my past experience, almost every time a village tries to do a study on an IDOT facility without IDOT being the lead, they wind up running out of money or coming up with something so incomplete that it is unusable for further work.

[Brandon]

Apparently Plainfield IL has done some of it's own studies for fixing the I-55 / IL 126 interchange.

Oh, and the estimate for construction of the project has gone up over $1 million since the studies were first enacted in 2009.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/05/17/plainfield-adds-on-to-interstate-55-engineering-study/an87133/

In reading the article, it appears that Plainfield (along with Bolingbrook and Romeoville) is contributing money to the IDOT study by intergovernmental agreement, rather than them doing something on the side of the IDOT study, and this is the best way to do it. In my past experience, almost every time a village tries to do a study on an IDOT facility without IDOT being the lead, they wind up running out of money or coming up with something so incomplete that it is unusable for further work.

Plainfield keeps trying to make the full interchange at 126.  Romeoville, historically, has been adamant that the full interchange be at Airport (Lockport) Road.

I'm also glad of this:

Trustee Ed O'Rourke was concerned whether the village actually has a "seat at the table,"  because Romeoville and Bolingbrook have taken the lead on the study and forwarded the proposed intergovernmental agreement to Plainfield.

That means things will get done right.  Plainfield couldn't plan its way out of a paper bag when it comes to traffic.  They were told years ago, by IDOT and by the County that a bypass of downtown using Renwick Road would be a good idea.  Insular Plainfield decided to balk.  Now downtown Plainfield is a traffic clusterfuck.

[inkyatari]

Apparently Plainfield IL has done some of it's own studies for fixing the I-55 / IL 126 interchange.

Oh, and the estimate for construction of the project has gone up over $1 million since the studies were first enacted in 2009.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/05/17/plainfield-adds-on-to-interstate-55-engineering-study/an87133/

In reading the article, it appears that Plainfield (along with Bolingbrook and Romeoville) is contributing money to the IDOT study by intergovernmental agreement, rather than them doing something on the side of the IDOT study, and this is the best way to do it. In my past experience, almost every time a village tries to do a study on an IDOT facility without IDOT being the lead, they wind up running out of money or coming up with something so incomplete that it is unusable for further work.

Plainfield keeps trying to make the full interchange at 126.  Romeoville, historically, has been adamant that the full interchange be at Airport (Lockport) Road.

I'm also glad of this:

Trustee Ed O'Rourke was concerned whether the village actually has a "seat at the table,"  because Romeoville and Bolingbrook have taken the lead on the study and forwarded the proposed intergovernmental agreement to Plainfield.

That means things will get done right.  Plainfield couldn't plan its way out of a paper bag when it comes to traffic.  They were told years ago, by IDOT and by the County that a bypass of downtown using Renwick Road would be a good idea.  Insular Plainfield decided to balk.  Now downtown Plainfield is a traffic clusterfuck.

I grew up in the Plainfield area, and attended Plainfield High School.  For the longest time, Plainfield was extremely resistant to any change - I recall them trying over and over again to keep fast food chains out of the village. In essence, they were the southern suburban equivalent of Long Grove, and boy are they paying for it now.

[Brandon]

I grew up in the Plainfield area, and attended Plainfield High School.  For the longest time, Plainfield was extremely resistant to any change - I recall them trying over and over again to keep fast food chains out of the village. In essence, they were the southern suburban equivalent of Long Grove, and boy are they paying for it now.

Years ago, back in the very early 1980s, the truck stop at I-55 and US-30 (now closed) approached Plainfield first about annexation and having Plainfield supply water and sewer to the location.  Plainfield told them no.  Joliet, on the other hand, extended both water and sewer lines under I-55 to reach the truck stop and annexed the property.  Plainfield's attitude is also why the entire Caton Farm Road corridor is in Joliet.  The developers wanted water and sewer, and Joliet provided.

Long Grove and Hawthorn Woods should take note of the Plainfield example.

[ChiMilNet]

I grew up in the Plainfield area, and attended Plainfield High School.  For the longest time, Plainfield was extremely resistant to any change - I recall them trying over and over again to keep fast food chains out of the village. In essence, they were the southern suburban equivalent of Long Grove, and boy are they paying for it now.

Years ago, back in the very early 1980s, the truck stop at I-55 and US-30 (now closed) approached Plainfield first about annexation and having Plainfield supply water and sewer to the location.  Plainfield told them no.  Joliet, on the other hand, extended both water and sewer lines under I-55 to reach the truck stop and annexed the property.  Plainfield's attitude is also why the entire Caton Farm Road corridor is in Joliet.  The developers wanted water and sewer, and Joliet provided.

Long Grove and Hawthorn Woods should take note of the Plainfield example.

Totally agree with this. Actually, if you go into Long Grove, you see where a lot of stores closed or moved out because of this line of thinking. It's probably why Buffalo Grove has been able to expand as much as it has. Look also at Deer Park and Kildeer. Again, Long Grove could have had that area, but they resisted. They did seem to wise up a bit with the area at IL 83 and Aptakistic Road, but they missed on many other opportunities. Look at the mess around there with the roads now!

[csw]

I'm living in Mt. Carmel, IL, for the summer, but probably won't have time for more than weekend road trips. Any suggestions on where to go and what to see within a reasonable radius? I'm already planning on heading to Shawnee National Forest several times.

I'm also going to head down around Carbondale or Mt. Vernon in August for the solar eclipse, although that will be a separate thing because I will be back at school by then.

[paulthemapguy]

I'm living in Mt. Carmel, IL, for the summer, but probably won't have time for more than weekend road trips. Any suggestions on where to go and what to see within a reasonable radius? I'm already planning on heading to Shawnee National Forest several times.

I'm also going to head down around Carbondale or Mt. Vernon in August for the solar eclipse, although that will be a separate thing because I will be back at school by then.

Absolutely go see Garden of the Gods...it's the best thing down there.  Giant City SP is a couple hours west of you but that's also really cool.

[hobsini2]

I'm living in Mt. Carmel, IL, for the summer, but probably won't have time for more than weekend road trips. Any suggestions on where to go and what to see within a reasonable radius? I'm already planning on heading to Shawnee National Forest several times.

I'm also going to head down around Carbondale or Mt. Vernon in August for the solar eclipse, although that will be a separate thing because I will be back at school by then.

I also suggest taking IL 1 and the ferry across the Ohio at Cave in the Rock. It is a prettier drive to get to Land Between the Lakes than I-24.

[inkyatari]

I'm living in Mt. Carmel, IL, for the summer, but probably won't have time for more than weekend road trips. Any suggestions on where to go and what to see within a reasonable radius? I'm already planning on heading to Shawnee National Forest several times.

I'm also going to head down around Carbondale or Mt. Vernon in August for the solar eclipse, although that will be a separate thing because I will be back at school by then.

Normally I'd suggest the LaRue - Pine Hills Road, but part of that apparently washed out recently.  Pity, as IMHO, it's the most beautiful road in Southern IL

Check out Skyline Drive between Cobden and Alto Pass, and the drive up Bald Knob is worth it (yes, there's a giant cross at the top, and no you can't go to the top of it, but the views from the hill itself are amazing.)

The Rim Rock trail is awesome, but make sure you go down the stairs at the back of the loop for more awesomeness

Garden of the Gods, as stated above, but don't only do the observation trail, but get on the trails in the wilderness area also.  Still some spectacular views, with fewer people.

Just NE of the town of Simpson, the forest service keeps open a rickety old fire lookout tower that is open to the public. Definitely go up this.

Take the Giant City trail at Giant City State Park

There's certainly a lot more things to do, but these are some of my favorites.

[inkyatari]

Here's something that has been bugging me for a long time...

My dad used to tell me that at one time I-55 just north of Braidwood collapsed into an underground mine shaft sometime in the late 60's / early 70's.  He told me about how they kept dumping gravel into the shaft, but never reached the bottom, so they just bridged over the shaft.  Indeed, I remember a detour around that area when I was a wee lad, but in doing a google search, I cannot find any reference to this.

Is this true, or is my dad full of shit?

[Rick Powell]

Here's something that has been bugging me for a long time...

My dad used to tell me that at one time I-55 just north of Braidwood collapsed into an underground mine shaft sometime in the late 60's / early 70's.  He told me about how they kept dumping gravel into the shaft, but never reached the bottom, so they just bridged over the shaft.  Indeed, I remember a detour around that area when I was a wee lad, but in doing a google search, I cannot find any reference to this.

Is this true, or is my dad full of shit?

I dunno, most of the mines in that area were strip mines, not underground. I travelled I-55 in that area a bunch of times in the early 70s (I was working on the construction of I-55 further south as a teenager) and don't remember a lane closure for that purpose around Braidwood, but it is possible it happened before I frequented the area. I didn't go that way much until 1973 or so.

[captkirk_4]

Watch out at Garden of the Gods, there were rattlesnakes all over the place when I was there.

[Rick Powell]

New IDOT 2018-2023 program is posted at their website.

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Transportation-System/Reports/OP&P/HIP/2018-2023/2018-23%20MYP%20Book.pdf

[I-39]

New IDOT 2018-2023 program is posted at their website.

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Transportation-System/Reports/OP&P/HIP/2018-2023/2018-23%20MYP%20Book.pdf

How many of these projects are actually going to get done? It seems there has been a lot of the same projects on here for the last few years and they keep getting pushed back. Things like the I-55/72 widening and the I-57/74 interchange reconstruction need to happen now.

[Brandon]

New IDOT 2018-2023 program is posted at their website.

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Transportation-System/Reports/OP&P/HIP/2018-2023/2018-23%20MYP%20Book.pdf

How many of these projects are actually going to get done? It seems there has been a lot of the same projects on here for the last few years and they keep getting pushed back. Things like the I-55/72 widening and the I-57/74 interchange reconstruction need to happen now.

As long as we lack a budget (thanks Madigan!), IDOT won't do as much.

[inkyatari]

Glad to see that I-55 over  BNSF RR & GRANT CREEK on the list.  There's been horrible backups on 55 from there north to US 6 in the last year because of the condition of that bridge, holes appearing, concrete falling to the tracks below.  This is an emergency project.

[Joe The Dragon]

New IDOT 2018-2023 program is posted at their website.

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Transportation-System/Reports/OP&P/HIP/2018-2023/2018-23%20MYP%20Book.pdf

How many of these projects are actually going to get done? It seems there has been a lot of the same projects on here for the last few years and they keep getting pushed back. Things like the I-55/72 widening and the I-57/74 interchange reconstruction need to happen now.

the tollway can do the Managed Lanes part / switch the roads to full toll.

[paulthemapguy]

I noticed that the traffic circle along IL-58 in Des Plaines is slated for a prompt reconstruction.  Do you think they'll make it a regular at-grade intersection, or will they preserve the traffic circle concept and improve it?

[tribar]

I noticed that the traffic circle along IL-58 in Des Plaines is slated for a prompt reconstruction.  Do you think they'll make it a regular at-grade intersection, or will they preserve the traffic circle concept and improve it?

They're making it a modern roundabout.

[Joe The Dragon]

pre work is going on now.

[adt1982]

Representatives from Jackson, Randolph, Perry, and Monroe Counties want a 4-lane route from Murphysboro to Saint Louis.

http://countyjournal.org/coalition-aiming-to-bring-fourlane-connection-between-the-area-and-st-lou-p1450-177.htm#.WTA5uJxPeM4.facebook