Illinois Designates Chicago-Kansas City Highway

[3467]

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1218689505/Everywhere-a-sign-but-Peoria

I did the math ,it is about 6 miles longer than the under study routes using Illinois 29 and Illinois 336 through the Peoria area
Making US 34 a four lane or a shared 4 from Galesburg to I-80 would actually save 11 miles.
This designated route is complete thanks to the publisher of the Quincy newspaper who has pushed it relentlessly . He evidently thinks these Peoria routes are decades ,if ever, away. You may see that from the tone of the debate after this story.

I posted it here because it covers several regions like North and South Illinois,Iowa,Missouri and Kansas . It is also a completed route and the Peoria routes are under study so it is not fictional but feel free to move and offer opinions on this designation.

[huskeroadgeek]

Right now, if I were going from Chicago to Kansas City, I would take I-55, I-270 and I-70 or I-55, I-72, US 36 and I-35 if they've finished converting the 2 lane portion of US 36 W. of Hannibal to 4 lane. The route they designate just doesn't make a whole lot of sense in comparison to the others. I also think it's kind of ridiculous to try to designate a preferred route with signage between two points as far apart as Chicago and Kansas City are, especially since it uses so many different routes.

[3467]

The 2 lane part is almost all complete and yes I didnt point out that 55/72 is 19 miles shorter!
I dont mind it because it uses some of my favorite roads ....but i would think 80/35 is better.
And US 34 to 35 is not a bad route either

[huskeroadgeek]

The 2 lane part is almost all complete and yes I didnt point out that 55/72 is 19 miles shorter!
I dont mind it because it uses some of my favorite roads ....but i would think 80/35 is better.
And US 34 to 35 is not a bad route either

You're right-I can't believe I didn't even think of I-80 to I-35 which would be better too.

[Revive 755]

^ Except that I-80 in Iowa east of Des Moines is reaching the volumes where any lane closure becomes a major problem.  An I-72/US 36 route is not quite as sensitive to road work - except maybe for the part on I-35, and the part using I-55, which at least in Springfield has been seeing lots of backups due to road work.

The resolution enables signs to be erected along a path from Interstate 88, Interstate 55 and Interstate 80 in Chicago

I don't see why I-88 needs to be involved in this; I-55 and I-80 work well enough and are toll-free

[3467]

I can explain 88 -The publisher of the Quincy newspaper wanted 88 as well-The Quincy Macomb Section is named after him.
Peoria has just never had its act together. IDOT really wants just a few freeway miles of 336 and an IL 6 extension and maybe a ring road.
Of course these are ridiculously expensive and will probably end up in Fantasy like US 20.

IDOT promised what really would be a shared 4 for US 67 between Monmouth and the Quad Cities and delivered less than a quarter of it . The Warren Coubt section is in terrible condition but no we need to spend 50 million to start the Macomb by pass Because that will finish the "Chicago -Kansas City" expressway

[thenetwork]

Why is IDOT even routing it along I-290, I-88 and I-355 rather than just I-55 to I-80??!?!

[3467]

I am not sure the map is right . He ,Quincy publisher,once said he wanted both routes Thye may have used all of  88 AND 80
I was there when I heard him ask for it So far no signs up on 34 or 67 ..................

[Revive 755]

Quincy paper had an article stating the C-KC Highway would be signed as IL 110, in addition to the previous numbers used on the route:
http://www.whig.com/story/news/C-KC-063010

[huskeroadgeek]

I still think it's an odd routing and not the route most people would choose between the two cities. I also don't see the need for a new number. I guess it's like Iowa designating the Avenue of the Saints as IA 27, but when it's just added to other numbers, I don't see that it's all that helpful. It just seems superfluous to duplicate the entire length of I-88 as IL 110 as well.

[TheStranger]

I guess it's like Iowa designating the Avenue of the Saints as IA 27

I thought of the same thing too.  Considering that US 218 is basically the same exact corridor as IA 27 for the most part (save for segments where 218 serves as a local route and 27/380 or 27/20 is a freeway), I find that to be pretty superfluous.

[corco]

I'm about as big a believer as one can be in terms of giving alternate non-obvious routes that are possibly faster a good chance (for example, I'd take US-36 the whole way to get from Springfield, IL to Denver), but this routing is just weird. It's longer than I-55 to I-72/US-36, which is probably how I'd go, so what's the point?

[3467]

Thomas A Oakley is your answer. He was inspired by the Iowa designation of Iowa 27 for Ave of Saints. The road between Quincy and Macomb is called the Thomas A Oakley highway . He owns a bunch of TV stations too.
I think these factors might have somthing to do with this....Perhaps. Anyway i wont complain and i am happy to see Peoria annoyed as I said before that route is 6 miles shorter than this one

[3467]

I would point out that US 67 has benefited immensly from having a PAC and united support. In Illinois at least if you want your fictional road to become a real one you really have to have some clout. I was told by an IDOT emplyee that a southern Illinois route was going nowhere because"they had no clout behind it"
US 20 and the Peoria routes had limited local support and some sigificant opposition and no PACs
I would be curious if any other states are so blatantly political. We after all do have a reputation

[agentsteel53]

I would be curious if any other states are so blatantly political. We after all do have a reputation

only because of that senate-seat thing, which happens to be recent history.  Every state is that blatantly political: if you're not, you're doing it wrong! 

[huskeroadgeek]

Thomas A Oakley is your answer. He was inspired by the Iowa designation of Iowa 27 for Ave of Saints. The road between Quincy and Macomb is called the Thomas A Oakley highway . He owns a bunch of TV stations too.
I think these factors might have somthing to do with this....Perhaps. Anyway i wont complain and i am happy to see Peoria annoyed as I said before that route is 6 miles shorter than this one

Interesting-I was just looking at the area on Google maps earlier and I noticed that the highway W. of Macomb was designated the "Thomas A. Oakley Hwy" and I was wondering who he was. Now I know. One thing I was noticing though is that there is no bypass of Macomb. That's one of several reasons why I think other routes would be better(particularly I-55 and I-72, which is over 30 miles shorter.)

[froggie]

only because of that senate-seat thing, which happens to be recent history.

You forget the Daley machine in Chicago...

[Brandon]

I would be curious if any other states are so blatantly political. We after all do have a reputation

only because of that senate-seat thing, which happens to be recent history.  Every state is that blatantly political: if you're not, you're doing it wrong! 

Illinois takes it to a level unseen in other states.  It can get pretty bizarre around here somedays.

[agentsteel53]

You forget the Daley machine in Chicago...

impressive, but nothing compared to Tammany Hall.

[Brandon]

You forget the Daley machine in Chicago...

impressive, but nothing compared to Tammany Hall.

It's far longer lived.  It's the old Cermak Machine from the late 1920s.

[TheStranger]

You forget the Daley machine in Chicago...

impressive, but nothing compared to Tammany Hall.

It's far longer lived.  It's the old Cermak Machine from the late 1920s.

Hey, that machine has a road named after it! 

[Brandon]

You forget the Daley machine in Chicago...

impressive, but nothing compared to Tammany Hall.

It's far longer lived.  It's the old Cermak Machine from the late 1920s.

Hey, that machine has a road named after it! 

(It's the other way around, but some of us still call it 22nd Street.)

[3467]

There is a Macomb bypass planned . There is money for bridge construction in the 5year plan/capital plan. But it is 4 lanes now and only 4 traffic lights that arent right turns when going from Chicago. DFont let that discourage you the bypass would only save a couple of minutes just like a routing through Peoria. The simple fact is 72 is shorter and will always be .
I think the best way to shorten it would be to make 34 between Galesburg and Interstate 80 4 lane . That would save another 12 miles making it more competative than the 6 that the Peoria route saves. Its still longer than 55/72 and there are problems placing a Kewanee Bypass . However with the low traffic volumes a Missouri-type shared 4 would do the trick .

Also Good Hope is a 3 lane section . The traffic is light and few trucks compared to 55 but 72 is light as well and a nice drive too

[3467]

US 34 is Ogden Avenue in Metro Chicago is named after Chicagos first Mayor. The picture is from just south of Oneida. The RR is the BNSF which carries the Chicago Quicny train and the California Zepher
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_34