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U.S. 61 Davenport

Started by rmsandw, March 23, 2012, 08:51:56 PM

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rmsandw

Was out in the Quad Cities this week, haven't been there since October.  Since then  the BGS's on U.S. 61, I-80, & I-280 have been replaced to show the new path for U.S. 61.  Interesting the signs on I-280 and I-80 do not refer to BUSN U.S. 61.  The signs on I-80 have a green patch over where the U.S. 61 shield was.  The BGS on I-280 now have the direction "South" added.
http://roads.billburmaster.com  Roads of the Mid-South & West
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http://www.billburmaster.com


Alps

Please tell me no button copy was harmed in the making of these signs.

Alex

Quote from: Steve on March 24, 2012, 12:52:07 AM
Please tell me no button copy was harmed in the making of these signs.

All of the signs along I-80 and 280 were pretty modern. I know locals only refer to US 61's path along Brady Street by its road name only and not the number, but the green outs in place of a US 61 Business shield almost indicates to me that perhaps even that business designation will go away. That leaves just US 67 through downtown Davenport.  :-/

iowahighways

Quote from: Alex on March 24, 2012, 10:01:58 AM
Quote from: Steve on March 24, 2012, 12:52:07 AM
Please tell me no button copy was harmed in the making of these signs.

All of the signs along I-80 and 280 were pretty modern. I know locals only refer to US 61's path along Brady Street by its road name only and not the number, but the green outs in place of a US 61 Business shield almost indicates to me that perhaps even that business designation will go away. That leaves just US 67 through downtown Davenport.  :-/

I was in the area earlier this month and while the Iowa DOT had changed all the directional markers along US 61 to BUSINESS banners, and added US 61 shields to existing assemblies and BGS along I-80 and I-280, they have not changed anything at intersecting roads. Along US 6, southbound US 67, and IA 22, the signs still say you're intersecting mainline US 61.
The Iowa Highways Page: Now exclusively at www.iowahighways.org
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rmsandw

Here a few images from BUSN U.S. 61 from back in October.

SB U.S. 61 at I-80/BUSN U.S. 61

NB BUSN U.S. 61 at U.S. 6


BUSN U.S. 61 and U.S. 67

http://roads.billburmaster.com  Roads of the Mid-South & West
http://www.youtube.com/user/rmsandw YouTube Channel
http://www.billburmaster.com

pianocello

I wish they would have added the BUSINESS banner to the NORTH or SOUTH banner instead of replacing them. The inconsistency (especially at intersecting streets) is annoying and unprofessional.
Davenport, IA -> Valparaiso, IN -> Ames, IA -> Orlando, FL -> Gainesville, FL -> Evansville, IN

SEWIGuy

Quote from: iowahighways on March 24, 2012, 04:20:11 PM
Quote from: Alex on March 24, 2012, 10:01:58 AM
Quote from: Steve on March 24, 2012, 12:52:07 AM
Please tell me no button copy was harmed in the making of these signs.

All of the signs along I-80 and 280 were pretty modern. I know locals only refer to US 61's path along Brady Street by its road name only and not the number, but the green outs in place of a US 61 Business shield almost indicates to me that perhaps even that business designation will go away. That leaves just US 67 through downtown Davenport.  :-/

I was in the area earlier this month and while the Iowa DOT had changed all the directional markers along US 61 to BUSINESS banners, and added US 61 shields to existing assemblies and BGS along I-80 and I-280, they have not changed anything at intersecting roads. Along US 6, southbound US 67, and IA 22, the signs still say you're intersecting mainline US 61.


So I know this is a really old topic, but I just moved to the Quad Cities last month. I actually didn't know until earlier this week that the US-61 designation runs along I-280 and I-80 because the signs along the intersecting streets STILL show US-61 running through town.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5745883,-90.5693472,3a,75y,292.58h,83.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMcKx_IvDziyJIEQWLSoJ_Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

I obviously don't get to the Davenport area of the region all that often. I was planning on doing a drive around the area yesterday since I had some time, but the blizzard put a damper on those plans! Maybe soon.

The Ghostbuster

Isn't Davenport's Business 61 also designated IA 461 (although it is not signed as such)?

3467

I have seen that too. I just checked their latest map and it's Business 61.
Btw US 6 runs through to 280 from 74 in Kimberly Road.

If the wanted 67 gone it could be fun to 280 where it is FAP 310 on airport road. FAP 310 diverges there and the Alton Bypass from 67.
And for total geekdom  the 280 junction is the one that has US 67 not the shield with 67.

pianocello

Quote from: 3467 on January 14, 2024, 09:34:27 PM
I have seen that too. I just checked their latest map and it's Business 61.
Btw US 6 runs through to 280 from 74 in Kimberly Road.
The statewide map shows Business US 61, while the DOT's city and county maps show IA 461. I guess they wanted the statewide map to be indicative of signage.

Quote from: 3467 on January 14, 2024, 09:34:27 PM
If the wanted 67 gone it could be fun to 280 where it is FAP 310 on airport road. FAP 310 diverges there and the Alton Bypass from 67.
And for total geekdom  the 280 junction is the one that has US 67 not the shield with 67.
I didn't realize this until now, but the existence of BUS US 61 in Davenport must be unique in Iowa in that US 61 was moved not to dump state highway mileage, but solely to get thru traffic off the city streets and out from under the truck-eating bridge. That's why US 6 and US 67 are still around.

Not that I didn't know that was the motivation; just that I don't think it's been done before where the DOT maintains control of the road after the realignment.
Davenport, IA -> Valparaiso, IN -> Ames, IA -> Orlando, FL -> Gainesville, FL -> Evansville, IN

3467

Yes Davenport felt it gave them more control over the road. That's why I mentioned the other . Right now they are changing some one says downtown to 2 way . I doubt they do much else but I think they were thinking of altering Brady and Harrison the city street names but I am not sure if they have even completed converting the one ways.

mgk920

The big mistake was made in the mid 20th century when I-74 was not fed directly in to the US 61 freewy north of I-80, leaving the surface street to feed in the 'old' surface US 61.  If an economical way could be found to correct that . . .

Mike

SEWIGuy

Quote from: mgk920 on January 31, 2024, 01:10:26 PM
The big mistake was made in the mid 20th century when I-74 was not fed directly in to the US 61 freewy north of I-80, leaving the surface street to feed in the 'old' surface US 61.  If an economical way could be found to correct that . . .


Yeah back in the day they could have found a way to do that (US-61 wasn't a freeway until much later though.) Now I can't imagine the costs would provide much benefit. I have taken the I-74, I-80, US-61 route more than a few times and, while annoying, is pretty simple.

The Quad Cities thing that bothers me the most though is that the former US-61 routing through downtown Davenport doesn't lead directly to the Centennial Bridge (US-67) across to Rock Island.

Alex

Quote from: SEWIGuy on January 14, 2024, 08:30:01 AM
So I know this is a really old topic, but I just moved to the Quad Cities last month. I actually didn't know until earlier this week that the US-61 designation runs along I-280 and I-80 because the signs along the intersecting streets STILL show US-61 running through town.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5745883,-90.5693472,3a,75y,292.58h,83.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMcKx_IvDziyJIEQWLSoJ_Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

I obviously don't get to the Davenport area of the region all that often. I was planning on doing a drive around the area yesterday since I had some time, but the blizzard put a damper on those plans! Maybe soon.

The green outs at Exit 295 A for Brady Street on I-80 were made to eliminate any confusion motorists would have with following U.S. 61 to that truck eating bridge. I think it takes the dumbing down concept too far, but sign replacements made since the realignment approved in 2010 mean the removal from signage here was permanent:



Several of the signs for U.S. 61 remaining in Davenport predate the relocation. I noted when I was in the Quad Cities last month that the ones on U.S. 6 are the same as what I photographed through there in 2015.

I get to the Quad Cities every so often when we visit my in-laws.

SEWIGuy

Right. But its been over a decade! And they are still all over the place.

In Wisconsin, which is where I just came from, those signs would have been gone immediately.

Alex

Quote from: SEWIGuy on January 31, 2024, 04:49:02 PM
Right. But its been over a decade! And they are still all over the place.

In Wisconsin, which is where I just came from, those signs would have been gone immediately.

Low priority?  :hmmm: And it is not like U.S. 6 in Davenport is locally maintained, so the fact that the overheads at Brady Street and Welcome Way still reference U.S. 61 and not U.S. 61 Business is equally surprising.

3467

There was a plan from the 60s to build the Gaines street expressway from the Centennial to 80 where the 61 junction is .I have no idea if that led to the thinking on 74   
Connection.
Despite the sign it's only a mile and a half between them.

The Ghostbuster

If a freeway along Gaines St. between the Centennial Bridge northward to the existing Interstate 80/US 61 freeway-to-freeway interchange, how much traffic might it have diverted from Interstate 280 and Interstate 74?

SEWIGuy

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on February 01, 2024, 04:54:22 PM
If a freeway along Gaines St. between the Centennial Bridge northward to the existing Interstate 80/US 61 freeway-to-freeway interchange, how much traffic might it have diverted from Interstate 280 and Interstate 74?

Very little on I-280 and probably not very much on I-74.

I-74 to I-80 to US-61 is going to still be the primary way for through traffic to get to Dubuque. US-67 just isn't quick enough through Rock Island to make that worthwhile.

Otherwise the commutes back and forth the bridges are largely dictated by where people are coming and going. You may get some people on the northern side of Davenport who use this new expressway instead of I-74, but that may be it.



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