I have heard Rockford wants a western bypass Considering the cost my guess is it gets nowhere like the Peoria,Bloomington and Decatur proposals
The Peoria bypass is actually under study again:
http://www.easternbypass.com/I think it might get a protected corridor if IDOT really feels the need for it, though it might only get that far like the Gateway Connector has.
Speaking of the Gateway Connector, there's a letter in the EIS's for now I-255 between I-55/70 and I-270 from the Collinsville School District that seems to indicate a study was underway for a similar outerbelt back then.
The supplemental freeway study I mentioned early was done by Seelye Stevenson Value & Knecht, Inc, and Nelson, Ostrom, Baskin, Berman & Assoc. Inc., and is dated March 1976. There's three routes that don't seem to be included in the online map (
http://www.midwestroads.com/illinois/il%20supp%20fwy.pdf): one for IL 35 from the US 20 route to the Wisconsin border, and the unbuilt freeway between Congress Parkway and the spur off of I-90/94 south of I-55. It's hard to tell from the pdf map, but the Elgin-O' Hare route was also included.
There was a Springfield study from that era as well
I've come across one older Springfield plan, but didn't see any new freeways planned. An MTR post mentioned that I-55 was once planned to run through the downtown area, but I've yet to find any verification of that.
I've relocated the