Illinois notes

[MrManlet]

^^^^ Those 2 examples both appear like a standard "temp" /construction zone span wire installation in Illinois, using a wooden pole and a single span wire for support. Even if they have been there for awhile and now are de facto permanent installations

There are a few in the Peoria area that are similar to the ones you posted. Here is one, just off the US 24 West exit from I-474 https://goo.gl/maps/86T7Grq3t6CSYstr8

They differ from the one I posted in Southern IL/D9 quite a bit, as that particular one really does look like a pretty standard Indiana-style installation, with the metal poles and 3 span wires for support. Only thing Illinois about that intersection is the use of Towers instead of Doghouses

Of course there is also this one that has been in my hometown of Bolingbrook for at least 8 years now.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.6669524,-88.1652061,3a,75y,258.2h,85.47t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s68skvjbCDPkf6aDAYQdIVA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

Since when did Illinois become Michigan? Except for the 5 piece with the turn arrows, looks somewhat like a Michigan install.

[ilpt4u]

Since when did Illinois become Michigan? Except for the 5 piece with the turn arrows, looks somewhat like a Michigan install.

https://goo.gl/maps/mwfhkmKEvteCuu4y6

On a side note, I have no idea why the link the Google Maps app generates on my iPad always points to the sky, and not the object I'm looking at when I ask for the link

[hobsini2]

Since when did Illinois become Michigan? Except for the 5 piece with the turn arrows, looks somewhat like a Michigan install.

https://goo.gl/maps/mwfhkmKEvteCuu4y6

On a side note, I have no idea why the link the Google Maps app generates on my iPad always points to the sky, and not the object I'm looking at when I ask for the link

Fixed it.
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.734689,-88.8928388,3a,78.7y,253.59h,92t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8pvuA5lc4wHl0q11r62f3w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[ilpt4u]

^^^^ Thank you. Much better!

I thought that setup, which is only a couple years old now, is very Michigan. Especially for Southern Illinois. Granted, not a signal. Just a Michigan Left or J-Turn or whatever they are called now. Signage is very Michigan Left

[hobsini2]

They are doing all kinds of goody things around Marion. For example, was The Hill Ave interchange needing to be separate from IL 13?

[ilpt4u]

They are doing all kinds of goody things around Marion. For example, was The Hill Ave interchange needing to be separate from IL 13?

I think so, just because how commercialized that area is right off I-57. It really helps when there are concerts or minor league baseball games at the ballpark there

Now, did The Hill Ave need to be made a DDI and the IL 13 interchange a SPUI? The SPUI, maybe. The DDI is a nice experiment, but probably unnecessary

Further west on IL 13, the completely unnecessary (imho) upgrade of Wolf Creek Rd meeting IL 13 to an Overpass and Diamond Interchange near Carterville is a bit crazy, but it happened

[kphoger]

Since when did Illinois become Michigan? Except for the 5 piece with the turn arrows, looks somewhat like a Michigan install.

https://goo.gl/maps/mwfhkmKEvteCuu4y6

On a side note, I have no idea why the link the Google Maps app generates on my iPad always points to the sky, and not the object I'm looking at when I ask for the link

For me they don't.  They point straight down at the pavement.

[kphoger]

They are doing all kinds of goody things around Marion. For example, was The Hill Ave interchange needing to be separate from IL 13?

I think so, just because how commercialized that area is right off I-57. It really helps when there are concerts or minor league baseball games at the ballpark there

Now, did The Hill Ave need to be made a DDI and the IL 13 interchange a SPUI? The SPUI, maybe. The DDI is a nice experiment, but probably unnecessary

Further west on IL 13, the completely unnecessary (imho) upgrade of Wolf Creek Rd meeting IL 13 to an Overpass and Diamond Interchange near Carterville is a bit crazy, but it happened

I lived there before, during, and after the ballpark was built–but before the construction of the the the The Hill Ave interchange was completed.  Leaving the ballpark after a game, with ALL traffic funneling out to Halfway Road, was brutal!  My personal opinion is that they should have left 57/13 as a cloverleaf, possibly with a C/D road added, and put the second interchange farther north so as not to conflict with 13.  For example, other than taking a sliver of the golf course, it would have required little work to send ballpark traffic north up a newly-built frontage road to Cedar Grove Road to a newly-built interchange there.

[ilpt4u]

I figured The Hill Ave interchange was placed where it was due to the ballpark and the businesses all right there between the ballpark and the (old) mall. Make it easier for people to spend more money in Marion

Had the interchange been further north up at Cedar Grove Rd, that would be funnelling more traffic into a more residential area. I doubt Marion/Williamson County would prefer that over keeping the traffic on the commercialized IL 13 corridor. Would it be better if the 3 main Marion Exits (not counting the IL 148 and I-24 interchanges) were a bit more spaced out? Yes it would. Cedar Grove Rd I don't think would be a better spot to funnel the traffic to, tho

Putting The Hill Ave interchange not at The Hill Ave but instead of north of the ballpark and Menards would probably have been slighly better, as it would give a bit more separation between IL 13 and the "overflow"  interchange, if you will

I don't think IDOT will be redesigning those interchanges any time soon

[kphoger]

I figured The Hill Ave interchange was placed where it was due to the ballpark and the businesses all right there between the ballpark and the (old) mall. Make it easier for people to spend more money in Marion

It was because of the ballpark.  I don't remember any talk of anything but the ballpark being a reason for the added interchange.  To be fair, of course, Menards opened just shortly before the ballpark.  But, before the ballpark was built, the intersection of Route 13 and Halfway Road wasn't all that bad, and the interchange with I-57 was a free-flowing cloverleaf.  Basically, pre-ballpark traffic wasn't much of a problem there.  Busy? yes.  A problem? no.

(I drove through that area on a near-daily basis for about 1½ years in 2006-2008.  I drove a delivery route for a company based just west of Herrin, and a lot of my usual route's customers were on the west side of Marion–including the mall, what used to be Hucks but is now Pilot, Pepsi, the VA–and even the ballpark itself, from the time it was an empty dirt lot with a mobile office to the time it was completed.)

[hobsini2]

I figured The Hill Ave interchange was placed where it was due to the ballpark and the businesses all right there between the ballpark and the (old) mall. Make it easier for people to spend more money in Marion

It was because of the ballpark.  I don't remember any talk of anything but the ballpark being a reason for the added interchange.  To be fair, of course, Menards opened just shortly before the ballpark.  But, before the ballpark was built, the intersection of Route 13 and Halfway Road wasn't all that bad, and the interchange with I-57 was a free-flowing cloverleaf.  Basically, pre-ballpark traffic wasn't much of a problem there.  Busy? yes.  A problem? no.

(I drove through that area on a near-daily basis for about 1½ years in 2006-2008.  I drove a delivery route for a company based just west of Herrin, and a lot of my usual route's customers were on the west side of Marion–including the mall, what used to be Hucks but is now Pilot, Pepsi, the VA–and even the ballpark itself, from the time it was an empty dirt lot with a mobile office to the time it was completed.)

I am looking at the sat map. Where is the ballpark in Marion? I don't see it.

[ilpt4u]

I figured The Hill Ave interchange was placed where it was due to the ballpark and the businesses all right there between the ballpark and the (old) mall. Make it easier for people to spend more money in Marion

It was because of the ballpark.  I don't remember any talk of anything but the ballpark being a reason for the added interchange.  To be fair, of course, Menards opened just shortly before the ballpark.  But, before the ballpark was built, the intersection of Route 13 and Halfway Road wasn't all that bad, and the interchange with I-57 was a free-flowing cloverleaf.  Basically, pre-ballpark traffic wasn't much of a problem there.  Busy? yes.  A problem? no.

(I drove through that area on a near-daily basis for about 1½ years in 2006-2008.  I drove a delivery route for a company based just west of Herrin, and a lot of my usual route's customers were on the west side of Marion–including the mall, what used to be Hucks but is now Pilot, Pepsi, the VA–and even the ballpark itself, from the time it was an empty dirt lot with a mobile office to the time it was completed.)

I am looking at the sat map. Where is the ballpark in Marion? I don't see it.

Rent One Park, home of the Southern Illinois Miners
1000 Miners Dr, Marion, IL
37.7479042, -88.9621910

[hobsini2]

I figured The Hill Ave interchange was placed where it was due to the ballpark and the businesses all right there between the ballpark and the (old) mall. Make it easier for people to spend more money in Marion

It was because of the ballpark.  I don't remember any talk of anything but the ballpark being a reason for the added interchange.  To be fair, of course, Menards opened just shortly before the ballpark.  But, before the ballpark was built, the intersection of Route 13 and Halfway Road wasn't all that bad, and the interchange with I-57 was a free-flowing cloverleaf.  Basically, pre-ballpark traffic wasn't much of a problem there.  Busy? yes.  A problem? no.

(I drove through that area on a near-daily basis for about 1½ years in 2006-2008.  I drove a delivery route for a company based just west of Herrin, and a lot of my usual route's customers were on the west side of Marion–including the mall, what used to be Hucks but is now Pilot, Pepsi, the VA–and even the ballpark itself, from the time it was an empty dirt lot with a mobile office to the time it was completed.)

I am looking at the sat map. Where is the ballpark in Marion? I don't see it.

Rent One Park, home of the Southern Illinois Miners
1000 Miners Dr, Marion, IL
37.7479042, -88.9621910

Oh wow. That snuck up on me. I thought that was part of the shopping center. lol

Also interesting to note when I looked up what league they are in, Frontier League, that there is another team in NJ called the Miners.

[ilpt4u]

Pretty sure the Miners are in the same league as the Joliet Slammers and Schaumburg Boomers

https://frontierleague.com/teams/

[hobsini2]

Pretty sure the Miners are in the same league as the Joliet Slammers and Schaumburg Boomers

https://frontierleague.com/teams/

Yes and the Windy City Thunderbolts too. The Gary Railcats are in the Northern League.

[MrManlet]

I figured The Hill Ave interchange was placed where it was due to the ballpark and the businesses all right there between the ballpark and the (old) mall. Make it easier for people to spend more money in Marion

Had the interchange been further north up at Cedar Grove Rd, that would be funnelling more traffic into a more residential area. I doubt Marion/Williamson County would prefer that over keeping the traffic on the commercialized IL 13 corridor. Would it be better if the 3 main Marion Exits (not counting the IL 148 and I-24 interchanges) were a bit more spaced out? Yes it would. Cedar Grove Rd I don't think would be a better spot to funnel the traffic to, tho

Putting The Hill Ave interchange not at The Hill Ave but instead of north of the ballpark and Menards would probably have been slighly better, as it would give a bit more separation between IL 13 and the "overflow"  interchange, if you will

I don't think IDOT will be redesigning those interchanges any time soon

Honestly I think a good solution for that whole Marion mess of interchanges (getting into fictional territory here) would be to remove the The Hill Ave interchange and put slip ramps in on Blue Heron Drive north of the Menards. A new overpass is built over 57 right by the Gander RV so as to access NB I-57 traffic. Traffic heading NB on I-57 exiting for the ballpark would use a C/D road from IL-13 to the new overpass. The only problem with this is the dang water tower right across I-57.

[skluth]

They are doing all kinds of goody things around Marion. For example, was The Hill Ave interchange needing to be separate from IL 13?

I think so, just because how commercialized that area is right off I-57. It really helps when there are concerts or minor league baseball games at the ballpark there

Now, did The Hill Ave need to be made a DDI and the IL 13 interchange a SPUI? The SPUI, maybe. The DDI is a nice experiment, but probably unnecessary

Had this been Wisconsin, it would have been a cluster of roundabouts. Consider Marion lucky.

[SEWIGuy]

They are doing all kinds of goody things around Marion. For example, was The Hill Ave interchange needing to be separate from IL 13?

I think so, just because how commercialized that area is right off I-57. It really helps when there are concerts or minor league baseball games at the ballpark there

Now, did The Hill Ave need to be made a DDI and the IL 13 interchange a SPUI? The SPUI, maybe. The DDI is a nice experiment, but probably unnecessary

Had this been Wisconsin, it would have been a cluster of roundabouts. Consider Marion lucky.

I drive through that last one regularly.  It's actually very easy and flows nicely.  It bogs down afterwards when you start hitting the traffic lights though.

[mgk920]

They are doing all kinds of goody things around Marion. For example, was The Hill Ave interchange needing to be separate from IL 13?

I think so, just because how commercialized that area is right off I-57. It really helps when there are concerts or minor league baseball games at the ballpark there

Now, did The Hill Ave need to be made a DDI and the IL 13 interchange a SPUI? The SPUI, maybe. The DDI is a nice experiment, but probably unnecessary

Had this been Wisconsin, it would have been a cluster of roundabouts. Consider Marion lucky.

I drive through that last one regularly.  It's actually very easy and flows nicely.  It bogs down afterwards when you start hitting the traffic lights though.

In that first one (I-41/Breezewood Ln/Bell St/Harrison St in Neenah, WI), the roundabouts were the ideal solution to that area.  Before its rebuild in the early 2010s, that interchange was LEGENDARY for traffic delays.  Those roundabouts were signalized intersections and when going from SB 41 to NB Harrison St (which I often did then) usually involved waiting at two or three red lights and weeding through major traffic backups.  After its rebuild, the volume of traffic is still there and has likely gone up some, but the delays are GONE.  I can usually make all of those turns without stopping.



Mike

[skluth]

They are doing all kinds of goody things around Marion. For example, was The Hill Ave interchange needing to be separate from IL 13?

I think so, just because how commercialized that area is right off I-57. It really helps when there are concerts or minor league baseball games at the ballpark there

Now, did The Hill Ave need to be made a DDI and the IL 13 interchange a SPUI? The SPUI, maybe. The DDI is a nice experiment, but probably unnecessary

Had this been Wisconsin, it would have been a cluster of roundabouts. Consider Marion lucky.

I drive through that last one regularly.  It's actually very easy and flows nicely.  It bogs down afterwards when you start hitting the traffic lights though.

In that first one (I-41/Breezewood Ln/Bell St/Harrison St in Neenah, WI), the roundabouts were the ideal solution to that area.  Before its rebuild in the early 2010s, that interchange was LEGENDARY for traffic delays.  Those roundabouts were signalized intersections and when going from SB 41 to NB Harrison St (which I often did then) usually involved waiting at two or three red lights and weeding through major traffic backups.  After its rebuild, the volume of traffic is still there and has likely gone up some, but the delays are GONE.  I can usually make all of those turns without stopping.



Mike

I mostly like roundabouts, especially along mostly residential streets where it seems to slow traffic better than even a series of stop signs. One brother used to live on Tullar Road, but that was 20 years ago before the roundabouts. Those are probably the best solution, much like the roundabouts going west from Green Bay's airport on WI 172. Scheuring Road built up after I left GB in 1987, so I don't know how that works. Another brother lives just west of Pamprin Park and I've gone through the roundabouts on Shawano and Packerland Drive. They're fine when it's nice and sunny, but when you've driven all day and exit at Shawano Av on a cold, rainy night it is very easy to get confused when you're not familiar with the new configuration.

I think roundabouts along The Hill Av would be a bad idea, especially when a bunch of people are leaving that ballpark and some aren't familiar with multilane roundabouts.

[dvferyance]

After attending the Sauk Valley road meet and looking at the routes in the Dixon/Sterling/ Rock falls area I was thinking would it not make more sense to end IL-2 in Dixon instead of IL-38? Then extend IL-38 to Sterling. IL-2 is a north south route while IL-38 is east and west. As Brandon pointed out you have a wrong way concurrency this would fix that.

[Revive 755]

^ Considering IL 2 used to make it out to Quad Cities and once acted more as a diagonal, I'm going with no.

[dvferyance]

^ Considering IL 2 used to make it out to Quad Cities and once acted more as a diagonal, I'm going with no.

But it no longer does. That is the whole point.

[Revive 755]

It would be cheaper to change the directional banners on IL 2 west US 52 to be east/west instead of north/south, and omit the directional banners from IL 2 near the wrong-way multiplex in lieu of control cities.

[paulthemapguy]

Plus, locals who know the current road as "Old IL-2" would have an easier time adjusting to a restored IL-2 than having to adjust to a new number.  (I'm a little biased, though, because my fictional Illinois plans restore IL-2 to the Quad Cities and extend it all the way south to Kampsville.)