Hypotenuse Expressway to be built by 2020

Started by Brandon, April 01, 2017, 07:34:15 AM

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Brandon

This just in.

QuoteHYPO EXPY TO BE BUILT THROUGH SOUTH SIDE

Mayor Rahm Emmanuel announced today with Governor Bruce Rauner that the Hypotenuse Expressway would be built connecting the Eisenhower Extension in Hillside with the Skyway where it meets the Dan Ryan Expressway.  When pressed for details, Mayor Emmanuel could only say that it would mostly be in the air rights above many major railroads and rail yards through the near western suburbs and the south side.  He did; however, say that construction would begin by April 1, 2018 and be complete by April 1, 2020.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg


GeekJedi

Now that is a brilliant idea! I mean, the geometry of it all. Plus, it really adds a "missing" segment. I have to say, that is the smartest idea I've heard in a long, long time. I'd be willing to bet that the creators get some sort of transportation award.

I'm really surprised that nobody here came up with it first - sort of a "fictional highway" idea.
"Wisconsin - The Concurrency State!"

MNHighwayMan


freebrickproductions

It's all fun & games until someone summons Cthulhu and brings about the end of the world.

I also collect traffic lights, road signs, fans, and railroad crossing equipment.

(They/Them)

hotdogPi

Quote from: freebrickproductions on April 01, 2017, 09:38:33 AM
And of course, the video from Chicago's Official YouTube Channel announcing the project, should anyone else want more information. ;-)

(Almost) 300 million views! That's almost the entire US population! Everyone in the United States must be in support of this!
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

I-39

I heard ISTHA just jumped on the Hypotenuse idea when they heard it. It is the first project in their proposed Move Illinois Phase 2, which includes, amongst other things, building the missing Edens Spur ramps from WB Edens Spur to SB I-294, connecting IL-390 to I-190 via a tunnel under O'Hare and upgrading Lake-Shore Drive to full Interstate standards (becoming I-494). The whole proposal should cost about $25 billion, so expect a toll hike of $2.00 for I-PASS users and $7.00 for cash users to be forthcoming.   

What a time to be alive!  :-D

dzlsabe

#6
Why does Lake Shore Drive NEED to upgraded to interstate standards? You want trucks and a tollway there? Why would ISTHA do it? Keep your brilliant IDEA away from my stupid ones. Would not want the easily confused to think I suggested that.



The major traffic problems weve faced in Chicago and Cook County for the past FIFTY+ years dont seem to be getting resolved anytime soon. I believe a HUGE part of that is the lack of "Hypotenuse", a sixteen mile, what surely will have to be a Tollway now, between the  #1 clusterF in the country, the Hillside Strangler and the Skyway split in Englewood. The only route at present, is going down the Ike, through Byrnecircle, then down the north part of the Ryan. A 22-mile trek that, while "free", is hardly that when the sun is up anyway. So building the Hypo would cut six miles off that trip. But, theres a FOUR mile FREE bonus!! It would shorten a drive from Schaumburg to Gary, presently 60+ miles, to FIFTY because it eliminates the "curvature" of the Kennedy or the Tri-state. amazingly making Indianapolis and Madison ten miles closer, even Seattle and Boston. Interstate traffic would appreciate an option to Chicagos forever crowded "freeways". :spin: THE Hypo is more like five or six. The Ike and N Ryan is one. US 12 & 20 is another. I-55 & Cicero to the Skyway split, too. Any surface street within a mile or two really. And an improved rail corridor?

The "problem" actually started in the 1850s, with the explosion of Chicagos population from a dot on the map to one of the fastest growing cities on the planet for decades and the numerous RRs terminating/originating here, mostly on the southside. Then the Civil War, that FIRE, two world wars, Chicagos illustrious history. How could planning ever be properly done? South Chicago Ave and present day Skyway and old IC (now CN) and NS RRs started to get the SE-NW thing going, but there was never really any plan to continue on that vector. Maybe the ill-fated Crosstown (I-494)? The south part made some sense, NO way the north. Ideally, US 12 & 20 should have taken a diagonal through town instead of the long, present-day EW-NS path.

Of course, youve read the Kennedy (Is 90/94) is the #1 Interstate mess in the country. Its time for I-90 to move out. Its been eating the groceries and not paying the rent for 38? years now. And before that, it was on the Ike. You can see it from space, its as plain as the nose on your face. No more 90/94.

Heres some distance calculations and shots of what it might look like.

https://imgur.com/CwPU7Ox                             https://imgur.com/IAt9KVf 

        


Texas A&M Transport Institute estimates congestion costs us over $7B per year around here in lost productivity and "diminished quality of life". Yeah? Add increased pollution, lack of business creation and retention, smaller tax base, underfunded schools, no jobs, crime and gun violence, then becoming the media "poster-child" for all of that...$7B sounds low. :eyebrow:

Whats missing??

     https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8337329,-87.7319639,11z

Have some fun. Click above, go to satellite, zoom in and follow the route. From the Strangler, follow CN rail SE to Berwyn, over Cicero Av. crossing the SanShip Canal, I-55, and Pulaski, along BNSFs Corwith railyard, then east along 49th. Over Western, turning south along CSXs railyard. Then a turn east at the ROW north of 59th. Follow from Damen to Halsted, then turn SE follow till ya cross the Ryan, adjacent to the NS tracks and merge into the Skyway. Thats it!  :hmmm:

Connecting ramps:
At Strangler: WB to 290 (or the "new" I-90), N294, 88. Really liking the flyover I-294 idea, that would include a ramp from E88 & N294 and get rid of the slow oval ramp. EB from 290 & 88 (294 already merged).
Mannheim: WB exit, EB enter.
Harlem: WB exit, EB enter
Cicero: WB enter & exit EB exit.
I-55: from N55 to EB, from S55 to WB maybe.
Archer, Western & 49th: Probably WB exit to Archer, EB enter. Maybe a free frontage to/from Western with WB enter, EB exit.
59th & Western: WB exit, EB enter.
At Ryan: WB enter from State St. EB exit at Yale cross 63rd to SB Ryan.
Cross Ryan, merge with Skyway.

Sixteen miles, MINIMAL neighborhood disruption. Only two areas that have any residential.

59th around Englewood? The high school is yards away from four NS tracks, so some of that would need to be rebuilt, maybe in the parking lot, and the parking lot could move under the new highway. Theres twenty homes that would probably have to go, and twenty more that would be close, but then its just two junkyards, two strip malls, a few commercials that could probably all stay.

Berwyn to Westchester has minimal residential destruction. Mostly its "AIMBY" already a major railroad yards away from my garage or backyard. Probably twenty of those. So the property wouldnt need to be destroyed, but theres a monstrosity there now. If ya' couldnt handle it, find a new home. It would be bought for you and somebody would like the old one. After that just a bunch of parking lots and truck yards.

New grade-separations along CN rails in this area would include Riverside Dr., Harlem (IL43), 26th St., Veterans Dr., Hainesworth , DesPlaines Av, Cermak, First Av.(IL171), 17th Av., Oak Ridge Av., Harrison St., and Wolf Rd.

Heres a recent Tribune article describing an $8B rail bypass plan??
   
   http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-illinois-rail-line-0322-biz-20160318-story.html

Why not just build the few miles of rails needed between CN & BNSF in Cicero and CSX and NSX in Englewood?

As six of seven Class 1 RRs, numerous short lines, METRA and AMTRAK collide here everyday, grade-separated rail lines along the same Hypo route would enable the RRs to get thru town in an hour, instead of days. The old IC (now CN) RR line can be seen briefly at the Strangler. Thats the vector.

Whats an alternative?? Widen the IKE?
http://eisenhowerexpressway.com/pdfs/i290%20alternatives%20evaluation%20summary2013apr02.pdf

It could take TEN years and cost $4B? Not insurmountable for a region that has a $550B a YEAR GDP. In NYC thats pocket change. A public-private partner-ship (PPP) would be needed to fund a project like this which would have to include IDOT, ISTHA, CMAP, CREATE, Federal & CMAQ, state, county, city, the RRs, construction contractors, tollway funders...even the bastards that stole (then sold for 50% profit?) the Skyway rights. :spin: Yes it would be like nailing jello to a wall. This is like a chess game, jigsaw puzzle, and crossword rolled into one.

As always, I maintain that federal fuel taxes need a modest increase, as they havent been raised since 1993, havent even kept up with inflation. Maybe a small tax (pennies per gallon) on railroad or off-road diesel to help finance more CREATE type projects. Everyone agrees that more infrastructure spending is a great idea...why are our legislators unable to get this done? It looks like very cheap fuel for the next TEN YEARS? :poke:

We also need to take a look at the give/get in the FEDERAL HIGHWAY TRUST FUND. Illinois is one of many industrial states that dont get what they put in. In IL its like 97%. And then Springfield only gives IDOT D1 (six county metro area, 65% population & 75% GDP) 45% of those funds, the rest of the state gets 55%?? So does that mean for every dollar D1 gives, we get 43 cents? :pan: I still dont know how the numbers pan out and CMAP isnt sure either.

The GDP of the SEVEN Chicagoland counties is equal to Ohios OR almost New Jersey. By comparison, the rest of IL is about Kentucky on a good year.

Heres this years version of "Chicago traffic woes" story...Note the maps on page two.


http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/documents/10180/359519/2015-08-26-Chicago-traffic-among-worst-Chicago-Tribune.pdf/5338ec11-819c-4dda-a25e-a24593238775

Maybe if it gets worse, well get some kind of "draft pick"? Hypotenuse would relieve, maybe eliminate those FIVE, and maybe help a few others. Think about it. At the Strangler, FOUR major Interstates (Is 290, N&S 294 & 88 with six lanes) merge into ONE four-lane. With IL 38, 56, 64, US 12, 20, 45 all giving a boost. The Ryan has ultimately FOUR into ONE as well(Is 57, 94, then 90 & 55), all finally meeting up at Byrnecircle. If we could connect or give options to these EIGHT routes with one sixteen mile $4B Tollway, that would be a major triumph in ten years. Kill five zombie pteradactyls with one gigantic, 16-mile hunk of concrete and steel FOREVER.

Construction techniques for the "last link" in I-70 finished 25 years ago that may be useful for building Hypotenuse, the "last link" in I-90. But NO mountain canyon, just boring railyards and ROWs, a half-mile of some pretty sparse Chicago neighborhood. Still would be beautiful. I watched Glenwood Canyon construction in the eighties. :rofl:

https://youtu.be/LNqcNH7ez4k

SPECIAL April Fools Day Answers price list: :rofl:
Answers............................................. $1.00
Answers (requiring thought)................... $2.00
Answers (correct)................................ $3.00
Dumb looks .................................STILL FREE!

ILs mantra..the beatings will continue until the morale improves but Expect Delays is good too. Seems some are happy that Chicago/land remains miserable. Status quo is often asinine...Always feel free to use a dictionary as I tend to offend younger or more sensitive viewers. Thanx Pythagoras. :rofl:

Anthony_JK

And I thought that this was originally a decent April Fool's Day joke.


ET21

The local weatherman, trust me I can be 99.9% right!
"Show where you're going, without forgetting where you're from"

Clinched:
IL: I-88, I-180, I-190, I-290, I-294, I-355, IL-390
IN: I-80, I-94
SD: I-190
WI: I-90, I-94
MI: I-94, I-196
MN: I-90

quickshade

They should add 2 lanes that are tolled and name them the Dzlsabe fast-pass lanes.  :spin:

TheHighwayMan3561

Quote from: quickshade on April 01, 2017, 12:33:08 PM
They should add 2 lanes that are tolled and name them the Dzlsabe fast-pass lanes.  :spin:

With a dedicated exit to MDW from them, with said freeway connector widening out into a runway as it approaches the airport?
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

DaBigE

#11
This has to be one of the best April Fool's jokes posted on this site...especially when the target is too dense (obtuse?) to play along.

Hats off to you, Brandon; well played sir, well played.  :clap:
"We gotta find this road, it's like Bob's road!" - Rabbit, Twister

dzlsabe

#12
Somebody from WI (aka the obtusity state, elected Gov/Prez candidate Walker TWICE) knows what "obtuse" means? Im cryin! :rofl: :rofl::pan:

What kills me even more is that Brandon was up at the crack of 6 AM with this brainstorm. :rofl: 

Well played sir, well played.
ILs mantra..the beatings will continue until the morale improves but Expect Delays is good too. Seems some are happy that Chicago/land remains miserable. Status quo is often asinine...Always feel free to use a dictionary as I tend to offend younger or more sensitive viewers. Thanx Pythagoras. :rofl:

CNGL-Leudimin

I actually thought to come up with this for my April fools post! Either this or saying that IDOT formally changes its acronym to IDiOT. But in the end I decided to kick the United Kingdom entirely off Europe.
Supporter of the construction of several running gags, including I-366 with a speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/h) and the Hypotenuse.

Please note that I may mention "invalid" FM channels, i.e. ending in an even number or down to 87.5. These are valid in Europe.

ET21

Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on April 01, 2017, 05:28:12 PM
I actually thought to come up with this for my April fools post! Either this or saying that IDOT formally changes its acronym to IDiOT. But in the end I decided to kick the United Kingdom entirely off Europe.

It was because of the tea and crumpets wasn't it?
The local weatherman, trust me I can be 99.9% right!
"Show where you're going, without forgetting where you're from"

Clinched:
IL: I-88, I-180, I-190, I-290, I-294, I-355, IL-390
IN: I-80, I-94
SD: I-190
WI: I-90, I-94
MI: I-94, I-196
MN: I-90

roadman65

Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

SSOWorld

Since most of us know what the date of the thread is - locked :-D
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.



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