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[Joe The Dragon]

New contracts going out for bid

https://www.illinoistollway.com/documents/20184/38197ffa-3901-4f27-8207-65ea29988afc

looks like they updated their website for 2017 construction. Appears as though they're rebuilding the bridges on 90 in Rockford.

Are they actually going to make IL-47 a full interchange or is that just repairs to the current alignment?

http://www.sugargroveinterchange.org/

[Brandon]

New contracts going out for bid

https://www.illinoistollway.com/documents/20184/38197ffa-3901-4f27-8207-65ea29988afc

looks like they updated their website for 2017 construction. Appears as though they're rebuilding the bridges on 90 in Rockford.

Are they actually going to make IL-47 a full interchange or is that just repairs to the current alignment?

http://www.sugargroveinterchange.org/

There's certainly space for a full diamond interchange there.  The northeast quadrant is an ISTHA yard, and ISTHA, I believe, also owns enough land already in the southeast quadrant.  The hardest part will be extending the four-lane portion of IL-47 north to the interchange (it's approximately 1 mile).

[ET21]

New contracts going out for bid

https://www.illinoistollway.com/documents/20184/38197ffa-3901-4f27-8207-65ea29988afc

looks like they updated their website for 2017 construction. Appears as though they're rebuilding the bridges on 90 in Rockford.

Are they actually going to make IL-47 a full interchange or is that just repairs to the current alignment?

http://www.sugargroveinterchange.org/

There's certainly space for a full diamond interchange there.  The northeast quadrant is an ISTHA yard, and ISTHA, I believe, also owns enough land already in the southeast quadrant.  The hardest part will be extending the four-lane portion of IL-47 north to the interchange (it's approximately 1 mile).

It's a needed extension though, makes sense to have it 4 lanes between Sugar Grove and I-88

[hobsini2]

New contracts going out for bid

https://www.illinoistollway.com/documents/20184/38197ffa-3901-4f27-8207-65ea29988afc

looks like they updated their website for 2017 construction. Appears as though they're rebuilding the bridges on 90 in Rockford.

Are they actually going to make IL-47 a full interchange or is that just repairs to the current alignment?

http://www.sugargroveinterchange.org/

There's certainly space for a full diamond interchange there.  The northeast quadrant is an ISTHA yard, and ISTHA, I believe, also owns enough land already in the southeast quadrant.  The hardest part will be extending the four-lane portion of IL-47 north to the interchange (it's approximately 1 mile).

It's a needed extension though, makes sense to have it 4 lanes between Sugar Grove and I-88

I don't see it getting 4 laned thru Elburn or Lily Lake. More likely, the 4 lane will be between US 20 and I-90 in the near future.

[I-39]

New contracts going out for bid

https://www.illinoistollway.com/documents/20184/38197ffa-3901-4f27-8207-65ea29988afc

looks like they updated their website for 2017 construction. Appears as though they're rebuilding the bridges on 90 in Rockford.

Are they actually going to make IL-47 a full interchange or is that just repairs to the current alignment?

http://www.sugargroveinterchange.org/

There's certainly space for a full diamond interchange there.  The northeast quadrant is an ISTHA yard, and ISTHA, I believe, also owns enough land already in the southeast quadrant.  The hardest part will be extending the four-lane portion of IL-47 north to the interchange (it's approximately 1 mile).

It's a needed extension though, makes sense to have it 4 lanes between Sugar Grove and I-88

I don't see it getting 4 laned thru Elburn or Lily Lake. More likely, the 4 lane will be between US 20 and I-90 in the near future.

You'd have to bypass Elburn somehow, which would cost a lot of money. It'd be very hard to 4 lane through Elburn without major disruptions. I think the section between Yorkville and Sugar Grove ought to be addressed first before that.

I'm surprised the Sugar Grove Parkway study ends at Green Road and doesn't extend up to Main Street. That 4 way stop is going to have to be addressed eventually. 

[I-39]

New contracts going out for bid

https://www.illinoistollway.com/documents/20184/38197ffa-3901-4f27-8207-65ea29988afc

looks like they updated their website for 2017 construction. Appears as though they're rebuilding the bridges on 90 in Rockford.

Seems like something they should have done when they rebuilt that stretch ~10 years ago.

I suspect the work in 2008 and 2009 was envisioned as a shorter-term project. They poured asphalt instead of concrete for the driving surface, and overlaid the original 1950's roadbed for the outside lanes. They also didn't replace overpasses along that stretch (aside from the I-39/US-20 interchange).

ISTHA understood that it needed to deliver congestion relief to the I-39/90 stretch in Winnebago County before it completed work farther east. That road was one miserable son-of-a-bitch before the widening and the Open Road Tolling were implemented. The previous I-39/US-20 interchange was not going to handle the additional influx of truck traffic avoiding the sections of I-90 east to Chicago, opting to use I-88 or I-80 instead. And, frankly, they needed that stretch to move more traffic to help generate toll revenue to finance the rest of the work.

Note also that they completed the I-355 stretch south to I-80 before starting on I-90 between Rockford and I-294, again laying a foundation for a relief route via I-88 to keep traffic off the sections of I-90 under construction.

Now that they've completed the majority of the Rockford to I-294 work, they can prep the Winnebago County stretch for more permanent widening work. My speculation is that within the next 10-20 years, ISTHA will come back and widen the Winnebago County stretch to 8 lanes, either in its entirety or in part (say, widen north from I-39/US-20 to Riverside, then down to 6 lanes northward). It'll also likely get the same improvements we see on I-90 east of Rockford - including the median lighting.

I doubt they go to eight lanes in that segment, since Wisconsin will have just finished widening their portion to six lanes by that time.

And I think the Newberg to South Beloit section was fully reconstructed (not simply overlaid), they just used hot-mix asphalt instead of concrete.

[Joe The Dragon]

New contracts going out for bid

https://www.illinoistollway.com/documents/20184/38197ffa-3901-4f27-8207-65ea29988afc

looks like they updated their website for 2017 construction. Appears as though they're rebuilding the bridges on 90 in Rockford.

Are they actually going to make IL-47 a full interchange or is that just repairs to the current alignment?

http://www.sugargroveinterchange.org/

There's certainly space for a full diamond interchange there.  The northeast quadrant is an ISTHA yard, and ISTHA, I believe, also owns enough land already in the southeast quadrant.  The hardest part will be extending the four-lane portion of IL-47 north to the interchange (it's approximately 1 mile).

It's a needed extension though, makes sense to have it 4 lanes between Sugar Grove and I-88

I don't see it getting 4 laned thru Elburn or Lily Lake. More likely, the 4 lane will be between US 20 and I-90 in the near future.

it needs it must be one of the fastest 3 lanes each way to 1 each way drop out there.

[Rick Powell]

You'd have to bypass Elburn somehow, which would cost a lot of money. It'd be very hard to 4 lane through Elburn without major disruptions. I think the section between Yorkville and Sugar Grove ought to be addressed first before that.

I'm surprised the Sugar Grove Parkway study ends at Green Road and doesn't extend up to Main Street. That 4 way stop is going to have to be addressed eventually. 

The Anderson Road/UP RR overpass east of Elburn is set up for 4 lanes, and north of IL 38 could easily be tied back in to IL 47.  The only problem is that Elburn allowed a lot of development around Keslinger Road (in direct conflict with IDOT's Strategic Regional Arterial study that had an eastern bypass of Elburn) and it would be tough now without a couple 90 degree turns, which kinda defeats the idea of a bypass.

IDOT's Phase I study between Yorkville and Sugar Grove should be wrapping up soon, but without some sort of capital bill, not sure where the $$$ is coming from for construction. Two major BNSF underpasses and widening over Blackberry Creek.

[dvferyance]

New contracts going out for bid

https://www.illinoistollway.com/documents/20184/38197ffa-3901-4f27-8207-65ea29988afc

looks like they updated their website for 2017 construction. Appears as though they're rebuilding the bridges on 90 in Rockford.

Seems like something they should have done when they rebuilt that stretch ~10 years ago.

I suspect the work in 2008 and 2009 was envisioned as a shorter-term project. They poured asphalt instead of concrete for the driving surface, and overlaid the original 1950's roadbed for the outside lanes. They also didn't replace overpasses along that stretch (aside from the I-39/US-20 interchange).

ISTHA understood that it needed to deliver congestion relief to the I-39/90 stretch in Winnebago County before it completed work farther east. That road was one miserable son-of-a-bitch before the widening and the Open Road Tolling were implemented. The previous I-39/US-20 interchange was not going to handle the additional influx of truck traffic avoiding the sections of I-90 east to Chicago, opting to use I-88 or I-80 instead. And, frankly, they needed that stretch to move more traffic to help generate toll revenue to finance the rest of the work.

Note also that they completed the I-355 stretch south to I-80 before starting on I-90 between Rockford and I-294, again laying a foundation for a relief route via I-88 to keep traffic off the sections of I-90 under construction.

Now that they've completed the majority of the Rockford to I-294 work, they can prep the Winnebago County stretch for more permanent widening work. My speculation is that within the next 10-20 years, ISTHA will come back and widen the Winnebago County stretch to 8 lanes, either in its entirety or in part (say, widen north from I-39/US-20 to Riverside, then down to 6 lanes northward). It'll also likely get the same improvements we see on I-90 east of Rockford - including the median lighting.

I doubt they go to eight lanes in that segment, since Wisconsin will have just finished widening their portion to six lanes by that time.

And I think the Newberg to South Beloit section was fully reconstructed (not simply overlaid), they just used hot-mix asphalt instead of concrete.

There is no need for 8 lanes there. If anything the part of I-39/90 near Madison would get 8 lanes long before the Rockford part would.

[ET21]

Coin baskets? 70 mph? Winnebago? I wanna puke like a puppy.

Your point, please?

He has none, kind of the special kid on the block.

Hypothetical question for the future: does anyone see (with the correct funding) 47 becoming the IL-83 of that area, essentially becoming a mixed freeway/divided highway?

[cwm1276]

New contracts going out for bid

https://www.illinoistollway.com/documents/20184/38197ffa-3901-4f27-8207-65ea29988afc

looks like they updated their website for 2017 construction. Appears as though they're rebuilding the bridges on 90 in Rockford.

Seems like something they should have done when they rebuilt that stretch ~10 years ago.

I suspect the work in 2008 and 2009 was envisioned as a shorter-term project. They poured asphalt instead of concrete for the driving surface, and overlaid the original 1950's roadbed for the outside lanes. They also didn't replace overpasses along that stretch (aside from the I-39/US-20 interchange).

ISTHA understood that it needed to deliver congestion relief to the I-39/90 stretch in Winnebago County before it completed work farther east. That road was one miserable son-of-a-bitch before the widening and the Open Road Tolling were implemented. The previous I-39/US-20 interchange was not going to handle the additional influx of truck traffic avoiding the sections of I-90 east to Chicago, opting to use I-88 or I-80 instead. And, frankly, they needed that stretch to move more traffic to help generate toll revenue to finance the rest of the work.

Note also that they completed the I-355 stretch south to I-80 before starting on I-90 between Rockford and I-294, again laying a foundation for a relief route via I-88 to keep traffic off the sections of I-90 under construction.

Now that they've completed the majority of the Rockford to I-294 work, they can prep the Winnebago County stretch for more permanent widening work. My speculation is that within the next 10-20 years, ISTHA will come back and widen the Winnebago County stretch to 8 lanes, either in its entirety or in part (say, widen north from I-39/US-20 to Riverside, then down to 6 lanes northward). It'll also likely get the same improvements we see on I-90 east of Rockford - including the median lighting.

I doubt they go to eight lanes in that segment, since Wisconsin will have just finished widening their portion to six lanes by that time.

And I think the Newberg to South Beloit section was fully reconstructed (not simply overlaid), they just used hot-mix asphalt instead of concrete.

There is no need for 8 lanes there. If anything the part of I-39/90 near Madison would get 8 lanes long before the Rockford part would.

Janesville is supposed to get 8 lanes in the current project. I could see Rockford getting 8 lanes between Newburgh and Riverside mainly to manag enter and exiting traffic and not drop the westbound 90 lane at Newburg.

[dvferyance]

New contracts going out for bid

https://www.illinoistollway.com/documents/20184/38197ffa-3901-4f27-8207-65ea29988afc

looks like they updated their website for 2017 construction. Appears as though they're rebuilding the bridges on 90 in Rockford.

Seems like something they should have done when they rebuilt that stretch ~10 years ago.

I suspect the work in 2008 and 2009 was envisioned as a shorter-term project. They poured asphalt instead of concrete for the driving surface, and overlaid the original 1950's roadbed for the outside lanes. They also didn't replace overpasses along that stretch (aside from the I-39/US-20 interchange).

ISTHA understood that it needed to deliver congestion relief to the I-39/90 stretch in Winnebago County before it completed work farther east. That road was one miserable son-of-a-bitch before the widening and the Open Road Tolling were implemented. The previous I-39/US-20 interchange was not going to handle the additional influx of truck traffic avoiding the sections of I-90 east to Chicago, opting to use I-88 or I-80 instead. And, frankly, they needed that stretch to move more traffic to help generate toll revenue to finance the rest of the work.

Note also that they completed the I-355 stretch south to I-80 before starting on I-90 between Rockford and I-294, again laying a foundation for a relief route via I-88 to keep traffic off the sections of I-90 under construction.

Now that they've completed the majority of the Rockford to I-294 work, they can prep the Winnebago County stretch for more permanent widening work. My speculation is that within the next 10-20 years, ISTHA will come back and widen the Winnebago County stretch to 8 lanes, either in its entirety or in part (say, widen north from I-39/US-20 to Riverside, then down to 6 lanes northward). It'll also likely get the same improvements we see on I-90 east of Rockford - including the median lighting.

I doubt they go to eight lanes in that segment, since Wisconsin will have just finished widening their portion to six lanes by that time.

And I think the Newberg to South Beloit section was fully reconstructed (not simply overlaid), they just used hot-mix asphalt instead of concrete.

There is no need for 8 lanes there. If anything the part of I-39/90 near Madison would get 8 lanes long before the Rockford part would.

Janesville is supposed to get 8 lanes in the current project. I could see Rockford getting 8 lanes between Newburgh and Riverside mainly to manag enter and exiting traffic and not drop the westbound 90 lane at Newburg.

Uh Newburg IL is nowhere near Rockford. The two extra lanes in Janesville are just auxiliary lanes for exit onlys.

[cwm1276]

New contracts going out for bid

https://www.illinoistollway.com/documents/20184/38197ffa-3901-4f27-8207-65ea29988afc

looks like they updated their website for 2017 construction. Appears as though they're rebuilding the bridges on 90 in Rockford.

Seems like something they should have done when they rebuilt that stretch ~10 years ago.

I suspect the work in 2008 and 2009 was envisioned as a shorter-term project. They poured asphalt instead of concrete for the driving surface, and overlaid the original 1950's roadbed for the outside lanes. They also didn't replace overpasses along that stretch (aside from the I-39/US-20 interchange).

ISTHA understood that it needed to deliver congestion relief to the I-39/90 stretch in Winnebago County before it completed work farther east. That road was one miserable son-of-a-bitch before the widening and the Open Road Tolling were implemented. The previous I-39/US-20 interchange was not going to handle the additional influx of truck traffic avoiding the sections of I-90 east to Chicago, opting to use I-88 or I-80 instead. And, frankly, they needed that stretch to move more traffic to help generate toll revenue to finance the rest of the work.

Note also that they completed the I-355 stretch south to I-80 before starting on I-90 between Rockford and I-294, again laying a foundation for a relief route via I-88 to keep traffic off the sections of I-90 under construction.

Now that they've completed the majority of the Rockford to I-294 work, they can prep the Winnebago County stretch for more permanent widening work. My speculation is that within the next 10-20 years, ISTHA will come back and widen the Winnebago County stretch to 8 lanes, either in its entirety or in part (say, widen north from I-39/US-20 to Riverside, then down to 6 lanes northward). It'll also likely get the same improvements we see on I-90 east of Rockford - including the median lighting.

I doubt they go to eight lanes in that segment, since Wisconsin will have just finished widening their portion to six lanes by that time.

And I think the Newberg to South Beloit section was fully reconstructed (not simply overlaid), they just used hot-mix asphalt instead of concrete.

There is no need for 8 lanes there. If anything the part of I-39/90 near Madison would get 8 lanes long before the Rockford part would.

Janesville is supposed to get 8 lanes in the current project. I could see Rockford getting 8 lanes between Newburgh and Riverside mainly to manag enter and exiting traffic and not drop the westbound 90 lane at Newburg.

Uh Newburg IL is nowhere near Rockford. The two extra lanes in Janesville are just auxiliary lanes for exit onlys.

Ugh
Newburg Road first bridge north of the 39 -90 split.
Also last knew Janesville get 8 lanes plus C/D lanes.

[dave069]

I was on I-355 last night and saw 70mph signs up between I-80 and I-55. Speed limit is still 60 from I-55 northward though.

[nwi_navigator_1181]

I was on I-355 last night and saw 70mph signs up between I-80 and I-55. Speed limit is still 60 from I-55 northward though.

So I-355 joined the 70 club too? Nice.

However, that's quite baffling that I-80 in that same vicinity is still at 65 mph. I figured I-80 would get the bump first, which would cause ISTHA to follow suit.

[dave069]

I was on I-355 last night and saw 70mph signs up between I-80 and I-55. Speed limit is still 60 from I-55 northward though.

So I-355 joined the 70 club too? Nice.

However, that's quite baffling that I-80 in that same vicinity is still at 65 mph. I figured I-80 would get the bump first, which would cause ISTHA to follow suit.

Yeah that's surprising that I-55 and I-80 are still at 65. Previous tollway boards reccomended keeping I-355 at 65 mph for that reason, but I guess the current one doesn't care. Either way it's pretty nice. I wish they didn't have that 65 mph bus speed limit though. 70 mph for cars, 65 for buses, and 60 for trucks is too many rules IMO. I would like to see legislation that completely eliminates split speed limits in Illinois.

[ajlynch91]

Now the IDiOT section of 355 should be raised to at least 60, especially since after the 390 work was completed on 290 that was raised to 60, so you go from a 60mph speed limit to 55 and back to 60 in the span of about two miles.

[dave069]

It would be nice to see 60 on IL-53 north of I-90 as well.

[Revive 755]

Hypothetical question for the future: does anyone see (with the correct funding) 47 becoming the IL-83 of that area, essentially becoming a mixed freeway/divided highway?

I see IL 47 resembling IL 59 more in the future more than IL 83.  If the funding was really there to pursue a mixed freeway - divided arterial similar to IL 83, it seems to me the Prairie Parkway would be pursued more (in which case IL 47 would probably be closer to IL 53 between I-55 and the Elgin O'Hare).  Additionally, by the time the development along IL 47 got to the point where traffic volumes might warrant interchanges, such development would be enough to bring opposition to any interchanges.  I believe this happened with the Randall Road study in McHenry County, where it seems interchanges were briefly considered early on.

[ILRoad55]

I know none of this is about the Tollway but I just hate Route 83. Especially from 63rd street to Ogden. You have people going 55 in that trench section and it's annoying because there is room for a 3rd lane but it's all due to the bridge over the BNSF. Also I've seen too many crashes at Route 83 and Cermak 22nd Street by the mall because they don't have flashing warning lights to allow drivers to know about the Stoplight

[inkyatari]

Hypothetical question for the future: does anyone see (with the correct funding) 47 becoming the IL-83 of that area, essentially becoming a mixed freeway/divided highway?

I say yes.  It needs a bypass around Morris, Yorkville and Elburn, and Grundy County has funding in place for a study to widen 47 from Morris to Dwight.  I think this could be done.

Should 47 ever be widened to Dwight - I can see this, but in the far future- that would make the IL 47 corridor a great far western Chicago bypass, which it should be.

[hobsini2]

I was on I-355 last night and saw 70mph signs up between I-80 and I-55. Speed limit is still 60 from I-55 northward though.

So I-355 joined the 70 club too? Nice.

However, that's quite baffling that I-80 in that same vicinity is still at 65 mph. I figured I-80 would get the bump first, which would cause ISTHA to follow suit.

Yeah that's surprising that I-55 and I-80 are still at 65. Previous tollway boards reccomended keeping I-355 at 65 mph for that reason, but I guess the current one doesn't care. Either way it's pretty nice. I wish they didn't have that 65 mph bus speed limit though. 70 mph for cars, 65 for buses, and 60 for trucks is too many rules IMO. I would like to see legislation that completely eliminates split speed limits in Illinois.

Well considering that the 80 bridge over the Des Plaines has a very high volume of traffic and several exits within a mile of it, I can understand exactly why I-80 remains at 65 between I-57 and US 30 and 55 between US 30 and Larkin Ave. West of Larkin, it should be 70.

[inkyatari]

Well considering that the 80 bridge over the Des Plaines has a very high volume of traffic and several exits within a mile of it, I can understand exactly why I-80 remains at 65 between I-57 and US 30 and 55 between US 30 and Larkin Ave. West of Larkin, it should be 70.

At least the Des Plaines river bridge isn't a puzzling 45 MPH anymore...

[Rick Powell]

I say yes.  It needs a bypass around Morris, Yorkville and Elburn, and Grundy County has funding in place for a study to widen 47 from Morris to Dwight.  I think this could be done.

Should 47 ever be widened to Dwight - I can see this, but in the far future- that would make the IL 47 corridor a great far western Chicago bypass, which it should be.

I am not aware that "Grundy County" currently has any study money for a state highway, IL 47 or otherwise. The last time the county started a study of a state highway, it was the Brisbin Road/I-80 interchange, and IDOT took it over when it became too big for the county to handle. Do you have a link or any other evidence?

FYI, before the Illinois River bridge at Morris was widened, the FHWA was adamant that the logical south terminus of the project should be IL 113, which would have pushed the 4-lane widening a third of the way to Dwight. IDOT talked them out of it and it was truncated at Southmor Road. With ADT approaching 10,000 in that stretch, maybe the FHWA should have prevailed.

[kphoger]

Also I've seen too many crashes at Route 83 and Cermak 22nd Street by the mall because they don't have flashing warning lights to allow drivers to know about the Stoplight

Unless those accidents involved out-of-town/state drivers, I have a hard time believing the people didn't know about the stoplight. It's been my experience in that neighborhood that people are just in a hurry and feel they're above having to wait for another light cycle. FWIW, I hate transiting that area, especially by foot.