Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Revive 755]

It appears Google is finally allowing full access to the older environmental impact statements, although some of the fold out maps have not scanned well.

* Here's one for adding the US 40 interchange with I-70 at Vandalia

* One for the unbuilt supplemental freeway from Columbia to Marion

* One for the unbuilt South Suburban Expressway (the precursor to the Illiana or what would have been the next phase of the I-355 extension)

* One for the unbuilt supplemental freeway from Decatur to I-57 near Salem

* One for the unbuilt supplemental freeway along US 50, for the I-64 to US 51 segment

* One for the Crosstown Expressway

* One for the Amstutz Expressway

* One for the unbuilt IL 1 supplemental freeway around Danville

* For the freeway that became I-39 from Bloomington-Normal to Oglesby

* For the freeway that became I-39 from Rockford to Rochelle

* For the freeway that became I-155

(Edited to fix missing url for the South Suburban EIS)

[Finrod]

* One for the unbuilt South Suburban Expressway (the precursor to the Illiana or what would have been the next phase of the I-355 extension)

This url didn't make it in.  Could you please repost it?

[Revive 755]

* One for the unbuilt South Suburban Expressway (the precursor to the Illiana or what would have been the next phase of the I-355 extension)

This url didn't make it in.  Could you please repost it?

Repost of the link to the South Suburban EIS

[inkyatari]

This is all fascinating stuff.

I've been going through the state digital archives road maps, and finding a lot of interesting things.  Seriously, almost every road map Illinois has ever put out in one handy place?  Yes, please.

I just wish they'd fix the zooming feature so that when you zoom in, it doesn't default back to Decatur.

[Lyon Wonder]

historicaerials.com has aerials taken in 1971 of I-55 under construction in Illinois along US 66 between Glenarm and Farmersville.

[inkyatari]

historicaerials.com has aerials taken in 1971 of I-55 under construction in Illinois along US 66 between Glenarm and Farmersville.

I was kinda surprised when looking at US 66 over the Des Plaines river at Channahon, that 66 actually crossed the river at close to a 45 degree angle.

[I-39]

This is all fascinating stuff.

I've been going through the state digital archives road maps, and finding a lot of interesting things.  Seriously, almost every road map Illinois has ever put out in one handy place?  Yes, please.

I just wish they'd fix the zooming feature so that when you zoom in, it doesn't default back to Decatur.

You found that too? Yeah, that's an awesome map. If I have a question about an old route from the 60s, 70s, or even the 80s and 90s, I will refer to those maps.

[inkyatari]

I don't remember if I saw the Illinois Digital Archives in this thread.  I'm sure it's probably been linked to....

Illinois Road Map Archives

[Revive 755]

The second page of http://www.iahe-il.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Andy-Plummer-Cook-County-Expressways-.pdf has a map with an earlier plan that had the Tri-State running through DuPage County.

[ChiMilNet]

The second page of http://www.iahe-il.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Andy-Plummer-Cook-County-Expressways-.pdf has a map with an earlier plan that had the Tri-State running through DuPage County.

It looks like they ultimately combined the Tri-State and River Parkway concepts into the actually built Tri-State. It seems the Tri-State would have been closer to the alignment of IL 83 through DuPage County (or overtaken it entirely). Basically, South of O'Hare they just ultimately ended up having it straddle the Cook-DuPage County Line to the Stevenson and then aligned back to the River Parkway route North of O'Hare. IL 53 basically would serve the same purpose in North Cook County that the "original" Tri-State would if not for these little towns in Lake County called Long Grove and Hawthorne Woods (if only people could have seen the future on that one, and built that through sooner before became a problem and those towns came up with the ammunition to basically hold it up like that have for half a century). As for not building the crosstown... HUGE MISTAKE! While I agree that building the blue line into O'Hare and orange line to Midway absolutely was the right call with the diverted funds... the crosstown would have made a huge difference... just look at the mess at the Circle now! Some of that would have been alleviated, but I think we can safely say that ship has long sailed!

[3467]

I revived crosstown and the Mid city transit way are in the into 2050 plan . Comments closed last week . But the crosstown is not dead yet.

[mgk920]

The only difference is that in the original plan, the Crosstown was to diverge from the Kennedy at about Diversey Ave.  IDOT removed the ghost ramps for its interchange there when they rebuilt the Kennedy in the 1980s, replacing them with new slip ramps for the Kennedy's reversible express lanes.  More recently, the proposals that I have seen for the Crosstown have it connecting with the Kennedy farther out at its Edens Split interchange.

Mike

[ChiMilNet]

I revived crosstown and the Mid city transit way are in the into 2050 plan . Comments closed last week . But the crosstown is not dead yet.

The only difference is that in the original plan, the Crosstown was to diverge from the Kennedy at about Diversey Ave.  IDOT removed the ghost ramps for its interchange there when they rebuilt the Kennedy in the 1980s, replacing them with new slip ramps for the Kennedy's reversible express lanes.  More recently, the proposals that I have seen for the Crosstown have it connecting with the Kennedy farther out at its Edens Split interchange.

Mike

Well, it would be very beneficial for many reasons. First of all, the traffic congestion that would be reduced speaks for itself! Secondly, the neighborhoods it would go through could actually see some good economic benefit for better highway and transitway access.  I agree it makes a lot more sense for the Crosstown to diverge at the junction. Honestly, if built to interstate standards, some would say I-494 like the original plan, but I would make an argument to reroute I-90 along it (basically, I-90 and I-94 do a "bump" at the junction, and then I-290 becomes an extension of I-88). I know I am starting to get a bit into potential fictional territory here, but just saying. Would it still go by Midway?

[3467]

Yes. It would go past Midway. There are actually two proposals in the INTO 2050 plan. One is from CDOT and one from the public both have some idea for a highway or transit or both. The right of way from the original stiltway plan is still there. Sorry autocorrect made A an I in my post.

[ET21]

* One for the unbuilt South Suburban Expressway (the precursor to the Illiana or what would have been the next phase of the I-355 extension)

This url didn't make it in.  Could you please repost it?

Repost of the link to the South Suburban EIS

Just think if even half of those proposals got built, some would be quite beneficial (I see you Lake County highways)

[abefroman329]

Yes. It would go past Midway. There are actually two proposals in the INTO 2050 plan. One is from CDOT and one from the public both have some idea for a highway or transit or both. The right of way from the original stiltway plan is still there. Sorry autocorrect made A an I in my post.

IIRC, the proposal described on Wikipedia has the Crosstown starting at the Edens Split, heading down Cicero to 63rd or 67th, and turning east to connect with the Dan Ryan at its junction with the Skyway.

[edwaleni]

Yes. It would go past Midway. There are actually two proposals in the INTO 2050 plan. One is from CDOT and one from the public both have some idea for a highway or transit or both. The right of way from the original stiltway plan is still there. Sorry autocorrect made A an I in my post.

Anything would be a help to Midway.  The Cicero and 63rd Street corridors are terrible.  I was nearly shot by CPD at 63rd and Halsted. Any new highway construction between the Ryan and Western Avenue would be an improvement, as crime in that area is bad.

I love it that for many, many years, even in sub zero weather, for a small donation, you have guys washing the salt off your windshield while you wait to get on I-55 at Cicero Ave.

[Aaron Camp]

It appears Google is finally allowing full access to the older environmental impact statements, although some of the fold out maps have not scanned well.

* Here's one for adding the US 40 interchange with I-70 at Vandalia

* One for the unbuilt supplemental freeway from Columbia to Marion

* One for the unbuilt South Suburban Expressway (the precursor to the Illiana or what would have been the next phase of the I-355 extension)

* One for the unbuilt supplemental freeway from Decatur to I-57 near Salem

* One for the unbuilt supplemental freeway along US 50, for the I-64 to US 51 segment

* One for the Crosstown Expressway

* One for the Amstutz Expressway

* One for the unbuilt IL 1 supplemental freeway around Danville

* For the freeway that became I-39 from Bloomington-Normal to Oglesby

* For the freeway that became I-39 from Rockford to Rochelle

* For the freeway that became I-155

(Edited to fix missing url for the South Suburban EIS)

Regarding that bit about the rejected FAP-411 corridor in the Danville/Georgetown area:

• The northern portion of that sector (from Perrysville Road northward) is currently being considered for the proposed "Danville Beltline" project, although the proposed Danville Beltline, if it were built, would not be built to freeway standards
• A proposed dam along the Little Vermilion River near Georgetown was referenced in the FAP-411 study, although that never got built for whatever reason
• From Perrysville Road to US-136, there would have been three grade-separated interchanges (including an interchange with I-74) on FAP-411 over a relatively short distance

[Revive 755]

Dusting off this thread rather than creating a new one . . .

Found this 1960 planning document for East St. Louis:  https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1018&context=books.

The map on Page 28 of 149 has an alternate design for the PSB Complex with a loop ramp for the Pigott to PSB movement, a farther south location of the unbuilt corridor to Belleville (called the "Belleville Radial"), and a proposed but never built "12th Street Radial Connector Link" freeway that would have linked the Belleville Radial to I-64 around 21st Street.

Also very interesting is  the map on Page 13 of 149:

* It shows an outer belt route from Columbia to Troy similar to the dead Gateway Connector, but farther west (would have crossed I-64 a little east of IL 159).
* It shows the originally planned alignment for I-70 that split from I-55 near the US 40 interchange.
* It shows the earlier alignment for I-55 in St. Louis where I-55 and the unbuilt North-South Distributor would split south of Gravois.
* It shows a corridor stretching north from the I-55/I-64/I-70 interchange along IL 3.  The corridor is shown with a line similar to other freeways and has a shield similar to that used for interstates but is missing the "I" from "FAI".  The number appears to be 155.  While it does appear that there was a "Federal Aid 155" (from snippets through Google Books for the highway to Alton), I really have to wonder if that number was coincidence or some unrealized plan.

[3467]

Thanks for dusting it off. Have you seen the original map from the 1966 Illinois Highway Needs study? I have it . I have not seen it online. The big difference is 39. It follows IL 2 then 26 and 89 then 121 to Decatur. The rest are close to same corridors.
The date is interesting because that is about the time Kerner is offering LTV  180.
He was offering this 39 corridor too but it went right where the plant was to be
The F 5 freeway was added later to give FHWA some cover on 180. This is all in the GAO 
Report.
Also there were 2 short segments that vanished 24 from Peoria to 55 no shorter than 89
And IL  17 from 55 to Kankakee. An early South Suburban?

[3467]

Some of your older pictures don't come up anymore . Tried on two devices.
They were really great finds it would be nice to see them again.

[edwaleni]

Dusting off this thread rather than creating a new one . . .

Found this 1960 planning document for East St. Louis:  https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1018&context=books.

The map on Page 28 of 149 has an alternate design for the PSB Complex with a loop ramp for the Pigott to PSB movement, a farther south location of the unbuilt corridor to Belleville (called the "Belleville Radial"), and a proposed but never built "12th Street Radial Connector Link" freeway that would have linked the Belleville Radial to I-64 around 21st Street.

Also very interesting is  the map on Page 13 of 149:

* It shows an outer belt route from Columbia to Troy similar to the dead Gateway Connector, but farther west (would have crossed I-64 a little east of IL 159).
* It shows the originally planned alignment for I-70 that split from I-55 near the US 40 interchange.
* It shows the earlier alignment for I-55 in St. Louis where I-55 and the unbuilt North-South Distributor would split south of Gravois.
* It shows a corridor stretching north from the I-55/I-64/I-70 interchange along IL 3.  The corridor is shown with a line similar to other freeways and has a shield similar to that used for interstates but is missing the "I" from "FAI".  The number appears to be 155.  While it does appear that there was a "Federal Aid 155" (from snippets through Google Books for the highway to Alton), I really have to wonder if that number was coincidence or some unrealized plan.

Thanks for posting this. People ask me why certain roads were built certain ways and I always say you have to look at the study that was done to support the building of it.

The other reason I like reading the old ones is you find out where assumptions or traffic estimates were way off, or way under calculated.

So much has changed in the USA since most of these roads were laid out and its very educational to see what is different.

[3467]

Sorry I see the missing pictures were discussed. Still hope to have them back.
Also 180 covered. I see the 1966 map was discussed but it was not clear it was map 1 of the system although it is clear reviewing that those corridors and others predated it.

Also the CATS L3 system as well as the 1971 system were never official plans because the only project Chicago was interested in was the crosstown.

[US20IL64]

I grew up in NW side of Chicago, and residents were adamant about "no Crosstown"  , and with the current 'mass transit first' City Hall, it won't get brought back to the table.

[US20IL64]

Amstutz X-way, a true road to nowhere, as I am sure was posted a before I signed up here.
Should make it a bikeway, just sits there.