Illinois interesting bid annoucements

[Rick Powell]

Also @Rick Powell I like your IL-71 avatar. I grew up along IL-71 in Oswego!

It contains the entirety of my workplace commute :-) And I was heavily involved in the widening of IL 71/US 34 to 4 lanes in Oswego back in the day. The last farmer on US 34 (where the huge shopping area is now) claimed that he couldn't get his combine in and out of the field entrances after 5 am when it was only 2 lanes.

[brad]

Hi Rick. I have to ask a question or two, seeing that you have an association with Oswego.

Route 71 is being widened from Oswego to Yorkville. Meanwhile, US 30 in Oswego/Plainfield/Aurora, is not even on the radar to be widened. How did this happen? Traffic is much worse on US 30 and subdivisions are popping up in the area like wildfire.

[edwaleni]

Hi Rick. I have to ask a question or two, seeing that you have an association with Oswego.

Route 71 is being widened from Oswego to Yorkville. Meanwhile, US 30 in Oswego/Plainfield/Aurora, is not even on the radar to be widened. How did this happen? Traffic is much worse on US 30 and subdivisions are popping up in the area like wildfire.

Oh to go canoeing down the Fox River from Wedron to Sheridan and river jumping from the bluffs above.

One must take IL-71 (Cleng Peerson Memorial Highway) to get to Sheridan.

[Revive 755]

Route 71 is being widened from Oswego to Yorkville. Meanwhile, US 30 in Oswego/Plainfield/Aurora, is not even on the radar to be widened. How did this happen? Traffic is much worse on US 30 and subdivisions are popping up in the area like wildfire.

Probably has something to do with which IDOT district IL 71 is compared to most of, if not all of that section of US 30.  The boundary between 1 and 3 sometimes seems to get fuzzy with Kendall County.

[paulthemapguy]

US30 from IL-47 to IL-31 suffers from the curse of being on the border between District 1 and District 3. If I were to guess, District 3 has probably pressured District 1 to do something about this stretch of US30, but District 1 doesn't care about anything more than 20 miles from the corner of State and Madison.

[Rick Powell]

US30 from IL-47 to IL-31 suffers from the curse of being on the border between District 1 and District 3. If I were to guess, District 3 has probably pressured District 1 to do something about this stretch of US30, but District 1 doesn't care about anything more than 20 miles from the corner of State and Madison.

District 3 maintains none of US 30 in Kendall County, it's all under D1. District 1 did a Phase I study of adding lanes to US 30 from IL 47 to west of the Fox River Bridge but I don't see any construction programmed, except at the Orchard Road intersection. The add lanes of IL 71 in District 3 has been in the works a long time and represents a completion of the work envisioned in a Strategic Regional Arterial (SRA) study of the IL 71/US 34 corridor back in the 90s. There was also an SRA study done for US 30 from IL 47 to US 34 (including the aforementioned unbuilt section plus the section from the Fox River to US 30 which was built), but no SRA was ever prepared that I am aware of for US 30 from US 34 in Oswego to IL 59 in Plainfield.

Update: I looked at the SRA master map and US 30 between US 34 and IL 59 isn't on it.
https://cmap.illinois.gov/wp-content/uploads/Final_SRA_Map_2011_Feb_21_2012.pdf

[paulthemapguy]

US30 from IL-47 to IL-31 suffers from the curse of being on the border between District 1 and District 3. If I were to guess, District 3 has probably pressured District 1 to do something about this stretch of US30, but District 1 doesn't care about anything more than 20 miles from the corner of State and Madison.

District 3 maintains none of US 30 in Kendall County, it's all under D1. District 1 did a Phase I study of adding lanes to US 30 from IL 47 to west of the Fox River Bridge but I don't see any construction programmed, except at the Orchard Road intersection. The add lanes of IL 71 in District 3 has been in the works a long time and represents a completion of the work envisioned in a Strategic Regional Arterial (SRA) study of the IL 71/US 34 corridor back in the 90s. There was also an SRA study done for US 30 from IL 47 to US 34 (including the aforementioned unbuilt section plus the section from the Fox River to US 30 which was built), but no SRA was ever prepared that I am aware of for US 30 from US 34 in Oswego to IL 59 in Plainfield.

Update: I looked at the SRA master map and US 30 between US 34 and IL 59 isn't on it.
https://cmap.illinois.gov/wp-content/uploads/Final_SRA_Map_2011_Feb_21_2012.pdf

Fun fact: I was recruited to assist an IDOT field engineer with the IL-71 widening from Orchard Road to IL-47, as a college student intern through the Summer Help program. This was back in 2010! The project was delayed so my supervisor, a field engineer from D3, and I just drove around all day, up and down IL-71 with frequent visits to the Yorkville Yard. By August they scrapped the IL-71 project and shipped me off to a US30 job in Waterman.

Thanks for the information. I wonder if D1 thinks it's pointless to widen US30 near IL-47 before widening that adjoining section of IL-47 itself.

[Rick Powell]

Fun fact: I was recruited to assist an IDOT field engineer with the IL-71 widening from Orchard Road to IL-47, as a college student intern through the Summer Help program. This was back in 2010! The project was delayed so my supervisor, a field engineer from D3, and I just drove around all day, up and down IL-71 with frequent visits to the Yorkville Yard. By August they scrapped the IL-71 project and shipped me off to a US30 job in Waterman.

Thanks for the information. I wonder if D1 thinks it's pointless to widen US30 near IL-47 before widening that adjoining section of IL-47 itself.

Thanks for your story about the IL 71 widening, I seem to remember a lot of utility holdups and property issues, although I wasn't working at IDOT at the time. There was an employee who got killed at the Yorkville maintenance yard not too long ago, sad occurrence.

Having driven both IL 47 and US 30 in the morning and evening rush hours (but not lately) I'd say IL 47 needs it more, but US 30 gets its share of stop and go traffic east of IL 47 too. I'm in the process of helping clear the last few parcels on IL 47 north end of Yorkville before the project goes to letting. The plans are pretty much ready to go. IL 71 has already had heavy grading for the section between IL 126 and Orchard Road. I'm also helping clear parcels for the section of IL 47 south of Yorkville that will "close the gap" and make 47 a continuous 4-lane route between Morris and Yorkville. I understand District 1's section of IL 47 from Galena Road to Sugar Grove is also coming along like District 3's adjacent section. 

[hobsini2]

US 30 has progressively gotten worse traffic between US 34 and about 127th St. South of there, 30/Wallin Dr is fine to 126. I think the reason 127th seems to be the cut is it really is the last legit road to use between 30 & Weber to access I-55. 135th has way too many speed bumps so people avoid it. I am surprised though there is not even a sniff of widening 30 north of 111th St at the very least. And 111th should be widened too from 59 to 30.

[edwaleni]

US 30 has progressively gotten worse traffic between US 34 and about 127th St. South of there, 30/Wallin Dr is fine to 126. I think the reason 127th seems to be the cut is it really is the last legit road to use between 30 & Weber to access I-55. 135th has way too many speed bumps so people avoid it. I am surprised though there is not even a sniff of widening 30 north of 111th St at the very least. And 111th should be widened too from 59 to 30.

Here is a link to a MOU that was agreed to by Oswego, Aurora and IDOT with regards to the Wolf's Crossing Road corridor that was signed in 2017 including its junction with US-30.

https://www.oswegoil.org/i-want-to/learn-about/wolfs-crossing/wolfs-crossing-background

I remember driving through Wolf's Crossing in 1975. There was a cement factory and the tracks for the EJ&E Aurora Branch were still there.

[brad]

US30 from IL-47 to IL-31 suffers from the curse of being on the border between District 1 and District 3. If I were to guess, District 3 has probably pressured District 1 to do something about this stretch of US30, but District 1 doesn't care about anything more than 20 miles from the corner of State and Madison.

District 3 maintains none of US 30 in Kendall County, it's all under D1. District 1 did a Phase I study of adding lanes to US 30 from IL 47 to west of the Fox River Bridge but I don't see any construction programmed, except at the Orchard Road intersection. The add lanes of IL 71 in District 3 has been in the works a long time and represents a completion of the work envisioned in a Strategic Regional Arterial (SRA) study of the IL 71/US 34 corridor back in the 90s. There was also an SRA study done for US 30 from IL 47 to US 34 (including the aforementioned unbuilt section plus the section from the Fox River to US 30 which was built), but no SRA was ever prepared that I am aware of for US 30 from US 34 in Oswego to IL 59 in Plainfield.

Update: I looked at the SRA master map and US 30 between US 34 and IL 59 isn't on it.
https://cmap.illinois.gov/wp-content/uploads/Final_SRA_Map_2011_Feb_21_2012.pdf

Thanks. That context is helpful. The problem is 95th Street and Eola Rd. / Wikaduke Trail aren't anywhere close to what the SRA shows. As far as I know, there are no plans to extend 95th Street and connect the Wikaduke. That's mostly responsible for US 30 becoming a choke point.

[brad]

US 30 has progressively gotten worse traffic between US 34 and about 127th St. South of there, 30/Wallin Dr is fine to 126. I think the reason 127th seems to be the cut is it really is the last legit road to use between 30 & Weber to access I-55. 135th has way too many speed bumps so people avoid it. I am surprised though there is not even a sniff of widening 30 north of 111th St at the very least. And 111th should be widened too from 59 to 30.

Here is a link to a MOU that was agreed to by Oswego, Aurora and IDOT with regards to the Wolf's Crossing Road corridor that was signed in 2017 including its junction with US-30.

https://www.oswegoil.org/i-want-to/learn-about/wolfs-crossing/wolfs-crossing-background

I remember driving through Wolf's Crossing in 1975. There was a cement factory and the tracks for the EJ&E Aurora Branch were still there.

Ya, US 30 between US 34 and 111th Street is particularly bad.

Wolf's Crossing is proceeding, albeit slowly. The Village of Oswego is asking (begging?) IDOT to fix the intersection of Wolf's Crossing and US 30. That's likely several years away.

[Rick Powell]

The problem is 95th Street and Eola Rd. / Wikaduke Trail aren't anywhere close to what the SRA shows. As far as I know, there are no plans to extend 95th Street and connect the Wikaduke. That's mostly responsible for US 30 becoming a choke point.

There does appear to be a relatively open corridor where 95th could be extended west to Eola Road, or even further to US 30. The Will County tax map shows the property to be a mixture of private, Fox Valley Park District and ComEd parcels, and it is mostly surrounded by incorporated Aurora but the corridor itself is not annexed in. There are high voltage electric lines and who knows what else within the ComEd parcels, and residential parcels that abut the corridor, so it might not be as easy a path as it looks from the air. Plainfield is developing a similar corridor on its 143rd Street east extension, and they ran into similar issues.

[edwaleni]

The problem is 95th Street and Eola Rd. / Wikaduke Trail aren't anywhere close to what the SRA shows. As far as I know, there are no plans to extend 95th Street and connect the Wikaduke. That's mostly responsible for US 30 becoming a choke point.

There does appear to be a relatively open corridor where 95th could be extended west to Eola Road, or even further to US 30. The Will County tax map shows the property to be a mixture of private, Fox Valley Park District and ComEd parcels, and it is mostly surrounded by incorporated Aurora but the corridor itself is not annexed in. There are high voltage electric lines and who knows what else within the ComEd parcels, and residential parcels that abut the corridor, so it might not be as easy a path as it looks from the air. Plainfield is developing a similar corridor on its 143rd Street east extension, and they ran into similar issues.

143rd is being extended west to Ridge Road and will be connected to Johnson Road. The land has been graded, but not sure if the pavement has been laid out. Technically, one could now use this connection to reach Kendall Road 22 and Oswego without having to use US30.

https://143corridor.plainfieldil.gov/

Update:  According to the webcam, the work is 98% complete. They also widened Ridge Road to Kendall 22, so this definitely looks to offload US 30 arterial traffic.

[Rick Powell]

The problem is 95th Street and Eola Rd. / Wikaduke Trail aren't anywhere close to what the SRA shows. As far as I know, there are no plans to extend 95th Street and connect the Wikaduke. That's mostly responsible for US 30 becoming a choke point.

There does appear to be a relatively open corridor where 95th could be extended west to Eola Road, or even further to US 30. The Will County tax map shows the property to be a mixture of private, Fox Valley Park District and ComEd parcels, and it is mostly surrounded by incorporated Aurora but the corridor itself is not annexed in. There are high voltage electric lines and who knows what else within the ComEd parcels, and residential parcels that abut the corridor, so it might not be as easy a path as it looks from the air. Plainfield is developing a similar corridor on its 143rd Street east extension, and they ran into similar issues.

143rd is being extended west to Ridge Road and will be connected to Johnson Road. The land has been graded, but not sure if the pavement has been laid out. Technically, one could now use this connection to reach Kendall Road 22 and Oswego without having to use US30.

https://143corridor.plainfieldil.gov/

The 143rd west extension is open to traffic to Ridge Road; I drove thru it a few weeks back. The 143rd east extension between IL 59 and IL 126 is still in the early stages of construction with DuPage bridge pilings driven and a construction access road put in place.

[Sapphuby]

List of projects for the March 7, 2025 Letting is up.

• Item 17 is bridge and roadway work for some portion of IL 53 in Cook County
• Item 18 is major bridge work for Levitt Street over I-290
• Item 26 is another building demolition contract for I-80 in Will County
• Item 57:  "Replacing the 6" centerline pavement marking with 9" contrast pavement marking tape and replacing the 8" lane lines at interchange ramps on I-39 from north of Oglesby Interchange at M.M. 54 to M.M. 76.4."
• Item 58:  "Contrast pavement marking of the 8" lane lines on IL 23 at Richards Rd in LaSalle County and ending at Adams St in Livingston County and also on IL 18 beginning at Second Ave and ending at Wasson St in LaSalle County."
• Item 137 (already deleted" would have been intersection improvements for IL 157 at IL 162
• Item 147:  "Bridge repair, approach roadway and painting on SN 082-0017 carrying I-55/70 over the CSX, KCS, NS, and TRRA Railroads and two private access roads, just east of the I-55/64/70 Tri-Level Interchange near the City of East St. Louis."
• Item 148 is a various location trombone mast arm replacement project for District 1.
• Item 149:  "This work includes replacement of existing span wire mounted traffic signals with new mast arm mounted traffic signals. installation of LED signal heads, traffic signal posts and mast arms, installation of accessible pedestrian signals, ADA ramp improvements, connection to KDOT and LCDOT centralized traffic signal systems at various locations in District 1."
• Item 152 is 9.76 miles of resurfacing, bridge, and other work for I-94 from US 6/159th Street to Martin Luther King Drive.
• Item 157, which is arleady deleted:  "Widening of the North Aurora Road underpass, and construction of railroad bridges to carry the Wisconsin Central, Burlington Northern, and Santa Fe Railways in Naperville."
• Item 161 is traffic signal and ITS upgrades for IL64/North Avenue from Smith Street/Kautz Road to York Street.
• Item 175:  "Reconstruct IL 38 from Fox River Bridge to Kirk Road in Geneva."
• Item 176 is intersection reconstruction for 143rd Street at John Humphrey Drive in Orland Park.
• Item 185:  "Reconstrut the intersection of Glidden Road and Baseline Road."

[/list]

Glad they're finally getting around to replacing the Bluff Hall bridge. Now if only they could do that with Marblehead...

[Rick Powell]

April 2025 letting list is released.
WB McClugage bridge work in Peoria, IL 47 reconstruction thru Woodstock, and North Aurora Rd grade separations in Naperville are among the bigger projects.

https://tinyurl.com/mts5nd9p

[ilpt4u]

The contract to widen IL 13 to 6 lanes at Crab Orchard Lake was let...The last section still 4 lane between Carbondale and Marion. Exciting.

[ilpt4u]

Tho I will add...traffic will be ugly during the widening. Would have helped if Herrin Rd had already been extended to Walkers Bluff and the Casino from its roundabout with Cambria Rd.

Not even sure if/when IDOT is going to get around to that one. Was supposed to be done before the casino opened, and that's been a few years now

[adt1982]

Tho I will add...traffic will be ugly during the widening. Would have helped if Herrin Rd had already been extended to Walkers Bluff and the Casino from its roundabout with Cambria Rd.

Not even sure if/when IDOT is going to get around to that one. Was supposed to be done before the casino opened, and that's been a few years now

Google Earth shows that trees have been cleared and a lot of dirt work has been done for the Herrin Road extension, but who knows when it will be complete.

[ilpt4u]

Tho I will add...traffic will be ugly during the widening. Would have helped if Herrin Rd had already been extended to Walkers Bluff and the Casino from its roundabout with Cambria Rd.

Not even sure if/when IDOT is going to get around to that one. Was supposed to be done before the casino opened, and that's been a few years now

Google Earth shows that trees have been cleared and a lot of dirt work has been done for the Herrin Road extension, but who knows when it will be complete.

The dirt and clearing work has been done for Power Line work. Not sure if Ameren or Egyptian Electric but the Herrin Rd extension straight line path is also a HV power line route and the power company has been working on the lines and towers...And they have to clear the trees and essentially build/create a road bed to get their equipment in.

Don't think it is IDOT and it has been awhile since I saw the studied routes...I don't think any were to follow the power line corridor precisely, even tho that would make sense

[edwaleni]

Tho I will add...traffic will be ugly during the widening. Would have helped if Herrin Rd had already been extended to Walkers Bluff and the Casino from its roundabout with Cambria Rd.

Not even sure if/when IDOT is going to get around to that one. Was supposed to be done before the casino opened, and that's been a few years now

Google Earth shows that trees have been cleared and a lot of dirt work has been done for the Herrin Road extension, but who knows when it will be complete.

The dirt and clearing work has been done for Power Line work. Not sure if Ameren or Egyptian Electric but the Herrin Rd extension straight line path is also a HV power line route and the power company has been working on the lines and towers...And they have to clear the trees and essentially build/create a road bed to get their equipment in.

Don't think it is IDOT and it has been awhile since I saw the studied routes...I don't think any were to follow the power line corridor precisely, even tho that would make sense

That particular HV line runs from the Grand Tower Power Plant on the Mississippi River to a substation south of West Frankfort. Ameren is only upgrading the line from West Frankfort to the Carbondale North Substation by the airport.

That ROW would be a prime West Frankfort to Murphysboro road, even if only 2 lanes.

On a side note, when Grand Tower Power Plant was shut down 5 years ago, Ameren has had to beef up their substations and network in the south to compensate. Essentially Ameren is updating the feed from the other direction.

FWIW: Ameren dumped the plant to a private equity firm in 2014, who then dumped it on another private equity subsidiary. When the plant had a mechanical failure in December of 2020, the owner didn't want to spend the money to fix it and laid off the staff. So essentially Ameren is buying their wholesale power elsewhere and redistributing it.

Egyptian Electric gets the majority of its power from SIPC in Marion, but SIPC/Egyptian had a feed from Grand Tower as well for Murphysboro.  Ultimately they are all part of MISO.

Now back to the highways.