Illinois interesting bid annoucements

[Brandon]

List of projects for the July 30, 2021 Letting is up

* Item 12 adds a new traffic signal to IL 126 at the Will County/Kendall County line.

That's only been needed for decades at what is a very dangerous intersection.

[ilpt4u]

Maybe I-57 really will ultimately become a 6-lane Freeway between I-24 and I-64

With this project and the others mentioned here, the only remaining 6-lane gap in that section will be south of Marion to I-24.

https://news.wsiu.org/transportation/2020-10-01/idot-plans-lots-of-work-on-i-57-in-southern-illinois

I'm pretty sure the gap between the Marion Main St/Old IL 13 exit and the I-24/I-57 split will get the 6 landing once the route has it north to Mt Vernon

Yes, traffic exits in Marion for the IL 13 corridor, but pretty sure the bulk of the traffic, especially truck traffic, is following the 57 SW-NE route (Memphis-Chicago) or the 24/64 SE-NW route (Nashville-St Louis), and those two routes are multiplexed, despite only the 57 designation between Marion and Mt Vernon, hence the 6 laning needed. It is pretty heavy semi traffic on the weekdays

Still no I-80 Will County level of semis - can't believe that isn't getting a bigger rebuild and expansion than it is

[JoePCool14]

* Item 6 installs a new traffic signal on IL 60 somewhere near Wauconda.

I have a feeling this is for a new traffic light at IL-60's intersection with Wilson Road, something that indeed is probably needed.

[paulthemapguy]

List of projects for the July 30, 2021 Letting is up

* Item 12 adds a new traffic signal to IL 126 at the Will County/Kendall County line.

That's only been needed for decades at what is a very dangerous intersection.

Jesus fucking Christ it absolutely has been.  Google routes people north on County Line to IL-126 west all the time because it doesn't like the new S-curve on Ridge Road taking people back northeast, but making that left turn onto IL-126 west is impossible and horrifically dangerous.

[Revive 755]

List of projects for the September 17, 2021 Letting is up.

* Item 3 involves the installation of left turn lanes and other safety improvements along IL 176 in McHenry County between Deerpass Road and Dean Street.

* Item 4 has improvements to the US 14/"Prospect Road" intersection in Mount Prospect and Des Plaines.

* Item 6:  More intersection improvements for the IL 19 intersection with Barrington Road

* Item 7:  Pavement and ITS work on SB I-55 from south of Weber to south of I-80

* Item 8:  Pavement and ITS work on NB I-55 from south of I-80 to south of Weber

* Item 12:  "Installation of traffic signal safety devices to increase visibility of signal indications during inclement weather. Location - 23 intersections in Cook, 4 locations in Lake, 35 locations in Kane, 4 locations in McHenry, 23 locations in Will."  Pay item listings has lens covers and visor heaters

* Item 15:  Sign replacement along I-55 from Weber to I-294

* Item 17 mentions a road diet for US 20 in East Dubuque

* Item 52:  "Conversion of the wye intersection of IL 149 and IL 184 to a roundabout intersection" in Franklin County.

[Hobart]

List of projects for the September 17, 2021 Letting is up.


* Item 12:  "Installation of traffic signal safety devices to increase visibility of signal indications during inclement weather. Location - 23 intersections in Cook, 4 locations in Lake, 35 locations in Kane, 4 locations in McHenry, 23 locations in Will."  Pay item listings has lens covers and visor heaters

By "safety devices to increase visibility," do you think they're gonna put the yellow tape on the backplates? I honestly think it's a really cost effective way to make signals more visible and wish district one used it more.

[JoePCool14]

* Item 17 mentions a road diet for US 20 in East Dubuque

So they're going to improve US-20 by... making the slow 2-lane section drag on for longer. Brilliant.

[ilpt4u]

List of projects for the September 17, 2021 Letting is up.

* Item 52:  "Conversion of the wye intersection of IL 149 and IL 184 to a roundabout intersection" in Franklin County.

Nice - Royalton needs a Traffic Circle there. Another Roundabout in Southern Illinois. The one at IL 13 and IL 154 in Pinckneyville/Perry County, people still haven't figured out how to properly enter the thing

On its plus side, tho - it does generally flow smoother than a 3-way stop, so I do recognize the benefit of said roundabout

[cwm1276]

* Item 17 mentions a road diet for US 20 in East Dubuque

So they're going to improve US-20 by... making the slow 2-lane section drag on for longer. Brilliant.

https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/tri-state/article_f7efea1b-02ba-5efe-b357-a80912b6d693.html

[Revive 755]

By "safety devices to increase visibility," do you think they're gonna put the yellow tape on the backplates? I honestly think it's a really cost effective way to make signals more visible and wish district one used it more.

The pay item for reflective backplates is listed with a quantity of 839.

[Crash_It]

* Item 17 mentions a road diet for US 20 in East Dubuque

So they're going to improve US-20 by... making the slow 2-lane section drag on for longer. Brilliant.

https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/tri-state/article_f7efea1b-02ba-5efe-b357-a80912b6d693.html

It would only improve safety if people even knew how to use a turn lane. So many people ride the brakes while very slowly scooting into it. This causes traffic behind them to have to do the same.... aggravating.

[hobsini2]

Ones that I noticed as well...
* 10 - Metra structure over I-90 at Jefferson Park.
Could this be in preparation for the Kennedy being widened? That "tunnel" is not currently built for 4 lanes each way.

* 16 - Replacement of deck of IL 251 over the SOO Line south of IL 72

* 19 - Replacement of Maple St/Waldron Rd bridge over I-57 in Kankakee.
Hopefully they get it wide enough for 3 lanes each way on 57.

* 26 - Changeable Speed Limit signs are being placed on I-80. 4 at I-39 and 3 at I-180.

* 60 - Reconstruction of the Prairie Path from Indian Trail Rd in Aurora to the DuPage County Line.

[ET21]

The Metra tracks over I-90 will def be an interesting project, considering its also goes over Wilson and Cicero Ave

[triplemultiplex]

* Item 17 mentions a road diet for US 20 in East Dubuque

So they're going to improve US-20 by... making the slow 2-lane section drag on for longer. Brilliant.

I'm thinking that is probably only going to affect the four lane undivided portion as one is coming into town from the east.  The stretch where there are a lot of driveways and potential left turns; transitioning part of that into a 3 lane road with center left turn lane and wide shoulders would be safer.

Well, not as safe as going big and building a real expressway, but there's no room for that without taking out every property between East Dubuque and the existing divided highway.

[ET21]

Is safety the only main reason why they are giving it a diet? Volume shouldn't be that low to downgrade it otherwise

[paulthemapguy]

* Item 17 mentions a road diet for US 20 in East Dubuque

So they're going to improve US-20 by... making the slow 2-lane section drag on for longer. Brilliant.

I'm thinking that is probably only going to affect the four lane undivided portion as one is coming into town from the east.  The stretch where there are a lot of driveways and potential left turns; transitioning part of that into a 3 lane road with center left turn lane and wide shoulders would be safer.

Yes.  Take a look at the plans and you'll see that they're not planning on moving the extents of the pavement at all; this is just a patching and restriping contract.  The road will be the same width along the 4-lane undivided section to the east, but it'll be striped as 2 lanes plus a center turn lane in the center.  The overall idea is to move the westbound bottleneck farther east so the ensuing traffic queue doesn't block the residents' access in or out of their driveways.  The center turn lane will further help residents access their driveways.  The bottleneck from 4 lanes to 2 lanes approaching the river only gets erased if they widen the bridge across the Mississippi River.  So really, capacity didn't really get affected here; the merge just got moved a bit farther over.

[paulthemapguy]

* Item 15:  Sign replacement along I-55 from Weber to I-294

* Item 52:  "Conversion of the wye intersection of IL 149 and IL 184 to a roundabout intersection" in Franklin County.

Nooooo all the button copy signs by Lemont Rd and IL-83 are probably on their way out.

And I have been to that wye intersection at the south end of IL-184 twice.  Very interesting spot to try and swing a roundabout-makes sense if you consider the ROW space available. That will be a learning experience for a lot of people in deep southern IL.

[kphoger]

I think I've only driven through that wye intersection once–if at all.  But yeah, I can't think of a single "modern roundabout" anywhere in southern Illinois.  They're all town squares (like downtown Benton) or at least have parking along the sides and/or a park in the middle (like Zeigler by the Eagles lodge) or have yield/stop control on the inside (like downtown Jonesboro) or – wait a minute, when did Belleville get modern roundabouts?  Illinois & Main didn't use to have yield signs, did it?  And the interchange at Route 148 didn't even use to have roundabouts at all, did it?

[Revive 755]

^ District 8 had been on a roundabout binge for a little while - I can think of at least five:

* IL 156 at Lakeview Drive in Waterloo
* IL 13 at IL 157
* The two at the IL 15/IL 158 interchange in Belleville
* US 40/IL 143 at IL 160 in Highland

I think there were plans for another on IL 3 in the Alton/Godfrey area west of US 67.

[Revive 755]

By "safety devices to increase visibility," do you think they're gonna put the yellow tape on the backplates? I honestly think it's a really cost effective way to make signals more visible and wish district one used it more.

The pay item for reflective backplates is listed with a quantity of 839.

Per the 2022 spec for IDOT (see Page 1031 or 1048/1217), retroreflective backplates will now be the default signal backplate for Illinois.

[US20IL64]

The stretch of I-55 from 294 to IL53/Gardner exit dates back to US-66 time. Was on 1958 maps.
Got widened with a 3rd lane when Blago was Gov.

[US20IL64]

* 10 - Metra structure over I-90 at Jefferson Park.
"Could this be in preparation for the Kennedy being widened? That "tunnel" is not currently built for 4 lanes each way."

Driven past it a few times recently, and it is just the RR tracks and bridge, no plans to "widen the tunnel" or that portion JFK X-way. There is no room. No more urban areas will be "ripped out" for highways.

[paulthemapguy]

Per the 2022 spec for IDOT (see Page 1031 or 1048/1217), retroreflective backplates will now be the default signal backplate for Illinois.

I don't think I'll ever be able to adequately express how stupid I think this is.  Sure, a non-lit yellow colored backplate will draw people's attention to a traffic signal more effectively than a red, yellow, or green glowing light. >_>

[Lyon Wonder]

The stretch of I-55 from 294 to IL53/Gardner exit dates back to US-66 time. Was on 1958 maps.
Got widened with a 3rd lane when Blago was Gov.

They would have to replace the twin bridges at the Des Plaines river if the widening of I-55 is extended south of I-80.

[Rick Powell]

They would have to replace the twin bridges at the Des Plaines river if the widening of I-55 is extended south of I-80.

That would be ideal, but there would be a few benefits from at least getting the lanes added down to US 6 or Bluff Road with all the new truck traffic that has been generated around there with Amazon, Whirlpool and Target DCs. Right now, it necks down south of I-80 just north of the I&M canal bridge, with only a mile to go to the US 6 exit.