What corridors in Illinois DO need upgrades?

[I-39]

I think 6 lanes to 88 would do it . Also IDOTs improvements to IL 2 might keep some cars on that route.
I only kept 51 and expressway to keep Adam happy since he doesn't care make it 3 lanes too. I kept the 4 lane expressway that was under study from Olney to IL 1 and 127 because southern Illinois just whines so much if they don't get something ..so give the 50 miles of expressway ....We are "saving" a lot elsewhere. I will admit to ripping off Mop and WI who are planning this for their lesser used arterials
I have a total of 6 miles of freeway @ Galena about 100 million
70 more miles of mostly expressway on 67 100 million for bridge 400 million for the rest
maybe 30 million more for expressway on US 51 and 50 million on US 34
200 million for the 50 miles of southern Illinois expressway
I come up with about 240 miles of 3 lane for the rest -How much is that? IDOT just added 6 feet of road for 150,000 a mile on 116 so for a 12 foot lane it would be twice that . I wont count other needed widen amd resurfacings because those should come from maintenance not expansion so ....72 million
At that price double it any other state would and people would be happy Truckers happy but not Illinois so that makes my 900 million plan is fantasy unlike IDioTs  multi billion dollar one

Frankly, I'd rather see Improvements to the U.S 51 and 67 corridors before U.S 20

I would be fine with the following:
U.S 20: I'd be fine with a Galena bypass and a three lane segment the rest of the way

U.S 51: rebuild the segment between Bloomington and Decatur into a southern extension of I-39 (on a new alignment: see my proposal in the I-39/FAP 412 History) to give Decatur better connectivity to points north (to help businesses and potentially attract new ones). South of Decatur, bypass Pana and then construct the rest with passing lanes.

I-39: Rebuild and widen to six lanes between Rockford and I-88. Figure out something to do with the U.S 20 interchange (whether that be realign or upgrade existing, most likely the latter)

U.S 67: 4 lane expressway from Monmouth to Alton. Build a new bypass southeast of Monmouth to tie 67 into the 34 freeway to Galesburg and combine the Macomb and Good Hope bypass. End IL-336 at U.S 67 and don't extend it to Peoria.

Everything else is fine with just passing lanes

[3467]

IDOT had a plan to upgrade the Monmouth Bypass I would go with that one Less expensive than a new bypass . Interchange @164 Interchange just west of Main with frontage road connections from Main to 11th street . There is room for overpasses and finally an interchange north of Broadway 164 west

[I-39]

IDOT had a plan to upgrade the Monmouth Bypass I would go with that one Less expensive than a new bypass . Interchange @164 Interchange just west of Main with frontage road connections from Main to 11th street . There is room for overpasses and finally an interchange north of Broadway 164 west

What happened to the plan? It seems pretty tight to upgrade to freeway. Too many businesses destroyed, but if they had a plan, I'd rather do that.

[3467]

It was  part of the plan to Burlington -A freeway option was considered -I don't think its in the 34 EIS which is linked above but it was some photos with the interchanges and its very doable still, It wouldn't take a single business and they were all just tight diamonds and over passes. 3 tight diamonds 3 overpasses . Maine wouldn't need to be 5 lane it could be 3 lane to match the 67 3lane that is under construction to Farm King road now . That would allow all the business to remain. The frontage roads are pretty much there now . The big problem was the BN spur line but its gone now.
What is the cost of a 2 lane overpass and a  tight diamonds?

There are some interesting things with 34 west . The Army Corps has relented somewhat on the need to elevate the stretch form the Biggsville bypass to Burlington so IDOT is in Phase 1 again on that again Maybe somebody like Rick Powell know more about that . If that isn't viable my guess is 34 is over . I included its completion in my list along with those 2 southern IL projects. Those are the only differences in our plans ( and I really think those should be 3 lanes as well
I would finally add that all these route could be expanded into Texas expressways in the future and of course turn lanes could be added too I don't think any will ever need to be Illinois has stretches of Texas expressway on IL 1 near Danville and IL 50 near Peotone both carry more traffic than ANY of these routes with no problems I know of

[3467]

If I had limited passing lanes on 34 East I would put a mile long southbound out of Kewanee and a one mile northbound from IL 93. I would put a 2 mile west bound toward Galva from IL 78 and then a 2 mile eastbound outside Galva
On 67 North I would add a southbound from Boden to near Viola. I would extend the existing North @ Boden to Preemption . I would fix the Curves @ Preemption. I would then add one more northbound lane in Rock Island count for 2 miles.  I think this was the original plan and then IDOT changed its mind

[I-39]

It was  part of the plan to Burlington -A freeway option was considered -I don't think its in the 34 EIS which is linked above but it was some photos with the interchanges and its very doable still, It wouldn't take a single business and they were all just tight diamonds and over passes. 3 tight diamonds 3 overpasses . Maine wouldn't need to be 5 lane it could be 3 lane to match the 67 3lane that is under construction to Farm King road now . That would allow all the business to remain. The frontage roads are pretty much there now . The big problem was the BN spur line but its gone now.
What is the cost of a 2 lane overpass and a  tight diamonds?

There are some interesting things with 34 west . The Army Corps has relented somewhat on the need to elevate the stretch form the Biggsville bypass to Burlington so IDOT is in Phase 1 again on that again Maybe somebody like Rick Powell know more about that . If that isn't viable my guess is 34 is over . I included its completion in my list along with those 2 southern IL projects. Those are the only differences in our plans ( and I really think those should be 3 lanes as well
I would finally add that all these route could be expanded into Texas expressways in the future and of course turn lanes could be added too I don't think any will ever need to be Illinois has stretches of Texas expressway on IL 1 near Danville and IL 50 near Peotone both carry more traffic than ANY of these routes with no problems I know of

Interesting. Well, they should upgrade the Monmouth bypass to freeway for this reason.

I see a small possibility (but I stress, this would NOT be a high priority right now), of possibly tying the existing IL-336 into U.S 67 north of Macomb and connecting it with the U.S 34 freeway to Galesburg. If the rest of the U.S 67 (Between Monmouth and Macomb) and IL-336 (between Macomb and Quincy) were to be converted to freeway, I could see them extending Interstate 172 along that alignment, thereby giving the three biggest Western Illinois cities (Galesburg, Macomb, Quincy) Interstate access. Other than some realignments in the Macomb/Good Hope area, most of this could use the existing route. This would be in lieu of building the IL-336 Macomb to Peoria. Not a high priority, but something to think about for the future.

Of course, this would not replace the need to expand U.S 67 south of Macomb.

[3467]

Adam have you been here lately? . There have been threads on it . The route is labeled 110 from KC to Chicago It goes up 74 to 88 to the IKE and it all could be upgraded The Macomb east bypass is graded Good Hope has a bypass design of ever needed . It isn't yet Id finish the south route first
Back to IL 47 clearly that is needed but I considered it a Chicago area Project . I would expect some passing lanes will have to be added on other northern IL rotes near the metro like US 34 and IL 64 at some point

Cost Question are my costs right ?
Rural Freeway 10-20 million
Rural expressway 6-10 million
Reconstruct  and resurface 2 lane with a passing lane 300,000 to 1,5 million

[I-39]

Adam have you been here lately? . There have been threads on it . The route is labeled 110 from KC to Chicago It goes up 74 to 88 to the IKE and it all could be upgraded The Macomb east bypass is graded Good Hope has a bypass design of ever needed . It isn't yet Id finish the south route first
Back to IL 47 clearly that is needed but I considered it a Chicago area Project . I would expect some passing lanes will have to be added on other northern IL rotes near the metro like US 34 and IL 64 at some point

Cost Question are my costs right ?
Rural Freeway 10-20 million
Rural expressway 6-10 million
Reconstruct  and resurface 2 lane with a passing lane 300,000 to 1,5 million

Yes, I would say those are about right (the costs), maybe a little more or less depending on the terrain (for example, it would cost more to build a freeway/expressway in the rolling hills of northwestern Illinois than it would along U.S 51 or 67).

Yes, I know about the Chicago-Kansas City Expressway, and this would make it a more attractive. Even if they left it as an expressway. I don't like the Macomb bypass as currently planned. It is basically going to be a big C around Macomb and rejoin the existing U.S 67 on the north side of Macomb. What needs to happen is the U.S 67 portion of the bypass should continue north until past Good Hope and rejoin the existing alignment north of Good Hope. IL-336 can end at a system interchange with U.S 67 northeast of the City.

[3467]

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/transportation-management/featured-projects/index
I was reviewing the list to see if we missed anything and I see this Alton Godfrey connector. The 100 million allocated should be spent on 67
I cant think of any other capacity additions to the downstate interstates not mentioned here except the 39 stretch north of 88 and the 39-55 stretch of 80 mentioned by Rick Powell. And Yep on your points Adam

[I-39]

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/transportation-management/featured-projects/index
I was reviewing the list to see if we missed anything and I see this Alton Godfrey connector. The 100 million allocated should be spent on 67
I cant think of any other capacity additions to the downstate interstates not mentioned here except the 39 stretch north of 88 and the 39-55 stretch of 80 mentioned by Rick Powell. And Yep on your points Adam

On I-39, all that needs to be done is widening between Cherry Valley Interchange and I-88 and an extension to I-72 in Decatur. It does not need any capacity improvements between Rochelle and Bloomington-Normal.

I believe they want to widen I-57 between I-64 and I-24, some of the bridges in that segment are wide enough for a third lane. But I cannot think of any other downstate Interstate widening proposals/projects. 

If they were to extend I-39 to Decatur hypothetically, they would need to widen I-72 in the Decatur area as well as I-74 east from I-55 to east of the existing U.S 51 interchange.

[ET21]

39 there is not exactly busting at the seams.

Yet during rush hours I see heavy traffic between 20 and 88, especially truck traffic. Like I said, it's not urgent right now but in 10-15 years it may need an upgrade.

[adt1982]

I-55/72 around Springfield really needs a 3rd lane in each direction.

[cwm1276]

39 there is not exactly busting at the seams.

Yet during rush hours I see heavy traffic between 20 and 88, especially truck traffic. Like I said, it's not urgent right now but in 10-15 years it may need an upgrade.

6 lanes are not need yet. I would say the US20/I39 area is needed soon and possibly work around 88 to help manage the weaving traffic. Both ends work should accommodate a 6 lane I39.

[I-39]

39 there is not exactly busting at the seams.

Yet during rush hours I see heavy traffic between 20 and 88, especially truck traffic. Like I said, it's not urgent right now but in 10-15 years it may need an upgrade.

6 lanes are not need yet. I would say the US20/I39 area is needed soon and possibly work around 88 to help manage the weaving traffic. Both ends work should accommodate a 6 lane I39.

six lanes will be needed on I-39 between I-88 and the Cherry Valley Interchange within 10 years

[Rick Powell]

I believe they want to widen I-57 between I-64 and I-24, some of the bridges in that segment are wide enough for a third lane. But I cannot think of any other downstate Interstate widening proposals/projects. 

Some of I-57 in the Marion area is already 6 lanes.  Looked like they were getting ready to do more last month when we went thru there on a trip.

[cwm1276]

I drive to 88 on 39 daily. In 10 years it would need 6 lanes. Currently it needs works at 20 and 88. The U.S. 20 bypass section needed it 5 years ago.

[Brandon]

I drive to 88 on 39 daily. In 10 years it would need 6 lanes. Currently it needs works at 20 and 88. The U.S. 20 bypass section needed it 5 years ago.

Wait 15 more years for that.  IDOT is usually 20 years behind.