Illinois notes

[edwaleni]

There may be movement on finishing IL 336 to Peoria with the new capital bill, based on some of the new Type, Size, And Location bridge plans posted on IDOT's website.  There are a few new ones for IL 336 in Peoria County.

So these IL 336 bridges have locations on the drawings...does IDOT have an actual corridor and the ROW already purchased for Macomb-Peoria 336?

The original EIS was done in 2004.

https://books.google.com/books?id=apU1AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

It mostly focused on the details of the US-67 East Bypass of Macomb up to IL-110 and where IL-336 would come in and intersect with it.

Of those planning diagrams is a reference to an abandoned UP railroad ROW where IDOT will build a tunnel to allow a future bike trail to pass through. This is the former Chicago & Northwestern Keithsburg Subdivision. It was formerly part of the Minneapolis & St Louis RR.

It has sat growing weeds for years because the City of Farmington was trying to block its abandonment.  The rail was pulled back to Limestone in 2007 and ended at the ROHN Plant and finally pulled up for good in 2009/2010.

The IDOT design says that "in the event the railroad service is restored"  the culverts will need to be redesigned. This means the STB allowed the UP to pull the tracks but not formally abandon it. That means the land is rail banked until someone comes along and decides to use it again.

This is permitted under Rails to Trails law that railroads can reassert a ROW that was turned to a trail.  This was probably to please the folks in Farmington.

If you want to see the planned ROW you can go to the project site at:

http://www.peoriatomacomb.com/

[3467]

Illinois has very strict FOIA law. You can contact FOIA office and ask for documents relating to say corridor protect on a specific project. That would tell you if it's really alive or dead. Based on what Rick Powell has said they need to update tons of environmental documents maybe most of them. He also said they have a lot to catch up with on MYP.

[3467]

Example of a FOIA. For District 6 Any documents from 2019  final decision to keep or end corridor protection for US 67.

[paulthemapguy]

On a bit of a specific/parochial note, I noticed that Kendall County has started signing its county highways with pentagon markers!  Coverage isn't complete as of yet, but they have been installing the markers over the course of this summer.  I noticed the first few in June, but they're appearing at most locations where you'd expect to see one.  Hope to get some photos to demonstrate examples of this soon.

[Crash_It]

On a bit of a specific/parochial note, I noticed that Kendall County has started signing its county highways with pentagon markers!  Coverage isn't complete as of yet, but they have been installing the markers over the course of this summer.  I noticed the first few in June, but they're appearing at most locations where you'd expect to see one.  Hope to get some photos to demonstrate examples of this soon.

Will county needs to do this next and cook county needs to do it more consistently, there are so many unmarked cook county highways in Chicago.

[ChiMilNet]

On a bit of a specific/parochial note, I noticed that Kendall County has started signing its county highways with pentagon markers!  Coverage isn't complete as of yet, but they have been installing the markers over the course of this summer.  I noticed the first few in June, but they're appearing at most locations where you'd expect to see one.  Hope to get some photos to demonstrate examples of this soon.

Will county needs to do this next and cook county needs to do it more consistently, there are so many unmarked cook county highways in Chicago.

Cook County had a big push to do this about 12 years ago, and then they suddenly stopped. There was a big outcry over the amount that they were spending on it, so it was halted. Little to nothing has been done since then to finish. That said, it'll never happen in the City of Chicago. They are all maintained by CDOT in the city, and they have no interest in spending the money where no one in the city would even notice nor find it useful.

[paulthemapguy]

On a bit of a specific/parochial note, I noticed that Kendall County has started signing its county highways with pentagon markers!  Coverage isn't complete as of yet, but they have been installing the markers over the course of this summer.  I noticed the first few in June, but they're appearing at most locations where you'd expect to see one.  Hope to get some photos to demonstrate examples of this soon.

Will county needs to do this next and cook county needs to do it more consistently, there are so many unmarked cook county highways in Chicago.

There are reasons at Will County why this will probably never happen that I shouldn't disclose.  But maybe I'll ask about it anyway...

[inkyatari]

On a bit of a specific/parochial note, I noticed that Kendall County has started signing its county highways with pentagon markers!  Coverage isn't complete as of yet, but they have been installing the markers over the course of this summer.  I noticed the first few in June, but they're appearing at most locations where you'd expect to see one.  Hope to get some photos to demonstrate examples of this soon.

Will county needs to do this next and cook county needs to do it more consistently, there are so many unmarked cook county highways in Chicago.

There are reasons at Will County why this will probably never happen that I shouldn't disclose.  But maybe I'll ask about it anyway...

Several years ago, I did spot one county highway pentagon sign on Bronk Rd. just north of Black Rd.  It's long since disappeared, but I was shocked to see it.

[paulthemapguy]

Several years ago, I did spot one county highway pentagon sign on Bronk Rd. just north of Black Rd.  It's long since disappeared, but I was shocked to see it.

It's amazing that you noticed that!  I've seen that exact sign panel you're speaking of.  It's been taken down since 2013 at the latest.  As of March 2017, it was still hanging up in Will County's sign shop.  I'm pretty sure it's still sitting there.


2017-03-15_03-56-14 by Paul Drives, on Flickr

[inkyatari]

Several years ago, I did spot one county highway pentagon sign on Bronk Rd. just north of Black Rd.  It's long since disappeared, but I was shocked to see it.

It's amazing that you noticed that!  I've seen that exact sign panel you're speaking of.  It's been taken down since 2013 at the latest.  As of March 2017, it was still hanging up in Will County's sign shop.  I'm pretty sure it's still sitting there.


2017-03-15_03-56-14 by Paul Drives, on Flickr

Which begs the question, why was this one sign for this one county route put up in the first place?

[paulthemapguy]

Which begs the question, why was this one sign for this one county route put up in the first place?

The sign was probably put up by a contractor, following plans created by an engineering consultant unfamiliar with Will County's guidelines.  Two layers of playing 'telephone.'

[JoePCool14]

Cook County had a big push to do this about 12 years ago, and then they suddenly stopped. There was a big outcry over the amount that they were spending on it, so it was halted. Little to nothing has been done since then to finish. That said, it'll never happen in the City of Chicago. They are all maintained by CDOT in the city, and they have no interest in spending the money where no one in the city would even notice nor find it useful.

I'm actually lucky enough to have a Cook County pentagon shield. And sure enough, it's about a decade old. Though I can't figure out which road it was supposed to be used on (it was an unused shield, but is absolutely CCHD spec.

[paulthemapguy]

Drove around the southern half of Kendall County yesterday, looking for new pentagon signs.  I found most of what I was looking for.  I'll probably tour around the northern half sometime fairly soon.  For more photos like this, check out my county highway album.


IL-CKE17 by Paul Drives, on Flickr                          IL-CKE03 by Paul Drives, on Flickr


IL-CKE19 by Paul Drives, on Flickr                         IL-CKE24WTER by Paul Drives, on Flickr

[ET21]

Update article on the I-80 upgrade by US-30
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-slowik-new-lenox-interchange-construction-st-0728-20190726-k4xqdrwanjch7blkxe62wjod5e-story.html?fbclid=IwAR2pCfkpGuuKePUdgPGZW2C6iDf3v-ob0bX1zBl1cfLwz8IQoihaPM2fBUk

[Brandon]

Update article on the I-80 upgrade by US-30
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-slowik-new-lenox-interchange-construction-st-0728-20190726-k4xqdrwanjch7blkxe62wjod5e-story.html?fbclid=IwAR2pCfkpGuuKePUdgPGZW2C6iDf3v-ob0bX1zBl1cfLwz8IQoihaPM2fBUk

About 20 years late (as usual for IDOT), and with a speed limit much lower than comparable construction zones in Wisconsin and Michigan.  Illinois needs to leave the 1980s.

[SSOWorld]

Montana is just as nasty when it comes to speed limits - they don't just post advisory speeds for crossovers of traffic to a head-to-head, but instead, lower the fucking limit at that crossover.  Arizona often did staged speed reductions down to and including 25 MPH.  Still this does not make IDOT's philosophy of 24/7 45 in a work zone justifiable.

[ET21]

Montana is just as nasty when it comes to speed limits - they don't just post advisory speeds for crossovers of traffic to a head-to-head, but instead, lower the fucking limit at that crossover.  Arizona often did staged speed reductions down to and including 25 MPH.  Still this does not make IDOT's philosophy of 24/7 45 in a work zone justifiable.

I could understand a minor lower limit due to construction equipment or narrow lanes (55 mph), but the 24/7 work zone with no workers present is archaic. Why go 45 or under at 2am when you have no workers on site and you're perfectly safe to go the normal speed?

[Lyon Wonder]

The 2019-2020 Illinois official highway map has been released.  http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/Network-Overview/highway-system/maps

direct download http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Travel-Information/Maps-&-Charts/2019ILMap.pdf

[Crash_It]

Update article on the I-80 upgrade by US-30
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-slowik-new-lenox-interchange-construction-st-0728-20190726-k4xqdrwanjch7blkxe62wjod5e-story.html?fbclid=IwAR2pCfkpGuuKePUdgPGZW2C6iDf3v-ob0bX1zBl1cfLwz8IQoihaPM2fBUk

About 20 years late (as usual for IDOT), and with a speed limit much lower than comparable construction zones in Wisconsin and Michigan.  Illinois needs to leave the 1980s.

Construction zones in both those states aren't as numerous for one. Another is that Indiana is guilty of this too but just go the speed limit and it won't be a problem.

[Rick Powell]

The 2019-2020 Illinois official highway map has been released. 

Hmm...two sections of US 34 divided multi-lane in Kendall County are about ready to be opened for traffic, as well as the IL 47 divided multi-lane between Kendall/Grundy line and Caton Farm Road, and the map update will need to wait another two years.

[Brandon]

Update article on the I-80 upgrade by US-30
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-slowik-new-lenox-interchange-construction-st-0728-20190726-k4xqdrwanjch7blkxe62wjod5e-story.html?fbclid=IwAR2pCfkpGuuKePUdgPGZW2C6iDf3v-ob0bX1zBl1cfLwz8IQoihaPM2fBUk

About 20 years late (as usual for IDOT), and with a speed limit much lower than comparable construction zones in Wisconsin and Michigan.  Illinois needs to leave the 1980s.

Construction zones in both those states aren't as numerous for one. Another is that Indiana is guilty of this too but just go the speed limit and it won't be a problem.

Bullshit.  There are quite a few construction zones in both states.  Maybe you need to go past Racine and St Joe.

[inkyatari]

The 2019-2020 Illinois official highway map has been released.  http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/Network-Overview/highway-system/maps

direct download http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Travel-Information/Maps-&-Charts/2019ILMap.pdf

Wow. I hope the paper version doesn't look like this. It's way too crowded,and in my area, I notice a lot of inaccuracies, as opposed to previous year's maps.

[paulthemapguy]

The 2019-2020 Illinois official highway map has been released.  http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/Network-Overview/highway-system/maps

direct download http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Travel-Information/Maps-&-Charts/2019ILMap.pdf

Looks pretty similar to past years' maps, but with a couple changes to the symbology used.  The "rest area" symbol is now a red box containing the letters "RA," which I think is a larger symbol than it was, but I hope the letters "RA" aren't too small to read.  Second, the county highway symbol is a faded lighter gray but with a larger number.  The map would seem really cluttered if that shade of gray didn't fade into the background, so that choice makes sense.  You don't need to see those county highways unless you're looking hard for them.  I hope the numbers for state and US highways appear larger in the paper version.

[mgk920]

The 2019-2020 Illinois official highway map has been released.  http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/Network-Overview/highway-system/maps

direct download http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Travel-Information/Maps-&-Charts/2019ILMap.pdf

Looks pretty similar to past years' maps, but with a couple changes to the symbology used.  The "rest area" symbol is now a red box containing the letters "RA," which I think is a larger symbol than it was, but I hope the letters "RA" aren't too small to read.  Second, the county highway symbol is a faded lighter gray but with a larger number.  The map would seem really cluttered if that shade of gray didn't fade into the background, so that choice makes sense.  You don't need to see those county highways unless you're looking hard for them.  I hope the numbers for state and US highways appear larger in the paper version.

I noticed how much Cherry Valley has spread out (Rockford inset).  What other such changes are there in it?

Mike

[Crash_It]

Update article on the I-80 upgrade by US-30
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-slowik-new-lenox-interchange-construction-st-0728-20190726-k4xqdrwanjch7blkxe62wjod5e-story.html?fbclid=IwAR2pCfkpGuuKePUdgPGZW2C6iDf3v-ob0bX1zBl1cfLwz8IQoihaPM2fBUk

About 20 years late (as usual for IDOT), and with a speed limit much lower than comparable construction zones in Wisconsin and Michigan.  Illinois needs to leave the 1980s.

Construction zones in both those states aren't as numerous for one. Another is that Indiana is guilty of this too but just go the speed limit and it won't be a problem.

Bullshit.  There are quite a few construction zones in both states.  Maybe you need to go past Racine and St Joe.

I don't need to.. look at the construction projects list on both IDOT and WisDOT sites. IL has more which means IDOT is fixing the roads while WisDOT is neglecting them. Aside from that, there are 55,60 and 65mph work Zone speed limits in IL. You just have to go outside the Chicago area to see them.