Illinois notes

[kphoger]

When you're using a fleet card, it doesn't matter a whole lot to you what the price of Diesel is...

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/transportation-management/transportation-improvement-programs/myp/fact-sheets.html?fbclid=IwAR3mOV9umOXa3d9R96VJK7qE3_fEaUYDY0nbzg0-lv1Ip9oPv2OgQNdEuRI

A lot of overdue road projects are coming to Illinois within the next six years...

[Hobart]

https://idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/transportation-management/transportation-improvement-programs/myp/fact-sheets.html?fbclid=IwAR3mOV9umOXa3d9R96VJK7qE3_fEaUYDY0nbzg0-lv1Ip9oPv2OgQNdEuRI

A lot of overdue road projects are coming to Illinois within the next six years...

Happy to see they're finally redoing the US 45/52 interchange in Kankakee. I always had the thought of "wow, this really isn't that much distance at all to slow down or speed up to and from highway speeds!" whenever going through there.

[paulthemapguy]

https://idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/transportation-management/transportation-improvement-programs/myp/fact-sheets.html?fbclid=IwAR3mOV9umOXa3d9R96VJK7qE3_fEaUYDY0nbzg0-lv1Ip9oPv2OgQNdEuRI

A lot of overdue road projects are coming to Illinois within the next six years...

Happy to see they're finally redoing the US 45/52 interchange in Kankakee. I always had the thought of "wow, this really isn't that much distance at all to slow down or speed up to and from highway speeds!" whenever going through there.

I always thought the IL-17 interchange was more egregious, but it's nice that the US45/52 interchange is getting a rework as well.

[US20IL64]

I drove on the I-80 Des Plaines river bridge in Joliet on 4th of July. Looks more like it was built in 1865, not 1965, imagine horses used it.

[Revive 755]

Going through the big listing (https://idot.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idot/documents/transportation-system/reports/opp/hip/2024%20Multimodal%20Highway%20Projects.pdf)

* The top of Page 17/993 has an entry for "P.E. (Feasibility Study)" for I-90/I-94 from Ohio Street to 31st Street in Chicago

* The top of Page 309/993 has Preliminary Engineering for a new US 20 Mississippi River Bridge.

* The bottom of Page 499/993 mentions a new interchange for IL 6 at a 'proposed Pioneers Parkway extension'.

* The top of Page 550/993 has P.E. 1 and 2 for I-74 from Prospect Avenue to University Avenue in Champaign and Urbana.

* The bottom of Page 843/993 lists P.E. (Phase 1) for 'Illinois Avenue/MLK Bridge in East St. Louis' and also mentions "bridge reconstruction" with Missouri and Illinois sharing costs.

[edwaleni]

Going through the big listing (https://idot.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idot/documents/transportation-system/reports/opp/hip/2024%20Multimodal%20Highway%20Projects.pdf)

* The top of Page 17/993 has an entry for "P.E. (Feasibility Study)" for I-90/I-94 from Ohio Street to 31st Street in Chicago

* The top of Page 309/993 has Preliminary Engineering for a new US 20 Mississippi River Bridge.

* The bottom of Page 499/993 mentions a new interchange for IL 6 at a 'proposed Pioneers Parkway extension'.

* The top of Page 550/993 has P.E. 1 and 2 for I-74 from Prospect Avenue to University Avenue in Champaign and Urbana.

* The bottom of Page 843/993 lists P.E. (Phase 1) for 'Illinois Avenue/MLK Bridge in East St. Louis' and also mentions "bridge reconstruction" with Missouri and Illinois sharing costs.

As for the "new US 20 Mississippi River Bridge" per the Iowa DOT it refers to this project.

Due to congestion on the bridge, the Iowa DOT has developed preliminary plans to build a parallel, two-lane bridge directly to the south of the Julien Dubuque Bridge. Some federal funding has been secured and right of way has been acquired. Construction is contingent upon additional federal funding being received.

The "congestion on the bridge" is due to the fact that the City of Dubuque demands that a traffic light remain at Locust Street where the bridge lands on the Iowa side. Get rid of the light and you get rid of the congestion.

As for the current Julien Dubuque, it was built in 1943 and is a no shoulder 2 lane affair with substandard vertical clearances in places. It is in great shape and had a major rehab done in 1992. The only issue is a constant scour problem on one of the piers. So what it really comes down to is Iowa DOT and IDOT going to build a "wider" twin using the same steel arch or go for the budget affair with a reinforced concrete span?

[skluth]

The "congestion on the bridge" is due to the fact that the City of Dubuque demands that a traffic light remain at Locust Street where the bridge lands on the Iowa side. Get rid of the light and you get rid of the congestion.

As for the current Julien Dubuque, it was built in 1943 and is a no shoulder 2 lane affair with substandard vertical clearances in places. It is in great shape and had a major rehab done in 1992. The only issue is a constant scour problem on one of the piers. So what it really comes down to is Iowa DOT and IDOT going to build a "wider" twin using the same steel arch or go for the budget affair with a reinforced concrete span?

There's enough space at Locust St to put in a beautiful, multilane roundabout. 

Seriously, I do hope a new bridge will be wide enough to have a better crossing for bikes and pedestrians than the current narrow sidewalk glommed onto the side.

[hobsini2]

The "congestion on the bridge" is due to the fact that the City of Dubuque demands that a traffic light remain at Locust Street where the bridge lands on the Iowa side. Get rid of the light and you get rid of the congestion.

As for the current Julien Dubuque, it was built in 1943 and is a no shoulder 2 lane affair with substandard vertical clearances in places. It is in great shape and had a major rehab done in 1992. The only issue is a constant scour problem on one of the piers. So what it really comes down to is Iowa DOT and IDOT going to build a "wider" twin using the same steel arch or go for the budget affair with a reinforced concrete span?

There's enough space at Locust St to put in a beautiful, multilane roundabout. 

Seriously, I do hope a new bridge will be wide enough to have a better crossing for bikes and pedestrians than the current narrow sidewalk glommed onto the side.

I know this is pie in the sky but I would hope a new bridge would be built to Interstate standards for any future freeway that may come to the area. I think having a roundabout at Locust St is not a bad idea in the meantime.

[edwaleni]

The "congestion on the bridge" is due to the fact that the City of Dubuque demands that a traffic light remain at Locust Street where the bridge lands on the Iowa side. Get rid of the light and you get rid of the congestion.

As for the current Julien Dubuque, it was built in 1943 and is a no shoulder 2 lane affair with substandard vertical clearances in places. It is in great shape and had a major rehab done in 1992. The only issue is a constant scour problem on one of the piers. So what it really comes down to is Iowa DOT and IDOT going to build a "wider" twin using the same steel arch or go for the budget affair with a reinforced concrete span?

There's enough space at Locust St to put in a beautiful, multilane roundabout. 

Seriously, I do hope a new bridge will be wide enough to have a better crossing for bikes and pedestrians than the current narrow sidewalk glommed onto the side.

I know this is pie in the sky but I would hope a new bridge would be built to Interstate standards for any future freeway that may come to the area. I think having a roundabout at Locust St is not a bad idea in the meantime.

Ages ago the original plan was to take US 20 south of town along the "Peosta Line" as a bypass to the south and cross the Mississippi and join the (then) planned US-20 Freeway by IDOT.

But what we have is a town that wants all the benefits of a freeway, but none of the drawbacks by allowing driveways and business access along its route into the city. I know why the light exists at Locust, it is for drivers on US-61 to be able to enter-exit US-20 and the bridge. Technically US-20 should be elevated and have ramps here.

As for that planned bypass, again the city wanted it both ways.  Too far out and people would simply pass the city by, too close and it would be expensive to acquire land and the NIMBYism would be high.  Today that road is US-52.  It doesn't connect with US-52

[SSOWorld]

As for the "new US 20 Mississippi River Bridge" per the Iowa DOT it refers to this project.

Due to congestion on the bridge, the Iowa DOT has developed preliminary plans to build a parallel, two-lane bridge directly to the south of the Julien Dubuque Bridge. Some federal funding has been secured and right of way has been acquired. Construction is contingent upon additional federal funding being received.

The "congestion on the bridge" is due to the fact that the City of Dubuque demands that a traffic light remain at Locust Street where the bridge lands on the Iowa side. Get rid of the light and you get rid of the congestion.

Not happening. you cut off access to downtown and north of that - including 151 north into Wisconsin - not to mention businesses lining Locust.

[triplemultiplex]

I think they mean turn it into an interchange, not just close it off.
One could feasibly get a single point interchange there without much additional r/w. 

[I-39]

Have they started any widening on IL-47 between Sugar Grove and Yorkville?

[Rick Powell]

Have they started any widening on IL-47 between Sugar Grove and Yorkville?

No, the design plans are in preparation and right of way is being bought. The new IDOT FY 2024-29 Multi Year Program shows construction in the FY 2025-29 years in both the District 1 and District 3 portions, which means construction is at least a year in the future. For what it's worth, the section of IL 47 south of Yorkville from IL 71 to Caton Farm Road is in the same level of development.

[SSOWorld]

I think they mean turn it into an interchange, not just close it off.
One could feasibly get a single point interchange there without much additional r/w. 

There's no point - west of there too much business exists within potential r/w of Dodge St to allow any type of interchange so a freeway solution between the SW Arterial and the semi-limited access portion east of Grandview Ave cannot be converted. The Dodge/Locust intersection connects several businesses south of it to allow a freeway, and bluffs line the opposite side, which cannot be cut without the risk of houses dropping on the road from above. East Dubuque is too compact to allow any four-lane expansion. (They just gave that part a road diet)

[Revive 755]

I think they mean turn it into an interchange, not just close it off.
One could feasibly get a single point interchange there without much additional r/w. 

There's no point - west of there too much business exists within potential r/w of Dodge St to allow any type of interchange so a freeway solution between the SW Arterial and the semi-limited access portion east of Grandview Ave cannot be converted.

Difficult and costly to convert in Iowa - yes.  Impossible - I'm going with "no" given some of the narrow ROW freeways elsewhere using one-way frontage roads.
[/quote]

[SSOWorld]

I think they mean turn it into an interchange, not just close it off.
One could feasibly get a single point interchange there without much additional r/w. 

There's no point - west of there too much business exists within potential r/w of Dodge St to allow any type of interchange so a freeway solution between the SW Arterial and the semi-limited access portion east of Grandview Ave cannot be converted.

Difficult and costly to convert in Iowa - yes.  Impossible - I'm going with "no" given some of the narrow ROW freeways elsewhere using one-way frontage roads.

The businesses have parking lots - including car dealership lots right up to the road with only ravines separating. You have to claim eminent domain in order to put in frontage roads - and in areas put medians in the road itself while maintaining shoulders.  You also have too many intersections within close proximity to each other and lots of hills. the only way to do a freeway for 20 is to relocate it - which will draw a ton of opposition from businesses lining it.

[sprjus4]

^ So, then, he was correct. Difficult and costly, yes. But it's not engineeringly impossible. It's just not easy and would be costly.

[triplemultiplex]

I've posted this before in fictional, but in my mind US 20 in Dubuque is not that impossible at all:

and

[The Ghostbuster]

Would your "fictional" upgrade include expanding the Julien Dubuque Bridge to four lanes?

[paulthemapguy]

Why is this in Illinois notes^^^

[SSOWorld]

No.  This is eating parking lot from almost every business and kills University Ave along 20 which hosts many businesses which will be pissed off due to the loss of access.  Also what Paul said.

[sprjus4]

No.  This is eating parking lot from almost every business and kills University Ave along 20 which hosts many businesses which will be pissed off due to the loss of access.  Also what Paul said.

How is University Ave access "killed" ? The one-way 2 lane frontage roads and on/off ramps would provide adequate high-capacity access.

This looks like a reasonable proposal, IMO. It is certainly reasonable and is not as crazy as it is being made out to be.

[Revive 755]

The Iowa DOT is looking at adding frontages roads for part of US 20, see https://www.news.iowadot.gov/pim/2022/09/proposed-improvements-for-us-20-nw-arterial-in-dubuque-county.html.

[Hobart]

I've posted this before in fictional, but in my mind US 20 in Dubuque is not that impossible at all:

and

Shouldn't this be in an Iowa thread, being Iowa, even if it should be confined to fictional?

Regardless, it would be impossible due to the money required for the eminent domain next to US-20, which Iowa likely doesn't have. It is very clearly an urban arterial, right down to the sidewalks.

You'd be better off building a couple ramps and sending US-20 on the Southwest Arterial with US-52, if a freeway extension is even worth it. Your plans have not addressed the two lane section of the Julien Dubuque Bridge, the road-dieted 2-lane section in East Dubuque, or the fact that there's an existing signalized intersection at Locust Street you seemed to have forgotten about, which are the biggest issues. You'd cause more traffic at these points, making everything moot.

You'd actually hit less lights as well if you instead made US-20 make a hard left on Locust and follow US-61 to the Southwest Arterial, and go through the less urbanized area of Key West instead of its current alignment. Would be significantly more cost effective as well.

The Iowa DOT is looking at adding frontages roads for part of US 20, see https://www.news.iowadot.gov/pim/2022/09/proposed-improvements-for-us-20-nw-arterial-in-dubuque-county.html.

This is still the Illinois board.