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Illinois freeway history research

Started by Revive 755, October 15, 2009, 05:46:43 PM

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hobsini2

Quote from: Revive 755 on October 15, 2009, 05:46:43 PM

Champaign-Urbana
* I-74 had two full cloverleafs east of I-57 that have since been downgraded to diamonds - think one at us 45 but can't remember exactly.

Yes one was at US 45 the other was at Neil St.  That's what i remember as a kid.
I knew it. I'm surrounded by assholes. Keep firing, assholes! - Dark Helmet (Spaceballs)


kharvey10

Corridor 410 eventually favored the IL 13/127 corridors, as both are heavily traveled by SIU students.  This one will remain a primary arterial, however.  Only the Marion/Harrisburg portion of Corridor 411 was widened to 4 lanes, the rest is still 2 lanes.

Corridor 412 south of B-Normal is still being studied by IDiOT, however, I won't be surprised if the alignment really got shifted further west closer to St. Louis.

Corridor 413 - the southern 5 miles became I-255 thanks to some political maneuvering back in the late 1970s.  The next 20 miles is IL 255 and it is nearing completion on the final segment.  The rest of it is US 67 and most of this will be a 4 lane arterial and some of it is under construction or will be let out for bids.

http://www.growthassociation.com/html/PDF/US%2067%20FY%202011-2016%20map.pdf

Corridor 407 and 405 is not dead by any means given there are still studies out there.

3467

There are threads with updates on all the surviving projects farther down on this page and under Central States for Southern Illinois
Nice map on 67 Thanks

After the census data I am just not wild optimistic about the future of many of these projects. Downstate lost a lot of population.
That is why I started the Poor boy thread under fictional highways to look at cheaper alternatives.Parts of the 4 lane expressway are running over 10 million a mile

Revive 755

Turned up a map today in an old newspaper collection for a tollway plan for Illinois that was proposed before the supplemental freeway system.  All of the routes were pretty much the same as those in the supplemental freeway plan except for the 405, 407 and 413 corridors.  The 407 corridor would have branched off of I-72 farther east from today's I-172 (maybe around Barry?).  The 405 corridor would have run northeasterly to I-55 generally along IL 116.  The 413 corridor appeared to branch from I-270 somewhere west of but fairly close to the I-55/70 interchange.

Revive 755

#54
And from more time with the newspaper collection:

* Couple articles regarding Cahokia wasn't happy about I-255 slicing through town.  The Bi-State Development Agency was also unhappy about the highway being planned to "pass along a runway of Parks Bistate Airport" limited expansion possibilities ("Route of I-255 Protested" Evansville Courier and Press(?), exact article date unknown but it's between August 1965 and July 1966).  The route being protested was supposedly a new straighter route than an earlier one that had some curves to pass around the eastern side of Cahokia.  Unfortunately neither of the articles has a map showing the route.

* Funding issues delayed completion of I-57 near I-94 ("Dan Ryan Link Is Delayed; No Federal Funds" Chicago Tribune)

* The I-494/Crosstown Expressway seems to have been originally called the Belt Expressway (from being near the belt railroad corridor.  The map with the article shows the route having a southern/eastern terminus at the Chicago Skyway ("Expect Action Soon On Belt Expressway" Chicago Tribune)

* Early plans for the Fox Valley Freeway had it starting at the I-55/IL 126 interchange, kind of wandering east and west of the IL 59 corridor, and terminating at a "Evanston Harvard Freeway" at Lake Zurich.  The Evanston Harvard Freeway was supposed to start at the McCormich Blvd/Simpson Street intersection in Evanston, head west to I-294, and then head northwestrly to Madison, WI, with the border crossing near Harvard, WI.  Around the Fox Valley Freeway it was to run somewhat parallel but north of US 14 ("Propose 44-Million Thruways for Fox River Area"  Chicago Tribune).

* "US Gas Tax Boost Needed, Douglas Says" Chicago Tribune, around July 17, 1965.  Interesting how history seems to repeat itself sometimes.

* "Rockford-Decatur Road Study Ok'd", Rockford Register-Republic.  Study approved by IL legislature, article hints at the study being necessary for the route to be considered as a future addition to the interstate system.

* A 10 mile section of I-74 opened west of Peoria on August 25, 1965 (from a Chicago Tribune article, headline appears to have been cut off).  A Pekin Times article lists the section being from University Street to Kickapoo Edwards Blacktop Road.

* A state rep tried to get IL 180 extended up to I-80 through Galva. ("Barry Backs 180 Extension", Galva News?)

* A temporary, two lane, at grade connect was to be used to access I-57 near Bonnie, IL (first town on IL 37 south of I-64) ("Build Access To Interstate 57 At Bonnie" Mt. Vernon Register-News)

* Several articles regarding shifting I-55 to run through Peoria and then up to I-180, a few noting that Blormal, which strongly opposed the shift, already had a somewhat decent route provided by US 66.

* ("State Road Finances In Terrible Shape" Illinois State Register) Illinois apparently had issues with matching federal funds back in the 1960's.

* Not sure on which article it goes with, but there is a map of the I-55 shift through Peoria that has two "future additions" to the route:  One from I-80 to I-90 at Rockford, and another one from Lincoln down to Decatur and then mostly straight south but with a curve to intersect I-57 at Dix (location estimated, but it's definitely somwhat close to Mt. Vernon).

* There was also a proposal to reroute I-55 to follow the east bank of the Illinois River south of Peoria and somehow connect to I-70 west of downtown St. Louis with an Illinois (Mississippi?) River crossing north of Alton ("Illinois River Valley Expressway," Illinoisan Star)

* A few articles on fighting over the route of what turned into I-355 between I-55 and I-290.

* Illinois apparently had the lowest national gas tax at one time - five cents a gallon ("Engineer Says Financial Crisis Slows Improvements of Route 3" Waterloo (IL) Republican).

* One article has a picture for a Crosstown Proposal which would have the highway built on a viaduct directly over railroad lines (for 98 percent of the highway, not a bunch of simple perpendicular bridges) ("Expressway Over Belt Line Tracks" Chicago Daily News, December 1, 1965).  Another article in the Chicago News on 12/27/1965 calls refers to the design as a "Stiltway."

* Apparently IL 13 was at one time proposed to be four-laned to Shawneetown ("Route 13 Funds Urged" Southern Illinoisan, 12/31/1965)

* The original I-72 Mississippi crossing was supposed to be two miles north of the US 36 bridge ("Outlines Midstate Expressway: Chicago Tribune, 1/14/1966)

* An article mentions first stirrings for the what became the Avenue of the Saints, with lobbying for a secondary freeway from Minneapolis-St. Paul through Iowa to I-80 west of Waterloo and Iowa City, then merging with I-80 to the Quad Cities before heading south to St. Louis.

* An article has a map of a supplemental freeway system that has two corridors that seem to have disappeared from the later plans:  A US 24 route between the Peoria area and I-55, and a route between I-55 and Kankakee.  In addition this map has the current I-39/US 51 Rockford-Salem corridor heading west through Lincoln, Peoria, and curving westward again to pass close to Dixon.  The article indicates hope for a new interstate system program after 1972 ("East-West Expressway Is Recommended For Inclusion In 1972 Interstate Road Plans" Springfield Sun, 3/13/1966).

* Another article on the possibility of building a statewide tollway system has the IL 1 corridor route taking a diagonal route between I-57 at Marion and IL 1, and curving back west to pass by Kankakee and end at I-55 at the IL 129 interchange.  This map also has a route running northwesterly from the St. Louis area near the Mississippi River to around Quincy, and has the I-39/US 51 corridor route crossing I-70 around Altamont and ending at I-57 maybe around Edgewood.  ("Statewide Toll Road Net?"  Chicago News, 7/22/1967)

* The US 66/Toronto Road interchange on the south side of Springfield was supposed to be closed when the route was upgraded to I-55 ("Highway Division Discloses I-55 Interchange Location" Illinois State Journal 9/8/1967)

* Several articles indicate the first section of the Crosstown Expressway in Chicago to be built was between I-55 and Midway Airport.

* One article with a sketch of an earlier plan for a split alignment of the Crosstown Expressway shows the route splitting cars and trucks into separate lanes ("A new plan for Crosstown Route," Chicago News, 11/28/1967)

* An couple of pictures for the I-80 opening at Kedzie Avenue in Hazel Creek have an I-80 shield above signs given distances and times to New York and San Francisco (770 miles, 13 hours and 2210 miles, 37 hours) (Chicago Heights Star, 1/21/1968)

* Another map for future I-72 has the route angling north of Harristown before rejoining the presently built route ("Time Factor May Be Aid to Expressway," Decatur Herald, 3/17/1968)

* Couple articles briefly discuss moving signs 35 feet back from the edge of pavement on interstates in Illinois.

* Further revisions to the split Crosstown Alignment did have the northbound and southbound lanes reversed - the southbound lanes would be east of the northbound lanes - for the north south section.  The northbound lanes would be over Cicero Avenue, while the southbound lanes would parallel the belt line railroad tracks ("Daley Tells New Plan for Crosstown" Chicago Tribune, 6/25/1968)

* Article on the opening of most of I-180 has a picture of a Jct/Spur/I-180 assembly at the IL 29 intersection ("Interstate 180 Section Opens Near Princeton," Peoria Journal-Star, 10/31/1968)

* An article on the Galesburg-Monmouth US 34 freeway mentions possible use of a Super 2 design.  There were three alternative locations:  Upgrade the existing US 34 (now IL 164) between Galesburg and the as built freeway end, a new northern route using north of but generally parallel to US 34 with a farther out northern bypass of Monmouth, and a southern route which is a straighter version of the as built route but with a southern bypass of Monmouth ("Future Freeway West From Galesburg:  Hearing Topic" Galesburg Register-Mail, 1/10/1969)

* Picture of a sign being erected on eastbound I-55/70 at the US 40 interchange in Troy has I-70 with a control city of Vandalia (East St. Louis Journal, 1/2/1969)

* An article goes over a planned second phase for the expressway system near Chicago, including many of the unbuilt routes from the 1962 planning study, including a loop between the Crosstown and I-294 via First Avenue between I-90 and I-55 and then eastward to the Crosstown's eastward turn; the Fox River route with a northern bend to curve over to a terminus at Lake Forest; the South Suburban route going south from the I-55/I-294 interchange and curving eastward into Indiana to pass north of Chicago Heights; and what appears to be a spur route from the current I-355/I-290 interchange running west-northwest to Elgin ("Second Phase of Expressway Plans Started," Chicago News, 2/15/1969)

* Another map of the supplemental freeway system with variations and new routes:   I-88 between Rock Falls and the Quad Cities heading for the I-80/I-74 bump interchange; present I-72 west of Jacksonville heading straight to Quincy; a spur route to the Jacksonville-Quincy corridor to Hannibal, Mo; the US 34 Galesburg-Burlington route passing well north of Monmouth; an extension of the now I-55 corridor southeastward to Mattoon via Decatur (in addition to the US 51 route); and a route between I-24 at Vienna and the Marion to Chicago east side of state route at Harrisburg ("Cellini [public works director] Sees New Road Network" Illinois State Register, 4/21/1969)

* There's an article with mention by the district state engineer of a freeway generally along US 136 in the Macomb area, possibly in addition to a separate US 24 Peoria-Quincy freeway ("Outlines Road Study, Freeway Proposals" Macomb Journal, 3/11/69).

Revive 755

And more research from the newspaper article collection:

* Another article has mention of the IL 1 supplemental freeway connecting to I-24 at Vienna ("Coming Kankakee [somewhat in] Area Freeway" Kankakee Journal, 5/2/1969)

* The extension of the spur off I-90/94 near I-55 apparently made it at least to the land clearing phase ("Demolition Begins for Dan Ryan Extension," Chicago Tribune, 10/19/1969)

* The proposed interchange with the US 50 freeway immediately north of the cloverleaf with I-64 was originally going to be a trumpet, but faced objections by the St. Clair County Highway Department, which preferred a diamond ("Interchange Plans Awaited," Metro East Journal, 9/16/1969)

*Centralia was not happy with the US 51 supplemental freeway connecting to I-57 near Alma ("Proposed Highway Faces Program of Resistance," Centralia Sentinel, 10/20/1969)

* A combined state police district headquarters and rest area was proposed over I-55 at the Bluff Road interchange (Exit 247).  Closing the interchange for the facility was opposed by locals ("Proposed I-55 oasis outlined," Joliet Herald-News, 2/4/1970)

* More cyclic history:  A major bond plan for road building was ruled unconstitutional by the Illinois Supreme Court ("Ogilvie's Road Bond Issue Ruled Unconstitutional," Springfield Register, 3/24/1970); the state apparently had a limit on the amount of debt it could take on that needed to be changed by voters.

3467

I had never heard of the tollroad plan. I wonder if it was ever seriously looked at by the Toll Authority.The original plan out in 66 which is in the state library did mention tolls as a funding source and it from that plan the map with the zig zag I -39 came from.

Old 34 now 164 has ROW for a 4 lane expressway for several miles east of Monmouth(as it does just east of Galeburg now) so I bet that was in the existing route option. I do know there was livly discussions about where the freeway corridors should be.
This stuff is great!

Revive 755

Came across a couple documents today that may be in error or may be indicative of a possible early plan to number the FAP 408 freeway (I-72 west of Springfield) as I-155.  Time frame would have been around when today's I-155 route was under construction, so it could easily be someone got confused on which FAP 4xx route was getting which interstate number.

Wild speculation:  If I-155 was being considered for the Springfield-Jacksonville route, I-355 was going to be used for the Lincoln-Peoria route, leading to the possible I-455 numbering for the North-South Tollway.

3467

You might be right Illinois has always tried for Interstate numbers Illinois tried to get 34 as 174 and in fact I saw an old plat book with it in there as 174 so they might have tried 155.

355 might have been 355 because IDOT tried to get what is now 155 as 37!

How about 37 for I-255/IL 255 at least it crosses a state line and would be a place holder.......

Stratuscaster

If I-155 went to the I-72/Springfield, and I-355 went to I-155/Lincoln, then today's I-355 wouldn't have been I-455, but rather I-555.

Long-time lurker - thanks to Revive755 for the research efforts - great reading!

hobsini2

Current I-155 was originally IL 121 and when the whole stretch between Lincoln and Peoria was turned into a freeway, IDOT applied for I-155.  I want to say that was around 1989 or so.  I have the state maps at home somewhere.
I knew it. I'm surrounded by assholes. Keep firing, assholes! - Dark Helmet (Spaceballs)

triplemultiplex

Because it connects to other interstates at both ends, the current I-355 would have been a perfectly serviceable even x55.  This is usually my preference unless it involves burning a state's last even 3di for that interstate.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

hobsini2

Wouldn't it make more sense though to try and limit the amount of number changes for the sake of changing?  Until I-355 is going at more of an angle at the top or bottom to make it look more like a bypass like 294, leave it as 355.
I knew it. I'm surrounded by assholes. Keep firing, assholes! - Dark Helmet (Spaceballs)

Brandon

Quote from: triplemultiplex on March 04, 2011, 06:34:38 PM
Because it connects to other interstates at both ends, the current I-355 would have been a perfectly serviceable even x55.  This is usually my preference unless it involves burning a state's last even 3di for that interstate.

However, that's not how 3dis work in Illinois.  From what I can see, IDOT and ISTHA seem to think that an even 3di must connect back to its parent at both ends.  This is why I-155 and I-355 are odd 3dis that connect to other interstates, and why I-294 is multiplexed with I-80 to I-94.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

kharvey10

I been searching newspaper archives and that I-43 from Milwaukee to Green Bay got designated as such so they did not have to ask the state of Illinois to sign a I-57/94 concurrency through Chicago (Sheboygan Press, April 5, 1974).


mukade

Quote from: Brandon on March 05, 2011, 09:29:48 PM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on March 04, 2011, 06:34:38 PM
Because it connects to other interstates at both ends, the current I-355 would have been a perfectly serviceable even x55.  This is usually my preference unless it involves burning a state's last even 3di for that interstate.

However, that's not how 3dis work in Illinois.  From what I can see, IDOT and ISTHA seem to think that an even 3di must connect back to its parent at both ends.  This is why I-155 and I-355 are odd 3dis that connect to other interstates, and why I-294 is multiplexed with I-80 to I-94.

I would say Illinois is inconsistent. You could add I-270, I-280, I-290, and I-474 to your argument, but I-255 does not end at I-55 in Illinois.


hobsini2

Quote from: mukade on March 06, 2011, 09:32:19 AM
Quote from: Brandon on March 05, 2011, 09:29:48 PM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on March 04, 2011, 06:34:38 PM
Because it connects to other interstates at both ends, the current I-355 would have been a perfectly serviceable even x55.  This is usually my preference unless it involves burning a state's last even 3di for that interstate.

However, that's not how 3dis work in Illinois.  From what I can see, IDOT and ISTHA seem to think that an even 3di must connect back to its parent at both ends.  This is why I-155 and I-355 are odd 3dis that connect to other interstates, and why I-294 is multiplexed with I-80 to I-94.

I would say Illinois is inconsistent. You could add I-270, I-280, I-290, and I-474 to your argument, but I-255 does not end at I-55 in Illinois.


But I-255 does connect to I-55 twice, once in MO and once in IL.  It just happens to go further north. And the part north of I-55 to I-270 was the last segment built of it if i recall correctly.
I knew it. I'm surrounded by assholes. Keep firing, assholes! - Dark Helmet (Spaceballs)

Revive 755

#67
^ Correct.  However, the I-255/I-270 loop was going to be signed only as I-270, with I-270 between I-255 and I-55/70 at Troy changed to I-870, but apparently objections to changing the I-255 to I-55/70 section to I-870 shelved this plan.

EDIT:
Looking through the Google News Archive tonight, it appears both the Crosstown and I-290/I-90-94 connector along the Chicago River may have been canceled around the same time in June of 1979, but it appears to be another one of the pay-per-view articles.

It also appears the transfer of the I-494 designation from Lake Shore Drive to the Crosstown route occurred around 12/4/1963 - per another pay-per-view blurb.

rmsandw

Quote from: Brandon on March 05, 2011, 09:29:48 PM
However, that's not how 3dis work in Illinois.  From what I can see, IDOT and ISTHA seem to think that an even 3di must connect back to its parent at both ends.  This is why I-155 and I-355 are odd 3dis that connect to other interstates, and why I-294 is multiplexed with I-80 to I-94.

But I-294 originally went into Indiana.  It was in 1964 when I-90 and I-94 swapped paths that it was pulled back so that I-94 and I-294 did not over lap.
http://roads.billburmaster.com  Roads of the Mid-South & West
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Rick Powell

Some website information on potential improvements in the old Supplemental Freeway corridors.

www.us51eis-idot.com
Pana to Centralia on US 51

www.elginohare-westbypass.org
Extension of Elgin Ohare to access a future western terminal of O'Hare airport, also includes a N-S bypass of the airport connecting I-294 and I-90.

www.dot.state.il.us/us67/index.html
US 67 corridor in western IL

http://www.dot.state.il.us/us20/index.html
US 20 Freeport to Galena

http://www.dot.state.il.us/us30/index1.html
US 30 Fulton to Rock Falls

http://www.dot.state.il.us/il29/default.aspx
IL 29 Peoria to I-80

3467

http://www.dot.state.il.us/projects.html

Here are the rest of them except US 34 Biggville bypass and US 50 from Olney to Indiana

Revive 755

Found the EIS for the IL 97/Madison Street project in Springfield, IL.  A map of the transportation plan for Springfield had interchanges on IL 4 at the IL 97 and IL 29 (near the Airport) intersections.  There was also consideration of a below grade expressway for IL 97 and for an interchange at IL 97/Madison and MacArthur Boulevard, but there was apparently a second volume to this EIS that said why the built alternative was selected - but I didn't find this second volume today.

Revive 755

Looking through an online database of Chicago Tribune articles, it appears the Crosstown Expressway was killed mainly by the governor of Illinois; there are a couple of articles where Chicago is wanted to bid the expressway instead of the state.  There's also mention of only the section of the Crosstown south of I-290 possibly being built.

Brandon

^^ Would've been very useful in getting to/from Midway.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

Revive 755

Made another trip to Northwestern's Transportation Library today.  There was a sign inside saying some books may be unavailable due to Google digitizing them.

* From one of the EIS's for the Lake Freeway (IL 137) between I-94 and the IL 137 interchange with Grand Avenue, it appears IDOT went ultimately went with Alternative 4.  Two of the alternatives were full freeways between the then-existing end of the freeway at Grand Avenue in Waukegan and the interchange between IL 137 and I-94.  One of the freeway alternatives was an upgrade of existing IL 137, the other curved northward to follow 24th Street.  Another alternative had an arterial design for the east-west portion, but turned into a freeway for the north-south portion (this was the recommend design for the draft EIS).  It appears that the section between the two built sections of freeway would have crossed over and run on the east side of the railroad track along IL 137.  Almost all of the interchanges in the freeway sections would have been SPUI's.  None of the alternatives with an east-west freeway portion had any access to US 41.  In addition, all alternatives had the I-94/IL 137 interchange being nearly identical to today's lousy half access design used at I-94 and IL 120.

* An EIS for the Franklin Street Connector (an extension of the spur off of the Dan Ryan near I-55), the northern section of freeway between Roosevelt Road and Congress Parkway would have been a two level design like Wacker Drive, but with the freeway on the bottom and a local road on top.  The freeway would have tied directly into Wacker Drive, but the present day interchange design with Congress Parkway would have remained.

* Found two EIS's for I-255 from the mid 1970's.  The first was for the section between MO 231 and just west of the southern IL 3 interchange.  This one indicated the outer beltway that has come back as today's Gateway Connector was still alive.  The second, more recent EIS was for the section from just west of the southern IL 3 interchange to the interchange with I-55/70, and seemed to be comparing the as-built route with alternatives that avoided Frank Holten State Park.  The avoidance alternatives included a few eastern alignments near IL 157 and one western alignment that went a decent ways into East St. Louis and had a section that was almost parallel but south of I-64.  The location of the interchange with I-55/70 did not entirely seem to be nailed down yet, as there was one alternative that used the interchange between I-55/70 and IL 111.



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