Illinois notes

[Rick Powell]

As for the Ike, it definitely shows with the super limited ROW that is available. At the very least, if I recall, they did a bit of a rehabilitation of the Ike back in the 80s or within that timeframe. At that time, why didn't they at least do away with the idiotic left hand exit/entrances? That alone would have helped somewhat. I personally support tolls on the Ike at this point, as long as the ISTHA is doing it... it at least would likely be done correctly.

The Ike was partially reconstructed in the 80s, east of Cicero. They didn't do the area near the Harlem and Austin left hand ramps, which are still original construction plus resurfacing and patching.

[ChiMilNet]

The Ike was partially reconstructed in the 80s, east of Cicero. They didn't do the area near the Harlem and Austin left hand ramps, which are still original construction plus resurfacing and patching.

That's a bummer, because they probably missed a golden opportunity then to correct that mistake. Sadly, it's become a pretty dire situation there during rush hour and basically anytime that isn't between 11pm and 10am on the weekends it seems.

[edwaleni]

For those into history, there is a retelling of the building of the Ike at this website, and describes how those "center left" exit/entry ramps came to be.

https://interactive.wbez.org/curiouscity/eisenhower/

The city's portion of the expressway was complete in 1956, but Cook County and the state continued building the road through the suburbs. Unlike Chicago neighborhoods, the village of Oak Park actually fought to change the highway plans.

Oak Parkers opposed building exit and entrance ramps from the expressway's right lanes – where they normally go. They were against the standard clover-leaf-style ramps because those take up more land along the side of the expressway. And that would have meant tearing down more buildings. As a result of these protests, the highway builders put the ramps on the left side – in the middle of the expressway – at Austin Avenue and Harlem Boulevard. That unusual configuration is something that "a lot of people still complain about today,"  says Frank Lipo, executive director of the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

A crowd gathers near Oak Park on the opening day of the expressway. In the background, you can see the exit ramp the suburb fought for. (Photo courtesy CERA Archive)

[edwaleni]

While the Ike reconstruction awaits final funding, here is a link to the last presentation done on the planning in 2016.

http://www.eisenhowerexpressway.com/pdfs/i290_cag22_2016-dec-15_final.pdf

Because it involves not only total road reconstruction, but also includes major changes to the CTA Forest Park line and the CSX-T/CN Forest Park Branch line, this will not be a trivial project.

This will probably warrant a thread of its own when it gets started.

[Brandon]

For those into history, there is a retelling of the building of the Ike at this website, and describes how those "center left" exit/entry ramps came to be.

https://interactive.wbez.org/curiouscity/eisenhower/

The city's portion of the expressway was complete in 1956, but Cook County and the state continued building the road through the suburbs. Unlike Chicago neighborhoods, the village of Oak Park actually fought to change the highway plans.

Oak Parkers opposed building exit and entrance ramps from the expressway's right lanes – where they normally go. They were against the standard clover-leaf-style ramps because those take up more land along the side of the expressway. And that would have meant tearing down more buildings. As a result of these protests, the highway builders put the ramps on the left side – in the middle of the expressway – at Austin Avenue and Harlem Boulevard. That unusual configuration is something that "a lot of people still complain about today,"  says Frank Lipo, executive director of the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

The entire length of the Ike should have had continuous service drives from Racine west to Mannheim with exit and entry ramps that take up little space.  There is no reason for the cloverleaves at Mannheim and 25th.  In essence, it should've looked more like the Lodge Freeway (M-10) in Detroit.  If Oak Park didn't want proper right-side entries and exits, then the state and county should've played hardball and told Oak Park that there will be no exits at Harlem or Austin what-so-ever.

[ChiMilNet]

For those into history, there is a retelling of the building of the Ike at this website, and describes how those "center left" exit/entry ramps came to be.

https://interactive.wbez.org/curiouscity/eisenhower/

The city's portion of the expressway was complete in 1956, but Cook County and the state continued building the road through the suburbs. Unlike Chicago neighborhoods, the village of Oak Park actually fought to change the highway plans.

Oak Parkers opposed building exit and entrance ramps from the expressway's right lanes – where they normally go. They were against the standard clover-leaf-style ramps because those take up more land along the side of the expressway. And that would have meant tearing down more buildings. As a result of these protests, the highway builders put the ramps on the left side – in the middle of the expressway – at Austin Avenue and Harlem Boulevard. That unusual configuration is something that "a lot of people still complain about today,"  says Frank Lipo, executive director of the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

The entire length of the Ike should have had continuous service drives from Racine west to Mannheim with exit and entry ramps that take up little space.  There is no reason for the cloverleaves at Mannheim and 25th.  In essence, it should've looked more like the Lodge Freeway (M-10) in Detroit.  If Oak Park didn't want proper right-side entries and exits, then the state and county should've played hardball and told Oak Park that there will be no exits at Harlem or Austin what-so-ever.

Agreed that Illinois and Cook County should have done the "this is the choice, take it or leave it" stance. Had they known then what we know now, but hindsight is always 20/20. I agree that Illinois had a big thing for cloverleafs back in the day. Take a look at IL 53 North of I-90 as another, but not as congested example.

[Joe The Dragon]

For those into history, there is a retelling of the building of the Ike at this website, and describes how those "center left" exit/entry ramps came to be.

https://interactive.wbez.org/curiouscity/eisenhower/

The city's portion of the expressway was complete in 1956, but Cook County and the state continued building the road through the suburbs. Unlike Chicago neighborhoods, the village of Oak Park actually fought to change the highway plans.

Oak Parkers opposed building exit and entrance ramps from the expressway's right lanes – where they normally go. They were against the standard clover-leaf-style ramps because those take up more land along the side of the expressway. And that would have meant tearing down more buildings. As a result of these protests, the highway builders put the ramps on the left side – in the middle of the expressway – at Austin Avenue and Harlem Boulevard. That unusual configuration is something that "a lot of people still complain about today,"  says Frank Lipo, executive director of the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

The entire length of the Ike should have had continuous service drives from Racine west to Mannheim with exit and entry ramps that take up little space.  There is no reason for the cloverleaves at Mannheim and 25th.  In essence, it should've looked more like the Lodge Freeway (M-10) in Detroit.  If Oak Park didn't want proper right-side entries and exits, then the state and county should've played hardball and told Oak Park that there will be no exits at Harlem or Austin what-so-ever.

25th maybe the railroad got in the way of the  service drives and they are linked to 2way locals.

[edwaleni]

For those into history, there is a retelling of the building of the Ike at this website, and describes how those "center left" exit/entry ramps came to be.

https://interactive.wbez.org/curiouscity/eisenhower/

The city's portion of the expressway was complete in 1956, but Cook County and the state continued building the road through the suburbs. Unlike Chicago neighborhoods, the village of Oak Park actually fought to change the highway plans.

Oak Parkers opposed building exit and entrance ramps from the expressway's right lanes – where they normally go. They were against the standard clover-leaf-style ramps because those take up more land along the side of the expressway. And that would have meant tearing down more buildings. As a result of these protests, the highway builders put the ramps on the left side – in the middle of the expressway – at Austin Avenue and Harlem Boulevard. That unusual configuration is something that "a lot of people still complain about today,"  says Frank Lipo, executive director of the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.

The entire length of the Ike should have had continuous service drives from Racine west to Mannheim with exit and entry ramps that take up little space.  There is no reason for the cloverleaves at Mannheim and 25th.  In essence, it should've looked more like the Lodge Freeway (M-10) in Detroit.  If Oak Park didn't want proper right-side entries and exits, then the state and county should've played hardball and told Oak Park that there will be no exits at Harlem or Austin what-so-ever.

25th maybe the railroad got in the way of the  service drives and they are linked to 2way locals.

Harrison Street serves as a service drive on the north side for several miles.  The Indiana Harbor Belt overpass to the west actually had room on both sides for service roads (Wedgewood is on the south at 25th).

This area of the Chicago suburbs were not as dense in the 1950's as they are today.  Plus this ROW of the Ike from the Des Plaines River to Manheim was originally owned by a railroad and so extra land had to be acquired to support the exit.

[kphoger]

The Ike was partially reconstructed in the 80s, east of Cicero. They didn't do the area near the Harlem and Austin left hand ramps, which are still original construction plus resurfacing and patching.

That's a bummer, because they probably missed a golden opportunity then to correct that mistake. Sadly, it's become a pretty dire situation there during rush hour and basically anytime that isn't between 11pm and 10am on the weekends it seems.

Imagine what the interchanges at Harlem and Austin would be like if simultaneous opposing left and right turns weren't allowed.

[paulthemapguy]

Here's a VMS from ISTHA, to contrast with the avant garde messages of IDOT.  I wonder why the photo is picking up all these rectangles?  This is on I-355 towards its southern end.


20181030_110128 by Paul Drives, on Flickr

(Posting this here and not the ISTHA thread because I want to show the contrast to IDOT, relevant to the context of discussion in this particular thread)

[ilpt4u]

That ISTHA is direct, concise, and to the point, whereas IDOT tries too hard at a bit of humor, to convey the same messaage?

[mgk920]

^^
Those odd rectangles in the message board's background is just the nature of the interaction between the 'flicker' of the LED array in the sign and the photosensors in your digital camera.

Mike

[Joe The Dragon]

Here's a VMS from ISTHA, to contrast with the avant garde messages of IDOT.  I wonder why the photo is picking up all these rectangles?  This is on I-355 towards its southern end.


20181030_110128 by Paul Drives, on Flickr

(Posting this here and not the ISTHA thread because I want to show the contrast to IDOT, relevant to the context of discussion in this particular thread)

ISTHA has full color ones IDOT has old Dot-matrix ones

[ChiMilNet]

Here's a VMS from ISTHA, to contrast with the avant garde messages of IDOT.  I wonder why the photo is picking up all these rectangles?  This is on I-355 towards its southern end.


20181030_110128 by Paul Drives, on Flickr

(Posting this here and not the ISTHA thread because I want to show the contrast to IDOT, relevant to the context of discussion in this particular thread)

ISTHA has full color ones IDOT has old Dot-matrix ones

IDOT... trying too hard to be clever in the wrong areas with old technology. ISHTA... to the point with current technology. This pretty much states it all there. Too bad someone it IDOT isn't on here (at least that I'm aware of)!

[abefroman329]

Here's a VMS from ISTHA, to contrast with the avant garde messages of IDOT.  I wonder why the photo is picking up all these rectangles?  This is on I-355 towards its southern end.


20181030_110128 by Paul Drives, on Flickr

(Posting this here and not the ISTHA thread because I want to show the contrast to IDOT, relevant to the context of discussion in this particular thread)

ISTHA has full color ones IDOT has old Dot-matrix ones

IDOT... trying too hard to be clever in the wrong areas with old technology. ISHTA... to the point with current technology. This pretty much states it all there. Too bad someone it IDOT isn't on here (at least that I'm aware of)!

Again, pretty full-color VMSes don't cost the same as it costs to pay someone to come up with fifth-rate Burma-Shave ads.  And say what you will about the latter, people are noticing them, and maybe they're even thinking about the message they're conveying.

[paulthemapguy]

Here's a VMS from ISTHA, to contrast with the avant garde messages of IDOT.  I wonder why the photo is picking up all these rectangles?  This is on I-355 towards its southern end.


20181030_110128 by Paul Drives, on Flickr

Again, pretty full-color VMSes don't cost the same as it costs to pay someone to come up with fifth-rate Burma-Shave ads.  And say what you will about the latter, people are noticing them, and maybe they're even thinking about the message they're conveying.

This.  I'd like to think that the IDOT employee programming their humorous VMS's is bored in a room, looking for something to do until some money comes in through the door.  And that employee waits along with his/her coworkers for years...and years...

[Rick Powell]

Too bad someone it IDOT isn't on here (at least that I'm aware of)!

I'm nearly 10 years gone from IDOT District 3, but we were just beginning to put up message boards then. When McLean County was still part of our District, we put up the first message sign trusses in the Bloomington/Normal area and I was the project lead. At the time they were put up, there was no real coordination between boards statewide, and they were operated via a cell phone connection between the Bloomington maintenance yard office and a receiver on each of 5 sign trusses approaching the B-N area on I-55, I-39 SB and I-74. For the longest time, they were usually turned off except for an Amber alert or construction ahead messaging.

[ChiMilNet]

Too bad someone it IDOT isn't on here (at least that I'm aware of)!

I'm nearly 10 years gone from IDOT District 3, but we were just beginning to put up message boards then. When McLean County was still part of our District, we put up the first message sign trusses in the Bloomington/Normal area and I was the project lead. At the time they were put up, there was no real coordination between boards statewide, and they were operated via a cell phone connection between the Bloomington maintenance yard office and a receiver on each of 5 sign trusses approaching the B-N area on I-55, I-39 SB and I-74. For the longest time, they were usually turned off except for an Amber alert or construction ahead messaging.

I actually do remember that when driving through Bloomington-Normal that those message signs were there, but never really had anything on them. Rather amazing that they were just operated via a cell phone. I wonder how that works now.

[paulthemapguy]

Happened upon the installation of new signals at IL-53 and Joliet Road in Romeoville/Woodridge.


IL-053-JolietSF by Paul Drives, on Flickr


IL-053-JolietWV by Paul Drives, on Flickr

[Brandon]

^^ Sigh.  More left on green arrow only bullshit.

[Crash_It]

^^ Sigh.  More left on green arrow only bullshit.

Too many drivers turning in front of oncoming traffic

[inkyatari]

Bourbonnais Parkway Interchange at I-57 Finally Opens

[Rick Powell]

Bourbonnais Parkway Interchange at I-57 Finally Opens

"The LED lights you are seeing here are one of the first times we have tried this in our system,"  said Randall Blankenhorn, secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation. "It's going to be more energy-efficient. It's going to look better. It's going to be brighter. I think you are really going to notice a difference at this interchange while driving down Interstate 57."

[tribar]

It looked completely done back in May. I wonder what took so long to open it.

[Brandon]

Bourbonnais Parkway Interchange at I-57 Finally Opens

"The LED lights you are seeing here are one of the first times we have tried this in our system,"  said Randall Blankenhorn, secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation. "It's going to be more energy-efficient. It's going to look better. It's going to be brighter. I think you are really going to notice a difference at this interchange while driving down Interstate 57."

That makes them what, three years behind ISTHA?