Illinois 336

[paulthemapguy]

IL336 is a new expressway through the veritable no-man's land of west-central Illinois, and it's one of very few instances that IDOT has tried blurring the lines between 2-lane rural road and full-fledged Interstate.  The idea is to take it from Quincy to Macomb to Peoria at I-474, but now it just dead-ends on the west side of Macomb.  Does anyone know if anything is being done in the planning stages to continue the highway, or if there's currently any additional construction occurring in the Macomb area?

[dcharlie]

Google maps Earth view shows construction activity going up to the northside and ending at US 67.

[I-39]

http://www.peoriatomacomb.com/

There are plans to continue it around Macomb and part of the bypass is already under construction. It will then continue on to Peoria. Funding is holding up construction. 

Frankly though, IMO, IL-336 is a waste and should not have been constructed at all. It is not really needed. The money should have been spent on improving US 67.

[paulthemapguy]

http://www.peoriatomacomb.com/

There are plans to continue it around Macomb and part of the bypass is already under construction. It will then continue on to Peoria. Funding is holding up construction. 

Frankly though, IMO, IL-336 is a waste and should not have been constructed at all. It is not really needed. The money should have been spent on improving US 67.

I knew funding was holding up construction of the US67-I-474 section; I was wondering if any progress has been made regarding that.  I guess not?   

I think IL336 was part of this random obsession with creating a "Chicago-Kansas City corridor."  This is what spurred the ridiculously stupid "route 110" designation.  WE (in Chicago) ALREADY KNEW HOW TO GET TO KC.  55 TO 70 WORKS JUST FINE.  I've driven the section from Macomb to Quincy in May 2014; hardly any traffic uses it.  I'm still hopeful, though, that once the highway is finished, enough cars will use it to at least kind of justify its inception.

[triplemultiplex]

I think IL336 was part of this random obsession with creating a "Chicago-Kansas City corridor."  This is what spurred the ridiculously stupid "route 110" designation.  WE (in Chicago) ALREADY KNEW HOW TO GET TO KC.  55 TO 70 WORKS JUST FINE.  I've driven the section from Macomb to Quincy in May 2014; hardly any traffic uses it.  I'm still hopeful, though, that once the highway is finished, enough cars will use it to at least kind of justify its inception.

IL 336 is a pacifier for part of Illinois with no people that complains loudly about not getting enough road money from the state.  But they don't get a lot because nobody lives there.  It's the same way they got I-72.
The result of rural politicians bringing home the bacon.

[Roadgeek Adam]

IL336 is a new expressway through the veritable no-man's land of west-central Illinois, and it's one of very few instances that IDOT has tried blurring the lines between 2-lane rural road and full-fledged Interstate.  The idea is to take it from Quincy to Macomb to Peoria at I-474, but now it just dead-ends on the west side of Macomb.  Does anyone know if anything is being done in the planning stages to continue the highway, or if there's currently any additional construction occurring in the Macomb area?

Living in Macomb at the moment, construction is slow, but the ROW is being constructed. There are sections with the full lanes planned out. Some bridges are finished or not built (CR 14).

[The Ghostbuster]

Maybe the portion between US 67 and Interstate 474 could be constructed as a two-lane highway, and become a four-lane road when/if the traffic demands warrant it.

[Lyon Wonder]

IL336 is a new expressway through the veritable no-man's land of west-central Illinois, and it's one of very few instances that IDOT has tried blurring the lines between 2-lane rural road and full-fledged Interstate.  The idea is to take it from Quincy to Macomb to Peoria at I-474, but now it just dead-ends on the west side of Macomb.  Does anyone know if anything is being done in the planning stages to continue the highway, or if there's currently any additional construction occurring in the Macomb area?

IMO, I think all of IL-336 should become part of the US highway system and renumbered as US 24, which can also be concurrent with IL-9 from Good Hope through Canton until IL-336 east of Macomb is ever completed, and the current US 24 from Quincy to Banner can become an extension of IL-57.

[I-39]

Maybe the portion between US 67 and Interstate 474 could be constructed as a two-lane highway, and become a four-lane road when/if the traffic demands warrant it.

No, it's not needed. IL-336 is a waste. They should have focused on improving US 67.

[Revive 755]

No, it's not needed. IL-336 is a waste. They should have focused on improving US 67.

The section of IL 336 from I-474 to near Canton certainly does not look like a waste.  Given the ADT's on some of the existing roads, it looks more like a corridor that could end up getting a decent amount of traffic.  If anything, the I-474 to Macomb section of IL 336 probably should have been built before the US 24 to Macomb section.

[paulthemapguy]

(partial quote)

If anything, the I-474 to Macomb section of IL 336 probably should have been built before the US 24 to Macomb section.

Totally agreed, on a count of Peoria actually being a place where people live.  Canton too.  With a nice big highway connecting Canton and Peoria, Canton can feel more like a suburb to Peoria rather than an exurb. 

[I-39]

(partial quote)

If anything, the I-474 to Macomb section of IL 336 probably should have been built before the US 24 to Macomb section.

Totally agreed, on a count of Peoria actually being a place where people live.  Canton too.  With a nice big highway connecting Canton and Peoria, Canton can feel more like a suburb to Peoria rather than an exurb.

No, the traffic volumes are not there for a major four lane highway. IL-336 is huge waste.

[Roadgeek Adam]

(partial quote)

If anything, the I-474 to Macomb section of IL 336 probably should have been built before the US 24 to Macomb section.

Totally agreed, on a count of Peoria actually being a place where people live.  Canton too.  With a nice big highway connecting Canton and Peoria, Canton can feel more like a suburb to Peoria rather than an exurb.

No, the traffic volumes are not there for a major four lane highway. IL-336 is huge waste.

The thing about 67. There's not much that needs to be spent on in the area other than a bypass of Good Hope. The rest is pretty free-flowing.

[Revive 755]

No, the traffic volumes are not there for a major four lane highway. IL-336 is huge waste.

The same could be said for much of US 67 north of I-72 - the section with 1700 ADT between IL 104 and Beardstown would not warrant a four lane highway.  There's obviously some volume expected for the section from near Hanna City to I-474, otherwise IDOT wouldn't have been planning build that section from the start as a freeway.

[The Ghostbuster]

Once the bypass around Macomb is completed, it will probably be a while before any more of Highway 336 is built. Does anyone think Highway 336 will ever reach Interstate 474?

[I-39]

Once the bypass around Macomb is completed, it will probably be a while before any more of Highway 336 is built. Does anyone think Highway 336 will ever reach Interstate 474?

Not anytime soon. There is high opposition to the Peoria to Macomb section.

http://www.nix336.org/

Plus, with the state budget woes, forget about it. Again, there really isn't a huge traffic need for this, or the rest of Illinois 336. Money would be better spent elsewhere.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Once the bypass around Macomb is completed, it will probably be a while before any more of Highway 336 is built. Does anyone think Highway 336 will ever reach Interstate 474?

Not anytime soon. There is high opposition to the Peoria to Macomb section.

http://www.nix336.org/

You're not going to stop the current section between 136 and 67, but I still think a bypass of Good Hope would do some good, cause that is the only choke point.

Plus, with the state budget woes, forget about it. Again, there really isn't a huge traffic need for this, or the rest of Illinois 336. Money would be better spent elsewhere.