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Northern Illinois Arterials After the New Capital Bill

Started by 3467, September 30, 2019, 03:21:02 PM

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3467

The Wikipedia article has its history. Illinois often left the old routes and numbers on roads that paralleled the Interstates. 39 and 51 is an obvious exception because I DOT moved 51 before it got the interstate designation .


3467

36 and 72 are another example. Unlike 39 the remembering fight had a long and complicated history. 336 made sense as a spur of Us 36 but now with 72 and 110 and no chance of extension it is a pointless concurrency.

edwaleni

Quote from: sandwalk on November 07, 2019, 01:26:58 PM
Quote from: edwaleni on November 03, 2019, 07:40:33 PM

Honestly I think its odd that US-20 is 4 lane from Middlebury, Indiana to Sioux City, Iowa except 2 spots in Illinois. Freeport to Dubuque, West Elgin to Belvidere.  West Elgin is fine due to the NW Tollway, but the wrecks on the Freeport-Dubuque ROW is inexcusable.

They talk about opening up Galena tourism, but then pour money into an Amtrak subsidy instead.

I'd really like to know the history on that section of US-20 between Elgin and Belvidere.  It's like the DOT didn't care or know how to properly route a federal highway....it takes so many awkward turns

Northwest (Jane Addams) Tollway pretty much nixed the plans IDOT had for US-20 from Elgin to Belvidere.

IDOT was moving along on the part of US-20 between Northlake and Elgin but as road funding came to an abrupt slowdown in 1973, it sat stalled at Lake Street in Itasca for a long time. When the Elgin-OHare finally got funded and opened to Lake Street in Bartlett, people were kind of mystified why a federal highway didn't have a number for many years. People thought IDOT would just move US-20 over because that was the plan to begin with.

As it stands today, after years and years of funding ROW acquisition, IDOT now owns almost 90% of the ROW to complete the Bartlett to IL-59 section of US-20 to freeway standards.  When done that would have made US-20 a limited access freeway for 90% of the route to Elgin. A small section between IL-59 and Villa Avenue has met with local opposition and in perpetual delay.

West of Elgin, US-20 follows what has been a series of reroutes and redirects since the 1920's.

In 1924, US-20 west used to come out of Elgin on Highland Avenue cosigned as IL-5. Turned onto Reinking Road and merged with Big Timber Road.  West of Marengo it has also taken several variations.

Then by 1929, they rerouted 20 down Larkin Avenue and built a new route that went through Pingree Grove and 20 crossed the former Milwaukee Road tracks there, instead of on Highland. It then went up Reinking Road and turned west at what is now Big Timber Road.



By 1932, they moved it again and built a south bypass of Pingree Grove and took it to cross the tracks just west of Starks.



By 1940 the route was pretty stable between downtown Elgin and Starks.



After the end of WWII and until 1959 things began to change again at both ends of US 20.  Before, IL-47 swung to cross the MILW at grade with US-20 west of Starks.

Now a new underpass of the MILW tracks was built and US-20 was swung over to go under with IL-47 through Starks.

On the Belvidere end, US-20 no longer took a abrupt left in downtown using State Street and came through Cherry Valley to reach Rockford.

A new ROW was built which redirected US-20 out of the north end of Belvidere (which today is Busn US-20) which was State Street north and then turned west.

And of course the Northwest Tollway was built.



By the 1970's, the US-20 Bypass of Elgin was completed to the south of town and reconnected with the prior 2 lane route at Larkin Ave and Randall Road and the 4 lane extended to east of Plank Road.

On the Belvidere side a new US-20 Bypass of Belvidere and Rockford was built on top of the old Cherry Valley route and connected with Harrison Street in Rockford, this became part of the Rockford "outer loop" tying in Harrison (US-20) on the East, Springfield on the west side and Riverside on the north side. A newer bypass was built by extending the Tollway/Cherry Valley exit around the south side of Rockford which of course goes all the way to Freeport.



So as far as i can tell, the only part of US-20 that is still on the "original" 1924 route is from Big Timber Road NE of Hampshire to the Logan Ave intersection SE of Belvidere.

Of note, Big Timber Road between US-20 and Reinking Road has a wide ROW. I always wondered why it had such broad property lines and major utilities along the road. I remember asking my dad when he would shortcut through Pingree Grove to avoid the traffic lights at Starks, he said, "because this is the old 20".  Unfortunately the City of Pingree Grove have allowed a developer to cut off that shortcut and you have to stop.

If IDOT needs to improve traffic flow at Starks with the convergence of US-20, IL-47 and IL-72 (Higgins), they better get off the pot.  That area is blooming very quickly.

Brandon

Quote from: edwaleni on November 09, 2019, 04:33:06 PM
If IDOT needs to improve traffic flow at Starks with the convergence of US-20, IL-47 and IL-72 (Higgins), they better get off the pot.  That area is blooming very quickly.

IDOT's not going to do anything to Starks.  They just finished up redoing the signals there and adding more turn lane storage space at the two intersections.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

sandwalk

Quote from: edwaleni on November 09, 2019, 04:33:06 PM
Quote from: sandwalk on November 07, 2019, 01:26:58 PM
Quote from: edwaleni on November 03, 2019, 07:40:33 PM

Honestly I think its odd that US-20 is 4 lane from Middlebury, Indiana to Sioux City, Iowa except 2 spots in Illinois. Freeport to Dubuque, West Elgin to Belvidere.  West Elgin is fine due to the NW Tollway, but the wrecks on the Freeport-Dubuque ROW is inexcusable.

They talk about opening up Galena tourism, but then pour money into an Amtrak subsidy instead.

I'd really like to know the history on that section of US-20 between Elgin and Belvidere.  It's like the DOT didn't care or know how to properly route a federal highway....it takes so many awkward turns

Northwest (Jane Addams) Tollway pretty much nixed the plans IDOT had for US-20 from Elgin to Belvidere.

IDOT was moving along on the part of US-20 between Northlake and Elgin but as road funding came to an abrupt slowdown in 1973, it sat stalled at Lake Street in Itasca for a long time. When the Elgin-OHare finally got funded and opened to Lake Street in Bartlett, people were kind of mystified why a federal highway didn't have a number for many years. People thought IDOT would just move US-20 over because that was the plan to begin with.

As it stands today, after years and years of funding ROW acquisition, IDOT now owns almost 90% of the ROW to complete the Bartlett to IL-59 section of US-20 to freeway standards.  When done that would have made US-20 a limited access freeway for 90% of the route to Elgin. A small section between IL-59 and Villa Avenue has met with local opposition and in perpetual delay.

West of Elgin, US-20 follows what has been a series of reroutes and redirects since the 1920's.

In 1924, US-20 west used to come out of Elgin on Highland Avenue cosigned as IL-5. Turned onto Reinking Road and merged with Big Timber Road.  West of Marengo it has also taken several variations.

Then by 1929, they rerouted 20 down Larkin Avenue and built a new route that went through Pingree Grove and 20 crossed the former Milwaukee Road tracks there, instead of on Highland. It then went up Reinking Road and turned west at what is now Big Timber Road.



By 1932, they moved it again and built a south bypass of Pingree Grove and took it to cross the tracks just west of Starks.



By 1940 the route was pretty stable between downtown Elgin and Starks.



After the end of WWII and until 1959 things began to change again at both ends of US 20.  Before, IL-47 swung to cross the MILW at grade with US-20 west of Starks.

Now a new underpass of the MILW tracks was built and US-20 was swung over to go under with IL-47 through Starks.

On the Belvidere end, US-20 no longer took a abrupt left in downtown using State Street and came through Cherry Valley to reach Rockford.

A new ROW was built which redirected US-20 out of the north end of Belvidere (which today is Busn US-20) which was State Street north and then turned west.

And of course the Northwest Tollway was built.



By the 1970's, the US-20 Bypass of Elgin was completed to the south of town and reconnected with the prior 2 lane route at Larkin Ave and Randall Road and the 4 lane extended to east of Plank Road.

On the Belvidere side a new US-20 Bypass of Belvidere and Rockford was built on top of the old Cherry Valley route and connected with Harrison Street in Rockford, this became part of the Rockford "outer loop" tying in Harrison (US-20) on the East, Springfield on the west side and Riverside on the north side. A newer bypass was built by extending the Tollway/Cherry Valley exit around the south side of Rockford which of course goes all the way to Freeport.



So as far as i can tell, the only part of US-20 that is still on the "original" 1924 route is from Big Timber Road NE of Hampshire to the Logan Ave intersection SE of Belvidere.

Of note, Big Timber Road between US-20 and Reinking Road has a wide ROW. I always wondered why it had such broad property lines and major utilities along the road. I remember asking my dad when he would shortcut through Pingree Grove to avoid the traffic lights at Starks, he said, "because this is the old 20".  Unfortunately the City of Pingree Grove have allowed a developer to cut off that shortcut and you have to stop.

If IDOT needs to improve traffic flow at Starks with the convergence of US-20, IL-47 and IL-72 (Higgins), they better get off the pot.  That area is blooming very quickly.


Thank you for the detailed history!  Very interesting read.  I used to live in the area for several years and was always curious why the routes were the way they were.  Thanks!

Konza

This was excellent.

Always enjoyed my trips to the Plank Road Tap Room in Udina.
Main Line Interstates clinched:  2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 37, 39, 43, 44, 45, 55, 57, 59, 65, 68, 71, 72, 74 (IA-IL-IN-OH), 76 (OH-PA-NJ), 78, 80, 82, 86 (ID), 88 (IL)

3467

While going through the plan I noticed we really covered the arterials  well ...But I noticed something missing in the expressways.
Nothing about the add lanes or managed lanes on the Stevenson or Ike. Here is a vague Phase 1 on the the Ike from Manheim to Racine. Other than that nothing.
Anyone know about that.

Rick Powell

Quote from: 3467 on November 25, 2019, 08:58:27 PM
While going through the plan I noticed we really covered the arterials  well ...But I noticed something missing in the expressways.
Nothing about the add lanes or managed lanes on the Stevenson or Ike. Here is a vague Phase 1 on the the Ike from Manheim to Racine. Other than that nothing.
Anyone know about that.
What you see is correct, and also add in no funding for Lake Shore Drive North rebuild. The I-55 add lanes on the Stevenson is closest to a break even proposition with adding electronic toll lanes because it's all inside existing right of way and little rebuilding of the existing facility is needed, but until the legislation is enacted to allow the project to move forward as a P3 (or some other mechanism) it will have to wait. The other projects represent a substantial capital investment.

3467

With the scandal I don't see that happening for a while.
As we discussed the suburban arterials  got a few miles here and there. I moved most of the downstate projects to Southern Illinois Notes.
There were only two projects North of 74
Illinois 29 which has had nothing done since its EIS in 2009 . It would have to start over anyway. You had mentioned D4 was more interested inning road but nothing for that expensive project.
Replacement of 336 with 24 is in southern.

The other is 20 and it's getting more passing lanes. I assume the freeway is dead then?

3467

Feel free to include any pics or other information on these projects . It's not real exciting stuff but there isn't much. There is the I 80 bridge and 6 lanes so let's welcome that here.



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