My Quad Cities Observations

[SEWIGuy]

So I moved to the Quad Cities a few months ago and have had some time to explore the area and here are some of my thoughts and observations.

**I know this has been brought up here before, but I have no idea how to manage the interstate numbering in the area. Multiple single lane exits to stay on the mainline aren't great, but I can't think of anything better.  And man did Illinois love their cloverleafs.

**The twin-one ways in Moline and Rock Island that used to carry US-6 in pre-interstate days are WAY overbuilt for the local traffic now, but are really convenient when that's your commute every day.

**Davenport might be the worst city of its size I have experienced when it comes to traffic management. It's full of stroads, ill-timed stop lights, lights at intersections that don't need them, etc. It just takes forever to get from one side of the city to another. And their snow removal is abysmal compared to its peers in the area. The funny thing is the locals know all of this too.

**I never got the chance to drive the old I-74 bridge, but the new one is really cool. The Centennial Bridge (US-67) and Government Bridge are neat as well.

**While I understand why people think US-150 should be decommissioned, it still is state highway worthy.

[ilpt4u]

Illinois has slowly started to dump cloverleafs...

Years ago the I-57/IL 13 cloverleaf in Marion in Southern IL was rebuilt into a SPUI

The I-57/I-74 Cloverleaf in Champaign is currently being rebuilt as a kind of odd cloverstack

I may have read something in a thread on Great Lakes/Ohio Valley that IDOT is looking at changes to the I-80/I-88/IL 5 cloverleaf, but don't quote me on that

[74/171FAN]

**I know this has been brought up here before, but I have no idea how to manage the interstate numbering in the area. Multiple single lane exits to stay on the mainline aren't great, but I can't think of anything better.  And man did Illinois love their cloverleafs.

My understanding from the Midwest crowd is that Illinois DOT at one point tried to put I-80 fully onto I-280 and I-74 onto current I-80 between I-280 in IA and "The Big X" with the north-south I-74 portion becoming I-174. 

However, the Iowa Legislature for some reason had to pass legislation not allowing the interstate designations to change so we are stuck with what we have. 

[ilpt4u]

**I know this has been brought up here before, but I have no idea how to manage the interstate numbering in the area. Multiple single lane exits to stay on the mainline aren't great, but I can't think of anything better.  And man did Illinois love their cloverleafs.

My understanding from the Midwest crowd is that Illinois DOT at one point tried to put I-80 fully onto I-280 and I-74 onto current I-80 between I-280 in IA and "The Big X" with the north-south I-74 portion becoming I-174. 

However, the Iowa Legislature for some reason had to pass legislation not allowing the interstate designations to change so we are stuck with what we have. 

Must be some Grid Purists in the Iowa Statehouse

[SEWIGuy]

**I know this has been brought up here before, but I have no idea how to manage the interstate numbering in the area. Multiple single lane exits to stay on the mainline aren't great, but I can't think of anything better.  And man did Illinois love their cloverleafs.

My understanding from the Midwest crowd is that Illinois DOT at one point tried to put I-80 fully onto I-280 and I-74 onto current I-80 between I-280 in IA and "The Big X" with the north-south I-74 portion becoming I-174. 

However, the Iowa Legislature for some reason had to pass legislation not allowing the interstate designations to change so we are stuck with what we have. 

I think keeping I-80 where it is now is fine. When it comes time to redoing the interchange, just realign it so the mainlines have additional lanes.

[oscar]

**I know this has been brought up here before, but I have no idea how to manage the interstate numbering in the area. Multiple single lane exits to stay on the mainline aren't great, but I can't think of anything better.  And man did Illinois love their cloverleafs.

My understanding from the Midwest crowd is that Illinois DOT at one point tried to put I-80 fully onto I-280 and I-74 onto current I-80 between I-280 in IA and "The Big X" with the north-south I-74 portion becoming I-174. 

However, the Iowa Legislature for some reason had to pass legislation not allowing the interstate designations to change so we are stuck with what we have. 

Illinois DOT tried to go over Iowa's and AASHTO's heads, to get Congress to intervene. That failed, too. See http://www.kurumi.com/roads/3di/i280.html#280il

[pianocello]

**Davenport might be the worst city of its size I have experienced when it comes to traffic management. It's full of stroads, ill-timed stop lights, lights at intersections that don't need them, etc. It just takes forever to get from one side of the city to another. And their snow removal is abysmal compared to its peers in the area. The funny thing is the locals know all of this too.

It could be better, but it could be a lot worse. Some roads are definitely better than others, and going west to east I've found it's often a comparable time to take I-80 and I-74 around than to go straight through town. I was based within a mile of I-80 though so YMMV.

But you're right, snow removal in Davenport is... not great.

**I never got the chance to drive the old I-74 bridge, but the new one is really cool. The Centennial Bridge (US-67) and Government Bridge are neat as well.

It's convenient that the Centennial is so close in the event the swing span of the Government Bridge closes the road.

[vdeane]

**I know this has been brought up here before, but I have no idea how to manage the interstate numbering in the area. Multiple single lane exits to stay on the mainline aren't great, but I can't think of anything better.  And man did Illinois love their cloverleafs.

My understanding from the Midwest crowd is that Illinois DOT at one point tried to put I-80 fully onto I-280 and I-74 onto current I-80 between I-280 in IA and "The Big X" with the north-south I-74 portion becoming I-174. 

However, the Iowa Legislature for some reason had to pass legislation not allowing the interstate designations to change so we are stuck with what we have. 

That would be the logical way to do it.  Why did they not designate it that way in the first place?  Having a TOTSO on two interstates a the same interchange when both roadways ultimately go to the same place makes zero sense.

[SEWIGuy]

**I know this has been brought up here before, but I have no idea how to manage the interstate numbering in the area. Multiple single lane exits to stay on the mainline aren't great, but I can't think of anything better.  And man did Illinois love their cloverleafs.

My understanding from the Midwest crowd is that Illinois DOT at one point tried to put I-80 fully onto I-280 and I-74 onto current I-80 between I-280 in IA and "The Big X" with the north-south I-74 portion becoming I-174. 

However, the Iowa Legislature for some reason had to pass legislation not allowing the interstate designations to change so we are stuck with what we have. 

That would be the logical way to do it.  Why did they not designate it that way in the first place?  Having a TOTSO on two interstates a the same interchange when both roadways ultimately go to the same place makes zero sense.

I believe its because I-74 was supposed to go straight south from what is now the I-280 interchange.  I-280 would have ended at this point. So I-80 was planned to run basically along its current route. 

[ilpt4u]

It is there for us all to enjoy one of the few Interstate "bumps" [the other two off my head are I-76/I-80/Ohio Turnpike and I-55(thru)/I-64/I-70(bump)]

2 of the 3 are in Illinois...

[SEWIGuy]

One other thing.

There needs to be a crossing of I-74 on the Iowa side that isn't an exit. I see too much traffic that either uses Kimberly or 53rd St. to cross the highway if they are trying to access the shopping on either side of the highway. I'm thinking Tanglefoot Road.

[3467]

You missed nothing on the old bridge.
I always encourage Illinois to try again on re number.
Iowa 2050 is out they included Kimberly as a congested state route.
They are planning no new expressways All super 2 though the legislature may force 30 as an unfunded mandate.

[iowahighways]

However, the Iowa Legislature for some reason had to pass legislation not allowing the interstate designations to change so we are stuck with what we have. 

Must be some Grid Purists in the Iowa Statehouse

The law in question was passed in 1992, during the height of the renumbering controversy: https://casetext.com/statute/code-of-iowa/title-viii-transportation/chapter-314-administrative-provisions-for-highways/section-31416-interstate-80-route-designation