Illinois notes

[Brandon]

Change of topic.

6-7 years ago, I-55 was widened to 6 lanes between Weber Rd. and the I&M Canal.  The road is in absolute horrid shape.  No more than one year after the construction ended, the pavement was already deteriorating, and it took two years to fix those patches.  More portions are deteriorating now.  The road almost needs to be rebuilt, IMHO, and of course, there's no money in the state to do so. It sucks driving this section every day.

It should have been widened to 6 lanes all the way down to Ridge Rd., and 55 should have been widened to 6 south of the Des Plaines as part of the Arsenal Road project.

Gotta love this state.

IDOT was dragged into widening the freeway.  For some reason, they had no desire to widen I-55 and were finally forced to do so by our politicians.  Hence, IDOT did the shittiest job they could on it.

[hobsini2]

The shitty job on 55 costs us more money in the long run too.

[I-39]

And they are making the same mistake now on I-90 from I-190 to Harlem Ave. They are simply rehabbing the existing pavement rather than doing a full rebuild.

It should be required that any road widening project needs to include rebuilding the existing pavement (unless the pavement is under 10 years old) to keep the road consistent.

[ILRoad55]

Oh lovely another Illinois topic locked up because some decided to go way off topic.

Do we know any of the projects scheduled for this year yet? Has IDOT or the Tollway released anything? I already know of the major ongoing ones such as Circle Interchange, 55 / Lake Shore Interchange and EOWA.

[tribar]

Oh lovely another Illinois topic locked up because some decided to go way off topic.

Do we know any of the projects scheduled for this year yet? Has IDOT or the Tollway released anything? I already know of the major ongoing ones such as Circle Interchange, 55 / Lake Shore Interchange and EOWA.

The Cumberland flyover.

[Revive 755]

Do we know any of the projects scheduled for this year yet? Has IDOT or the Tollway released anything? I already know of the major ongoing ones such as Circle Interchange, 55 / Lake Shore Interchange and EOWA.

I do not believe there are any big new projects starting up this year, other than perhaps the Cubmerland Flyover as tribar mentions, but more of continuing the projects already underway such as EOWA.

Based on the Tollway's letting schedule, the only new projects starting appear to be reconstruction on I-88 and on the "East-West Connector" near I-294.

[ET21]

Only thing I saw was finishing the bridge maintenance on some I-88 crossovers like Yackley, Finley, and Meyers Roads. Other than that, it's mostly finishing projects

[paulthemapguy]

Do we know any of the projects scheduled for this year yet? Has IDOT or the Tollway released anything? I already know of the major ongoing ones such as Circle Interchange, 55 / Lake Shore Interchange and EOWA.

I do not believe there are any big new projects starting up this year, other than perhaps the Cubmerland Flyover as tribar mentions, but more of continuing the projects already underway such as EOWA.

Based on the Tollway's letting schedule, the only new projects starting appear to be reconstruction on I-88 and on the "East-West Connector" near I-294.

One of the projects is labeled "I-490 and I-294 advance work package," so I guess the I-490 label for the O'Hare western beltway is more official than I thought.

[Stratuscaster]

I've seen the application to AASHTO for I-490, but cannot recall if it's been actually approved as of yet.

[Henry]

I've also seen those I-490 plans. While it would be nice to bypass the airport, its number a reminder of the failed Crosstown and LSD upgrade projects. (And yes, I'm aware that those were to become I-494, but still...)

[dzlsabe]

I've also seen those I-490 plans. While it would be nice to bypass the airport, its number a reminder of the failed Crosstown and LSD upgrade projects. (And yes, I'm aware that those were to become I-494, but still...)

Why not just toll four lanes of XIke from Schaumburg to Strangler? It would be nice to bypass THE airport. NO additional fourth? Dupage tollway needed.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir///@42.0194927,-87.9871674,9260m/data=!3m1!1e3

https://www.google.com/maps/dir///@41.9460062,-87.9931201,9271m/data=!3m1!1e3

https://www.google.com/maps/dir///@41.9052049,-87.8817134,9277m/data=!3m1!1e3

[Brandon]

^^ The Ike and the Bypass serve different functions, twit.

[Joe The Dragon]

I've also seen those I-490 plans. While it would be nice to bypass the airport, its number a reminder of the failed Crosstown and LSD upgrade projects. (And yes, I'm aware that those were to become I-494, but still...)

Why not just toll four lanes of XIke from Schaumburg to Strangler? It would be nice to bypass THE airport. NO additional fourth? Dupage tollway needed.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir///@42.0194927,-87.9871674,9260m/data=!3m1!1e3

https://www.google.com/maps/dir///@41.9460062,-87.9931201,9271m/data=!3m1!1e3

https://www.google.com/maps/dir///@41.9052049,-87.8817134,9277m/data=!3m1!1e3

Schaumburg to I-290 / I-355 split is 4 lanes + AUX and I-290 is an right exit off the main line at I-355.

[ILRoad55]

^ i swear to god you better not get this thread locked too. So pipe down on your outrages and Hypo junk. For DZ

Also just take a picture of the area because for whatever reason the links can never pin point the area your referring to. Or it just shows me Chicago

[hobsini2]

Joe is not the one who was causing that. That was DZ.

[Stratuscaster]

Schaumburg to I-290 / I-355 split is 4 lanes + AUX and I-290 is an right exit off the main line at I-355.

"Technically" I-355 is a LEFT exit off I-290.

Just another reason it makes sense to run I-355 all the way up to I-90, IMHO.

[Stratuscaster]

Why not just toll four lanes of XIke from Schaumburg to Strangler? It would be nice to bypass THE airport. NO additional fourth? Dupage tollway needed.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir///@42.0194927,-87.9871674,9260m/data=!3m1!1e3
https://www.google.com/maps/dir///@41.9460062,-87.9931201,9271m/data=!3m1!1e3
https://www.google.com/maps/dir///@41.9052049,-87.8817134,9277m/data=!3m1!1e3

To the general motoring public, does it really matter how many tollways there are, or what county they are located in?

If the plan is to have a Western O'hare Access point, then the I-490 plan makes sense in that regard.

And I agree with ILRoad55 - if you don't annotate your links or explain them, they serve no purpose at all.

[ILRoad55]

Joe is not the one who was causing that. That was DZ.

DZ must have deleted his comment or it was removed. I'll fix that I guess.

[inkyatari]

Anybody in the Chicago area get caught in this mess?

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/I-55-Shut-Down-Near-Route-30-After-Accident-State-Police-414126173.html

I was stopped for an hour before they directed traffic off onto the frontage road. Took me another 30 minutes to navigate the frontages.

When they widened 55 to 6 lanes, they never put emergency turn arounds, only access to the frontage roads.  The frontage access isn't a bad idea, but they also should have put the emergency crossovers in.  It may have made the situation better.

[ILRoad55]

Anybody in the Chicago area get caught in this mess?

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/I-55-Shut-Down-Near-Route-30-After-Accident-State-Police-414126173.html

I was stopped for an hour before they directed traffic off onto the frontage road. Took me another 30 minutes to navigate the frontages.

When they widened 55 to 6 lanes, they never put emergency turn arounds, only access to the frontage roads.  The frontage access isn't a bad idea, but they also should have put the emergency crossovers in.  It may have made the situation better.

Yes I saw this on the news and I saw the traffic shown on Google Maps. They forced Traffic before Route 126 onto that and that's awful because it does not connect to a Frontage Road and goes all the way into downtown Plainfield. It also A two lane road that's mostly residential and forest. And then anyone before Weber was forced to get off there. Crazy accident.

[inkyatari]

Anybody in the Chicago area get caught in this mess?

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/I-55-Shut-Down-Near-Route-30-After-Accident-State-Police-414126173.html

I was stopped for an hour before they directed traffic off onto the frontage road. Took me another 30 minutes to navigate the frontages.

When they widened 55 to 6 lanes, they never put emergency turn arounds, only access to the frontage roads.  The frontage access isn't a bad idea, but they also should have put the emergency crossovers in.  It may have made the situation better.

Yes I saw this on the news and I saw the traffic shown on Google Maps. They forced Traffic before Route 126 onto that and that's awful because it does not connect to a Frontage Road and goes all the way into downtown Plainfield. It also A two lane road that's mostly residential and forest. And then anyone before Weber was forced to get off there. Crazy accident.

It does connect to the western frontage road, indirectly, but not after going about a mile or so out of the way.

It's long past time for this...

http://www.airportand126study.com/

[Brandon]

Anybody in the Chicago area get caught in this mess?

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/I-55-Shut-Down-Near-Route-30-After-Accident-State-Police-414126173.html

I was stopped for an hour before they directed traffic off onto the frontage road. Took me another 30 minutes to navigate the frontages.

When they widened 55 to 6 lanes, they never put emergency turn arounds, only access to the frontage roads.  The frontage access isn't a bad idea, but they also should have put the emergency crossovers in.  It may have made the situation better.

Not caught in it, but saw it while heading northbound at 7 pm.  The state police were diverting people off at IL-126 and at Weber Road.

[ILRoad55]

I wanted to bring this to attention. http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/state-rep-hopes-to-rename-i55-for-obama/

Don't they usually name roads after someone dies? It just seems too early.

[Revive 755]

^ I-55 already had a couple named sections downstate:

* Vince Demuzio Expressway for at least part of the section south of Springfield
* Paul Simon Freeway for the section that overlaps I-70

(Edited based on https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=i0055seil

[paulthemapguy]

It does connect to the western frontage road, indirectly, but not after going about a mile or so out of the way.

It's long past time for this...

http://www.airportand126study.com/

I couldn't agree more.  There needs to be more access to the highway between US52 and Weber.  Heck, it would be nice if there was a way to get ACROSS 55 between Airport Rd and Weber Rd--there's no way to pass over or under the highway for that whole 5 mile stretch!