Illinois notes

[cwm1276]

I can agree they work currently,  I would think in the next 30-40 years the US 20 Rock River bridges would need to be widen.  Just seems like it would have made sense to build them when they did the reconstruction.

I suspect it is all about the state being cheap Vs planning.

I would disagree with Mill road.  I think lowering the speed limit east of there to 55 should help as well.  Any high speed traffic signal will tend to have higher accidents.

[Brandon]

I can agree they work currently,  I would think in the next 30-40 years the US 20 Rock River bridges would need to be widen.  Just seems like it would have made sense to build them when they did the reconstruction.

I suspect it is all about the state being cheap Vs planning.

I would disagree with Mill road.  I think lowering the speed limit east of there to 55 should help as well.  Any high speed traffic signal will tend to have higher accidents.

Instead of lowering the speed limit (which no one will pay any heed to) a warning beacon of "Prepare to Stop When Flashing" would be better.  Other states (like Iowa) use it.

[slorydn1]

I can agree they work currently,  I would think in the next 30-40 years the US 20 Rock River bridges would need to be widen.  Just seems like it would have made sense to build them when they did the reconstruction.

I suspect it is all about the state being cheap Vs planning.

I would disagree with Mill road.  I think lowering the speed limit east of there to 55 should help as well.  Any high speed traffic signal will tend to have higher accidents.

Instead of lowering the speed limit (which no one will pay any heed to) a warning beacon of "Prepare to Stop When Flashing" would be better.  Other states (like Iowa) use it.

+1 We have those here in NC and they do get your attention.


Here is the one nearest to me:


https://www.google.com/maps/@35.0836464,-77.1532761,3a,53.2y,248.28h,84.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smaQLZLQbzeiTp0puUv3esg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en


They start flashing about 2 seconds before the stoplight goes from green to yellow. At the speed limit (and most are +5 anyway) if you clear these signs and they aren't flashing you'll clear the intersection before the yellow changes to red. If you see the beacon begin to flash before you pass the sign, you won't make it through the intersection before the red so you might as well begin braking now. They do work.

[cwm1276]

I agree with lowered speed limits just at the signals, but in this case they lowered the speed limit of 20 between Cherry Valley and Belvidere to 55 from 65.  If traffic is moving at 55-60 at the intersection, that is much better than 65-70.

[dvferyance]

I can agree they work currently,  I would think in the next 30-40 years the US 20 Rock River bridges would need to be widen.  Just seems like it would have made sense to build them when they did the reconstruction.

I suspect it is all about the state being cheap Vs planning.

I would disagree with Mill road.  I think lowering the speed limit east of there to 55 should help as well.  Any high speed traffic signal will tend to have higher accidents.

Instead of lowering the speed limit (which no one will pay any heed to) a warning beacon of "Prepare to Stop When Flashing" would be better.  Other states (like Iowa) use it.

I have seen them in Virginia and Ohio.

[tribar]

I can agree they work currently,  I would think in the next 30-40 years the US 20 Rock River bridges would need to be widen.  Just seems like it would have made sense to build them when they did the reconstruction.

I suspect it is all about the state being cheap Vs planning.

I would disagree with Mill road.  I think lowering the speed limit east of there to 55 should help as well.  Any high speed traffic signal will tend to have higher accidents.

Instead of lowering the speed limit (which no one will pay any heed to) a warning beacon of "Prepare to Stop When Flashing" would be better.  Other states (like Iowa) use it.

There's a few that have popped up over Illinois recently.  I really like the concept behind these.

[dzlsabe]

Ive seen some that start flashing yellow when the light ahead is turning red.

[Brandon]

I agree with lowered speed limits just at the signals, but in this case they lowered the speed limit of 20 between Cherry Valley and Belvidere to 55 from 65.  If traffic is moving at 55-60 at the intersection, that is much better than 65-70.

Again, lowering the speed limit is a very bad idea when it isn't paid heed to anyway.  Other states handle 65 mph at signals, Illinois can too.

[SSOWorld]

I agree with lowered speed limits just at the signals, but in this case they lowered the speed limit of 20 between Cherry Valley and Belvidere to 55 from 65.  If traffic is moving at 55-60 at the intersection, that is much better than 65-70.

Again, lowering the speed limit is a very bad idea when it isn't paid heed to anyway.  Other states handle 65 mph at signals, Illinois can too.

They certainly want to be like WisDOT (another state that won't have the approach to signals be above 45 - EVER!)

Want to see a blatant abuse of it? Go to Rhinelander and drive around on US 8 - 45 in the middle of nowhere!

[JREwing78]

Want to see a blatant abuse of it? Go to Rhinelander and drive around on US 8 - 45 in the middle of nowhere!

That town is a horrific speed trap. Even more infuriating is that there are few alternatives to driving through it.

[paulthemapguy]

I like that the "Wisconsin notes" thread has been discussing Illinois, and now the "Illinois notes" thread is discussing Wisconsin. 

Beloved cheeseheads, we're not so different, you and I...

[SEWIGuy]

I like that the "Wisconsin notes" thread has been discussing Illinois, and now the "Illinois notes" thread is discussing Wisconsin. 

Beloved cheeseheads, we're not so different, you and I...

If by "discussing Illinois" you mean "sophomoric trolling by dzlsabe," you are correct.

[hobsini2]

I like that the "Wisconsin notes" thread has been discussing Illinois, and now the "Illinois notes" thread is discussing Wisconsin. 

Beloved cheeseheads, we're not so different, you and I...

Some of us, like me, were born in one and live in the other. And for the record, even though I have lived more than 3/4 of my life in Illinois, I am a Cheesehead at heart.

[cwm1276]

Article in the Rockford paper about 20/39 expansion.
http://www.rrstar.com/news/20170407/cherry-valley-subdivision-residents-concerned-about-i-39us-20-expansion-plan

This would be the subdivision just to the southeast of Harrison and 20/39.

[paulthemapguy]

Article in the Rockford paper about 20/39 expansion.
http://www.rrstar.com/news/20170407/cherry-valley-subdivision-residents-concerned-about-i-39us-20-expansion-plan

This would be the subdivision just to the southeast of Harrison and 20/39.

If residents are complaining about the roadway noise, then a reconstruction project with added lanes will typically include installation of noise walls where appropriate, from what I understand of IDOT's modus operandae.  That ought to make residents WANT the new project.

[I-39]

Article in the Rockford paper about 20/39 expansion.
http://www.rrstar.com/news/20170407/cherry-valley-subdivision-residents-concerned-about-i-39us-20-expansion-plan

This would be the subdivision just to the southeast of Harrison and 20/39.

If residents are complaining about the roadway noise, then a reconstruction project with added lanes will typically include installation of noise walls where appropriate, from what I understand of IDOT's modus operandae.  That ought to make residents WANT the new project.

Where are the updated plans? The stuff on the IDOT website is 10 years old, it only shows them widening to three lanes. Also, why four lanes in each direction? The tollway portion is only three lanes. That could cause some bottlenecks. 

This project is long overdue, they need to move this towards the top of the priority list and get going already.

[cwm1276]

Article in the Rockford paper about 20/39 expansion.
http://www.rrstar.com/news/20170407/cherry-valley-subdivision-residents-concerned-about-i-39us-20-expansion-plan

This would be the subdivision just to the southeast of Harrison and 20/39.

If residents are complaining about the roadway noise, then a reconstruction project with added lanes will typically include installation of noise walls where appropriate, from what I understand of IDOT's modus operandae.  That ought to make residents WANT the new project.

Where are the updated plans? The stuff on the IDOT website is 10 years old, it only shows them widening to three lanes. Also, why four lanes in each direction? The tollway portion is only three lanes. That could cause some bottlenecks. 

This project is long overdue, they need to move this towards the top of the priority list and get going already.

I assume they are including longer than normal Harrison Ave ramps as 4th lanes, as the 10 year old plans show.  4 lanes in each direction does not make sense, unless including ramps.

[paulthemapguy]

I assume they are including longer than normal Harrison Ave ramps as 4th lanes, as the 10 year old plans show.  4 lanes in each direction does not make sense, unless including ramps.

You have a good point; I agree with you.  Maybe a fourth lane would be warranted as an "exit only" lane for a short while?  But other than that, I also have to ask, why the hell do we need four?

[ChiMilNet]

I assume they are including longer than normal Harrison Ave ramps as 4th lanes, as the 10 year old plans show.  4 lanes in each direction does not make sense, unless including ramps.

You have a good point; I agree with you.  Maybe a fourth lane would be warranted as an "exit only" lane for a short while?  But other than that, I also have to ask, why the hell do we need four?

If they are going to make I-39 four lanes each way there, they better make sure I-80 through Joliet and towards Minooka is at least three as well! Also, make the Ike, Kennedy, and Stevenson in Chicago eight lanes the whole way through! Part of this lack of coordination would likely be alleviated if the different districts worked together better, but I'd like to know how IDOT is planning to do this "above and beyond" if they can't even afford to fix other equally pressing needs to at least the minimum of what they need to do across other parts of the state.

[inkyatari]

Scrape and pave on I-55 from Weber road north (not sure to where right now.)

Yeah, that'll fix the problems.

[ILRoad55]

might as well go from Weber all the way up to LaGrange Road because that entire stretch is all asphalt and 3 lanes.

[inkyatari]

Hell, from the Des Plaines river in Channahon all the way to the city.

[Revive 755]

If they are going to make I-39 four lanes each way there, they better make sure I-80 through Joliet and towards Minooka is at least three as well! Also, make the Ike, Kennedy, and Stevenson in Chicago eight lanes the whole way through! Part of this lack of coordination would likely be alleviated if the different districts worked together better, but I'd like to know how IDOT is planning to do this "above and beyond" if they can't even afford to fix other equally pressing needs to at least the minimum of what they need to do across other parts of the state.

Assuming this project is only going to be for I-39 between I-90 and the western US 20 interchange, Google indicates this as a distance of around three miles - much longer than many of the other stretches of interstates that need widening being mentioned.

[inkyatari]

If they are going to make I-39 four lanes each way there, they better make sure I-80 through Joliet and towards Minooka

Plans are already drawn up...

http://i-80will.com/

EDIT: Link seems not to be working...

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/projects/i80-ridge-rd-to-us30

[ChiMilNet]

If they are going to make I-39 four lanes each way there, they better make sure I-80 through Joliet and towards Minooka

Plans are already drawn up...

http://i-80will.com/

EDIT: Link seems not to be working...

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/projects/i80-ridge-rd-to-us30

I did see this site previously. This is sorely needed, and why this wasn't done years ago is beyond me. Basically, I just don't get how Illinois has a habit of purposefully neglecting some highways while making sure others get more than their share of attention. For example, I-55 in Bloomington-Normal vs. Springfield.