What Corridors in tthe Rest of the Region Really need upgrades

[mgk920]

Wisconsin kicks Illinois's butt when it comes to corridor planning, it build their major routes the right way.

However, I do think Wisconsin is starting to get a little over ambitious with upgrading their routes to freeways/expressways. Other than upgrading U.S 151 to freeway between Fond Du Lac and Dubuque and finishing the U.S 12 corridor between Madison and the Dells, I think they should leave their system as it is. Focus on rebuilding and widening corridors such as I-39/90 between the state line and Madison, I-39/90/94 between Madison and the Dells, I-94 in the Milwaukee area, etc.

Some of the corridors WisDOT upgraded are not really necessary (such as U.S 10, WIS 29, etc)

Have you ever driven US 10 between Appleton and Stevens Point?  Yes, it was needed!

That said, I do agree with completing WI 26 between WI 16/60 and Oshkosh.  It is a major access route between NE Wisconsin and points south and southwest and carries a healthy amount of big-rig truck traffic.

I would also complete the four lanes on WI 23 between Fond du Lac and Sheboygan and seriously study US 10 between Appleton and Manitowoc.

WI 21 is generally OK as it sits, but I do agree with a bypass of the Wautoma area and I would add four lanes from Oshkosh westward to and around Omro.

Mike

[I-39]

Wisconsin kicks Illinois's butt when it comes to corridor planning, it build their major routes the right way.

However, I do think Wisconsin is starting to get a little over ambitious with upgrading their routes to freeways/expressways. Other than upgrading U.S 151 to freeway between Fond Du Lac and Dubuque and finishing the U.S 12 corridor between Madison and the Dells, I think they should leave their system as it is. Focus on rebuilding and widening corridors such as I-39/90 between the state line and Madison, I-39/90/94 between Madison and the Dells, I-94 in the Milwaukee area, etc.

Some of the corridors WisDOT upgraded are not really necessary (such as U.S 10, WIS 29, etc)

Have you ever driven US 10 between Appleton and Stevens Point?  Yes, it was needed!

That said, I do agree with completing WI 26 between WI 16/60 and Oshkosh.  It is a major access route between NE Wisconsin and points south and southwest and carries a healthy amount of big-rig truck traffic.

I would also complete the four lanes on WI 23 between Fond du Lac and Sheboygan and seriously study US 10 between Appleton and Manitowoc.

WI 21 is generally OK as it sits, but I do agree with a bypass of the Wautoma area and I would add four lanes from Oshkosh westward to and around Omro.

Mike

Yeah, your right about U.S 10, but I don't think it necessarily needs to become a full freeway. West of Stevens Point, I think that was a huge stretch building that expressway. Frankly, the only routes that really need to be freeways are the backbone routes. Everything else would be fine as an expressway or less.

Does anyone here know if Wisconsin plans on designating WIS 29 an Interstate highway when it is converted to full freeway between Green Bay and Eau Claire? I have heard rumors, but nothing concrete.

[triplemultiplex]

Does anyone here know if Wisconsin plans on designating WIS 29 an Interstate highway when it is converted to full freeway between Green Bay and Eau Claire? I have heard rumors, but nothing concrete.

That's going to be so far off in the future it's not even worth discussing, for WisDOT.  The full freeway conversion is already a fictional enterprise for the intermediate-term.  Yeah, they've done the initial studies, but that's more for corridor management so local communities can plan ahead and not crowd WI 29 with development and driveways.

Traffic counts say it's going to be a long time before it's really needed.

[I-39]

Does anyone here know if Wisconsin plans on designating WIS 29 an Interstate highway when it is converted to full freeway between Green Bay and Eau Claire? I have heard rumors, but nothing concrete.

That's going to be so far off in the future it's not even worth discussing, for WisDOT.  The full freeway conversion is already a fictional enterprise for the intermediate-term.  Yeah, they've done the initial studies, but that's more for corridor management so local communities can plan ahead and not crowd WI 29 with development and driveways.

Traffic counts say it's going to be a long time before it's really needed.

We'll see about that. WisDOT loves to upgrade their corridors, and they'll find someway to justify the upgrade to freeway sooner. There are a lot of corridors that don't need upgrading (at least not to elaborate freeways) that WisDOT does anyway, like WIS 26, U.S 10 west of Stevens Point, the new U.S 51 freeway just north of Madison, etc.

[3467]

http://www.co.kane.il.us/dot/planning.aspx

http://www.lakecountyil.gov/Transportation/ProgramsPlansStudies/Pages/2040TransportationPlan.aspx
https://www.co.mchenry.il.us/county-government/departments-j-z/transportation/transportation-plans/long-range-transportation-plan

Here are the County plans

[StogieGuy7]

I know that there are plans for this, but I-90/39 between Rockford and Madison is just terrible.  It needs to be at least 6 lanes, if not 8 in some spots.  I'd add in the US 12 corridor from northern IL to Madison and (a pipe dream). 

There are already plans in the works to connect IL 53 as a "parkway" with IL 120 and thus I-94.  This is a badly needed improvement; however, the current plan of a 4 lane parkway with a limited speed limit is a joke that will be obsolete on the day it opens to traffic.  Whether politicians like it or not, the traffic patterns are what they are and there's a lot of demand for a more direct connection from the far north suburbs to the western suburbs. 

[I-39]

I know that there are plans for this, but I-90/39 between Rockford and Madison is just terrible.  It needs to be at least 6 lanes, if not 8 in some spots.  I'd add in the US 12 corridor from northern IL to Madison and (a pipe dream). 

There are already plans in the works to connect IL 53 as a "parkway" with IL 120 and thus I-94.  This is a badly needed improvement; however, the current plan of a 4 lane parkway with a limited speed limit is a joke that will be obsolete on the day it opens to traffic.  Whether politicians like it or not, the traffic patterns are what they are and there's a lot of demand for a more direct connection from the far north suburbs to the western suburbs.

I agree about the IL-53 extension. It should have been built in it's entirety to Interstate standards from Lake Cook Road to Grayslake and then up to Richmond, I don't care if it had significant environmental impacts, it needed to be built. Unfortunately, the environmental wackos won the fight and now it is only going to run to Grayslake.............. as a 45 mph parkway. I agree 100000% it will be obsolete from Day 1. If the IL-53 extension cannot be built as a six lane (minimum) Interstate standard freeway/tollway, then it is not worth building at all. But remember, it is all about the environment.

As for the I-39/90 corridor between Rockford and Madison, I agree. It needs to be rebuilt and widened to six lanes. Illinois has finished their side (wow, that's shocking) and Wisconsin will begin their side this year, but Wisconsin will do theirs more elaborate (rebuild the roadway AND all the crossroad bridges and interchanges).

Frankly, the Illinois Tollway did a mediocre job on I-39/90 between the Cherry Valley Interchange and Rockton Road. Unlike the rest of the system where they did rebuilding and widening, they used hot mix asphalt and it is already coming undone (particularly in the Northbound/Westbound lanes). Why they didn't use concrete on that segment is a mystery. They didn't put lights in the median the entire way, and they didn't rebuild all the crossroad bridges (so the shoulders squeeze under the existing bridges, to the point where it is virtually non-existent. They did the same thing on the Tri-State.) At least they learned their lesson from that and they are rebuilding the section between I-39 and the Kennedy the correct way (rebuild with concrete, rebuild ALL the crossroad bridges, put lights in the median)

[cwm1276]

The reason for blacktop I39/I90 is the local Rockford road contractors really only do blacktop. It was suburban contractors who built 90 east to Elgin.  Only black tops roads by these contractors. If a road is concrete most likely an out of town contractor did it.
For example Plote from Elgin did route 2 between Byron and Oregon.

[I-39]

The reason for blacktop I39/I90 is the local Rockford road contractors really only do blacktop. It was suburban contractors who built 90 east to Elgin.  Only black tops roads by these contractors. If a road is concrete most likely an out of town contractor did it.
For example Plote from Elgin did route 2 between Byron and Oregon.

It is concrete east of the Kishwaukee River bridge and hot mix asphalt west of there. Is William Charles Construction not capable of building concrete roads?

[SSOWorld]

The lighted road all the way from Cherry Valley to Elgin (O'Hare later?) is unnecessary.  Break's the rural feel.

[I-39]

The lighted road all the way from Cherry Valley to Elgin (O'Hare later?) is unnecessary.  Break's the rural feel.

I originally thought that too, I thought the farmers/property owners in the rural areas would not be happy with lighting the corridor, so I thought the median lights would end at the IL-47 interchange. But after I drove on the corridor at night, and saw how well lit it was (those LED lights are bright!), I felt safer driving.

Yes, there will be lights in the median from Elgin to O'Hare when the construction is finished in 2016.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I-94 between St. Cloud and the I-494/694 junction in Maple Grove. They're in the process of widening the road to six lanes from the current end of the six lane segment to MN 241 at St. Michael, but that's only two miles worth of expansion. Under the governor's proposed transportation funding plan money is included to extend the six lane segment to Albertville (five miles from St. Michael), but the road really needs to be six lanes at least to MN 24 at Clearwater, if not all the way to MN 15 at St. Cloud.

[SSOWorld]

I-94 between St. Cloud and the I-494/694 junction in Maple Grove. They're in the process of widening the road to six lanes from the current end of the six lane segment to MN 241 at St. Michael, but that's only two miles worth of expansion. Under the governor's proposed transportation funding plan money is included to extend the six lane segment to Albertville (five miles from St. Michael), but the road really needs to be six lanes at least to MN 24 at Clearwater, if not all the way to MN 15 at St. Cloud.

Are they going to utilize the "test road" portion at all?

[roadman65]

Most two lane roads in NJ do need to be four lanes. 

Florida could use many roads in Orlando upgraded like Taft- Vineland Road from OBT to Orange Avenue.

Kissimmee, needs Carroll Street/ Hoagland Boulevard needs to be six lanes from the current two, three years ago, thanks to the Osceola Parkway shunpikers. And now with new houses going up in the Kissimmee cattle fields along Carroll Street in addition with the traffic already we are looking at total chaos soon!

I-30 in Texas from Dallas to Texarkana needs upgrading.
I-10 from Houston to Baton Rouge needs widening.

[I-39]

Most two lane roads in NJ do need to be four lanes. 

Florida could use many roads in Orlando upgraded like Taft- Vineland Road from OBT to Orange Avenue.

Kissimmee, needs Carroll Street/ Hoagland Boulevard needs to be six lanes from the current two, three years ago, thanks to the Osceola Parkway shunpikers. And now with new houses going up in the Kissimmee cattle fields along Carroll Street in addition with the traffic already we are looking at total chaos soon!

I-30 in Texas from Dallas to Texarkana needs upgrading.
I-10 from Houston to Baton Rouge needs widening.

This topic is for the Midwest (IL, IA, WI, IN, OH, MI, MN, MO, etc). Let's focus on that area

[3467]

And so its not fiction -It needs to be a  project the state has funded in whole or part or in a corridor or EIS study
Iowa is debating a gas tax now so there may be a list there and of course MO has a wish list but they are flat broke so nothing there. Glad to see something on 94 in MN . Sure not much coming from outside IL and IA
If it stays this limited maybe we need to open it more! But they cant just be our wishes that is fictional

[6a]

Down


Town


Columbus


!

Part of it has been finished (71/670, Mound St. Connector) but the 70/71 trench through downtown is a few years off, and the part stretching over the river to the west isn't funded yet. As it stands in its unfinished state it has a lot of the old, closely spaced exits remaining with new ramps and weaves introduced and blahhhhhh

[texaskdog]

To avoid fiction please limit to routes that the state DOT has under some sort of study and then let us know if you think it is worthwhile.
I will start Wisconsin as an example
http://www.dot.state.wi.us/business/econdev/corridors.htm
I think Wisconsin has done a great job of planning its corridors and I have nothing to add.
Maybe you do or have something to say about Wisconsin or plans in MI MN OH IN PA NY?

I was suprised visiting Necedah how busy WI-21 is.  I'd love to see it hook up with the 90/94 interchange and be expanded across Wisconsin.

[I-39]

I-10 from Houston to Baton Rouge needs widening.

Actually, plenty of that segment of I-10 has been widened and improved over the past few years.

The Trinity River Bridge just east of Baytown/Mount Belview had recently been upgraded from a 4-lane truss structure to a wider 4-lane (wide enough to be restriped to 6 lanes with 10' outer shoulders) span. East of TX 61 to the TX 73 divergence at Winnie, I-10 is already 6 lanes. I wouldn't mind the segment from Winnie to Beaumont widened further to 6 lanes myself.

From Beaumont east to Vidor to Orange, there has also been a nice upgrade of I-10; the frontage roads are now continuous one-way rather than discontinuous 2-way; the interchange at TX 12 (which feeds into LA 12 and US 190 in LA) has been refined to eliminate that hazardous sharp turn for westbound traffic, and also that left exit for eastbound traffic (now, a right-exit flyover sends traffic from I-10E to TX 12, and an overpass handles most other traffic movements).

In Louisiana, the Pearl River Bridge was upgraded to accomodate 6 lanes (3 per direction), though it is currently striped for only 2-2 right now; I-10 was 6-laned from the I-210 West interchange west of Lake Charles to near Vinton, and from the I-210 East interchange to US 165. Planning and construction is now underway for widening I-10 in Lafayette from the I-49/US 167 interchange to the Henderson (LA 347??) interchange to 6 lanes (as well as rebuilding both the subsurface and the concrete. The latest state Transportation Plan update also has as a long term commitment widening of the rest of I-10 between the TX line and Baton Rouge, including the Atchafalaya Swamp elevated segment. And, there is also the Calcasieu River Bridge replacement which would also cover the rest of I-10 through Lake Charles.

So, if they ever get the funding sorted out, there is hope. Let's get I-49 finished first, though.

Again, this is a Midwest topic. Please limit this to Midwest roads.

[Anthony_JK]

Just saw that. Sorry. I've deleted the post.

[midwesternroadguy]

To avoid fiction please limit to routes that the state DOT has under some sort of study and then let us know if you think it is worthwhile.
I will start Wisconsin as an example
http://www.dot.state.wi.us/business/econdev/corridors.htm
I think Wisconsin has done a great job of planning its corridors and I have nothing to add.
Maybe you do or have something to say about Wisconsin or plans in MI MN OH IN PA NY?

I was suprised visiting Necedah how busy WI-21 is.  I'd love to see it hook up with the 90/94 interchange and be expanded across Wisconsin.

I've thought about having a better connection at the I-90/94 split with WI 21.

[texaskdog]

To avoid fiction please limit to routes that the state DOT has under some sort of study and then let us know if you think it is worthwhile.
I will start Wisconsin as an example
http://www.dot.state.wi.us/business/econdev/corridors.htm
I think Wisconsin has done a great job of planning its corridors and I have nothing to add.
Maybe you do or have something to say about Wisconsin or plans in MI MN OH IN PA NY?

I was suprised visiting Necedah how busy WI-21 is.  I'd love to see it hook up with the 90/94 interchange and be expanded across Wisconsin.

I've thought about having a better connection at the I-90/94 split with WI 21.

Yes, it's wide and could easily have an extension right out of that intersection.  It could be expanded much like 29 was across Wisconsin, piece by piece

[mgk920]

To avoid fiction please limit to routes that the state DOT has under some sort of study and then let us know if you think it is worthwhile.
I will start Wisconsin as an example
http://www.dot.state.wi.us/business/econdev/corridors.htm
I think Wisconsin has done a great job of planning its corridors and I have nothing to add.
Maybe you do or have something to say about Wisconsin or plans in MI MN OH IN PA NY?

I was suprised visiting Necedah how busy WI-21 is.  I'd love to see it hook up with the 90/94 interchange and be expanded across Wisconsin.

I've thought about having a better connection at the I-90/94 split with WI 21.

Yes, it's wide and could easily have an extension right out of that intersection.  It could be expanded much like 29 was across Wisconsin, piece by piece

Keep in mind that there is a lot of low, swampy land in the WI 21 corridor east of I-94, including the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (famous as the center of critically-endangered Whooping Crane recovery efforts).  Finding a useable corridor in that area could be a real challenge, possibly requiring such a highway to connect with the interstate as far southeast as New Lisbon.

Mike

[ftballfan]

I-94 needs to be at least six lanes in all of Michigan
US-23 needs to be six lanes from Brighton to Toledo

[Rick Powell]

Rick, I'm curious, do you know if IDOT owns any ROW just to the north of the ghost ramps (for the FAP 412/I-39 connection) in Decatur? I see some faint grading in the land right between I-72 and W Hickory Point Road outlining the ramps.

Don't know...there's two or 3 places you could look...some counties have a GIS based property tax map system online and if Macon County has it, you could root around to see if there are any state owned parcels north of the ghost ramps.  There are private companies (like Rockford Maps) that have plat books by township mostly to identify who has the farmland, and state parcels would show up there...or you could inquire at IDOT District 5 in Paris, IL.

Just for fun, I went and looked at the Macon County GIS parcel map.  I didn't investigate any of the parcels there, but there was nothing that looked like a highway "corridor" north of I-72...and IDOT historically has not bought block parcels of land, but just what was needed for a corridor.  So I'd say it's a safe bet that they didn't acquire much if any over the minimum of what was needed to build the I-72 mainline.