US 20 in Illinois Updates

[3467]

http://www.galenagazette.com/Search.asp


There is only money to finish Freeport. The rest will require a new look at the EIS. Nothing will be spent for over 5 years
This might move to fantasy because the Galena bypass money went to the existing route.
What would you suggest for the folks in Northwestern Illinois?

[mightyace]

^^^
That link just takes you to the paper's search page.

Do you have a direct link or at least the search terms to use?

[3467]

home : news/sports : news  March 27, 2010 

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12/15/2009 10:08:00 PM  Email this article - Print this article 
 
Bob Roth, from the CDFG; Nancy Breed and Marge Cooke from the Galena-Jo Daviess County Historical Society and Museum; and Scott Lawlor from the CDFG listen as other officials talk about issues in Jo Daviess County.

Efforts continue to bring a four-lane U.S. 20

by Jay Dickerson

GALENA-John Cox, Galena attorney and former U.S. Rep., talked about U.S. 20 four-lane efforts at the Dec. 3 CDFG meeting. Efforts began in 1991 to build a four-lane U.S. 20 from Freeport to Galena, when Cox was in national office.

The process, Cox said, has taught him patience.





"This is not a simple process," Cox said. "There's a lot of work ahead of us."

Nearly $50 million committed to U.S. 20 is included in the state's capital bill. Just over $38 million is included for the Freeport bypass, while almost $9 million will upgrade the four-lane that exists from the west side of Galena to the river.

Funds, however, have not been identified for the capital bill, which means there could still be cuts.

Cox also said he didn't think the project would be finished in his lifetime. "I would never have imagined that in 1991, but it's probably true," he said.

"What I think we can project is that it will get built, and that it will get built in small portions over time. The focus that we tried to work on over the years was, step one is complete the Freeport bypass. The capital bill is funded, that will be accomplished.

"Step two is complete the Galena bypass. To try to make sure the traffic jams and the things that occur in Galena, especially during the heat of the tourist season, can be minimized, at least somewhat, by getting the through traffic through, and allowing people to come in to town in a more orderly fashion.

"And then step three is to build the rest of the road, from the west side of Freeport to the west side of Galena."

Cox also talked about TCEDA, the Tri-County Economic Development Alliance, Inc., a public-private partnership to develop and execute a workforce development strategy

[3467]

Sorry its small paper whose search doesnt work really wellbut this story summarizes it well. Galena Bypass will turn up a few more.
The Funded Freeport project was not part of the study that Cox refersto startinging in 1991. It dates from 1984 as I recall
It looks like 20 years on the road to nowhere
One alternate would be a toll but that would cover maybe a third of the payments on a billion dollar bond at 10-20 dollars per car for 50 miles but it might help the other might be to extend the passing lanes that cover maybe a third of the existing route to the whole road
It was a rough EIS and now its a wolf recolonizing area and some serious issues around Galena were found in what Phase 2 that was done.Opening the EIS after 5 years just seems to me a can of worms

[3467]

http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl
This should be a streetview of the passing lanes
Extending may be the best alternate

[mgk920]

And to think that Wisconsin finished its high-speed four lane connection to Dubuque, IA (US 151) several years ago.





Mike

[3467]

Yes it did Its a nice expressway that runs to Madison. I would try to streetveiw it for you but I appear to be having no luck with that either

I think there was a huge argument over freeway or expressway on 20
Expressway is very nice in Wisconsin

[Tom]

With these changes in the roads, I remember driving on US-20 when it went through Freeport instead of around it.