Illinois notes

[ChiMilNet]

Looks like hopefully we're getting a resurfacing after all. Parts of the shoulder from Harlem Ave to the I-190 ramps are being torn up along the Kennedy (I-90). Please let it be the whole road, it's in dire need of a resurface from the JCT to the 190 split

so they starting the widening work on other side now.

Possibly, the website is outdated on the project (says it still needs funding). But found some of the bigger points for westbound I-90:

Westbound I-90

Addition of an auxiliary lane between Canfield Road and Harlem Avenue
Construction of a new westbound Collector-Distributer (CD) roadway just west of Canfield Road that provides access to and from Cumberland Avenue and access to westbound I-190.
Ramp modifications at Cumberland Avenue, Canfield Road, and Harlem Avenue interchanges to tie into the widened mainline pavement.
Construction of six new retaining walls and repairs to five existing retaining walls.
Reconstruction of the existing retaining wall at the westbound Canfield Road exit ramp due to a realignment of the ramp.
Resurfacing of westbound mainline I-90 from I-190 to Harlem Avenue

Noise Wall Contract

Construction of eight noise walls between Cumberland Avenue and Harlem Avenue on both sides of I-90.
Resurfacing of frontage roads (Higgins Road from east of Cumberland Avenue to N. Oriole Avenue, and W. Bryn Mawr Avenue from N. Oriole Avenue to N. Harlem Avenue.)

IDOT has the most poorly updated website of any highway department. With that, this is all badly needed. The backups Outbound in that area have gotten to be ridiculous. This needs to be a top priority! The design is so dumb right now there!

[edwaleni]

Looks like hopefully we're getting a resurfacing after all. Parts of the shoulder from Harlem Ave to the I-190 ramps are being torn up along the Kennedy (I-90). Please let it be the whole road, it's in dire need of a resurface from the JCT to the 190 split

so they starting the widening work on other side now.

Possibly, the website is outdated on the project (says it still needs funding). But found some of the bigger points for westbound I-90:

Westbound I-90

Addition of an auxiliary lane between Canfield Road and Harlem Avenue
Construction of a new westbound Collector-Distributer (CD) roadway just west of Canfield Road that provides access to and from Cumberland Avenue and access to westbound I-190.
Ramp modifications at Cumberland Avenue, Canfield Road, and Harlem Avenue interchanges to tie into the widened mainline pavement.
Construction of six new retaining walls and repairs to five existing retaining walls.
Reconstruction of the existing retaining wall at the westbound Canfield Road exit ramp due to a realignment of the ramp.
Resurfacing of westbound mainline I-90 from I-190 to Harlem Avenue

Noise Wall Contract

Construction of eight noise walls between Cumberland Avenue and Harlem Avenue on both sides of I-90.
Resurfacing of frontage roads (Higgins Road from east of Cumberland Avenue to N. Oriole Avenue, and W. Bryn Mawr Avenue from N. Oriole Avenue to N. Harlem Avenue.)

IDOT has the most poorly updated website of any highway department. With that, this is all badly needed. The backups Outbound in that area have gotten to be ridiculous. This needs to be a top priority! The design is so dumb right now there!

The IDOT website has been rated "structurally obsolete"   

Really, you have to look at contract lettings and capital plans when they are released. Beyond that is a big "good luck".

[paulthemapguy]

The IDOT website has been rated "structurally obsolete"   

This might be my favorite comment I've ever read about anything!!   

[inkyatari]

All illinois state websites are structurally deficient. I'd argue the IDNR site is worse than the IDOT site.

[adt1982]

The speed limit on a stretch of I-74 in the Champaign-Urbana area will be lowered from 70 to 60 effective Friday.

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/About-IDOT/News/Construction-Releases/2018/Aug/I-74%20speed%20limit%20083118.pdf

[paulthemapguy]

The speed limit on a stretch of I-74 in the Champaign-Urbana area will be lowered from 70 to 60 effective Friday.

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/About-IDOT/News/Construction-Releases/2018/Aug/I-74%20speed%20limit%20083118.pdf

You know what?  I'm oddly okay with this.  There's a high density of on- and off-ramps.  And they chose not to take it all the way east to the IL-130 exit, when they could have done so.  And locals will jump on the freeway for 2 miles just to get off two exits away--not the intended purpose of a freeway, but what can you do.  And you know that if someone uses a road for a short time, they don't bother accelerating to the proper speed.  I encountered that a lot during the 4 years I lived there. 

So given the weave issues owing to the high ramp density, and the local yokels going 50 because they decided to use the freeway for a whole minute and a half, I get it.

[inkyatari]

There's talk of turning I-80 from Minooka to New Lenox into a tollway to fund the Will-80 widening project.

http://www.wcsjnews.com/news/local/interstate-near-minooka-could-become-tollway/article_85244a9e-ab82-11e8-94a5-83104e0797b4.html

[Brandon]

There's talk of turning I-80 from Minooka to New Lenox into a tollway to fund the Will-80 widening project.

http://www.wcsjnews.com/news/local/interstate-near-minooka-could-become-tollway/article_85244a9e-ab82-11e8-94a5-83104e0797b4.html

OK, if it needs to be done, then it should be done.  At least it'll be out of IDOT's hands and their lack of maintenance.

[Brandon]

The speed limit on a stretch of I-74 in the Champaign-Urbana area will be lowered from 70 to 60 effective Friday.

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/About-IDOT/News/Construction-Releases/2018/Aug/I-74%20speed%20limit%20083118.pdf

Yet other states (cough)Michigan(cough) have 70 through similar areas with no real issues.

[Crash_It]

There's talk of turning I-80 from Minooka to New Lenox into a tollway to fund the Will-80 widening project.

http://www.wcsjnews.com/news/local/interstate-near-minooka-could-become-tollway/article_85244a9e-ab82-11e8-94a5-83104e0797b4.html

OK, if it needs to be done, then it should be done.  At least it'll be out of IDOT's hands and their lack of maintenance.

Lack of maintenance? Drove down to Springfield for the state fair a couple weeks back and I 55 was in adequate shape. The sections that weren't are scheduled to be worked on. Go to WIS, IN or MI if you want to see lack of maintenance. All 3 states have a higher percentage of roads that need repairs than IL.

[Brandon]

There's talk of turning I-80 from Minooka to New Lenox into a tollway to fund the Will-80 widening project.

http://www.wcsjnews.com/news/local/interstate-near-minooka-could-become-tollway/article_85244a9e-ab82-11e8-94a5-83104e0797b4.html

OK, if it needs to be done, then it should be done.  At least it'll be out of IDOT's hands and their lack of maintenance.

Lack of maintenance? Drove down to Springfield for the state fair a couple weeks back and I 55 was in adequate shape. The sections that weren't are scheduled to be worked on. Go to WIS, IN or MI if you want to see lack of maintenance. All 3 states have a higher percentage of roads that need repairs than IL.

Adequate shape!?!  Somehow you missed the completely deteriorating pavement between Weber Road and I-80.  The bridges with holes in them south of there.

[inkyatari]

There's talk of turning I-80 from Minooka to New Lenox into a tollway to fund the Will-80 widening project.

http://www.wcsjnews.com/news/local/interstate-near-minooka-could-become-tollway/article_85244a9e-ab82-11e8-94a5-83104e0797b4.html

OK, if it needs to be done, then it should be done.  At least it'll be out of IDOT's hands and their lack of maintenance.

Lack of maintenance? Drove down to Springfield for the state fair a couple weeks back and I 55 was in adequate shape. The sections that weren't are scheduled to be worked on. Go to WIS, IN or MI if you want to see lack of maintenance. All 3 states have a higher percentage of roads that need repairs than IL.

I drive I-55 between I-80 and Weber Rd. every day.  When they widened 55 through here 6-7 years ago, the pavement started sliding off the road within months of completion!  Now it's a patchwork of patches, potholes and patches that didn't take.  I've had to have several windshields repaired because of rocks flying loose on this stretch!

[Crash_It]

There's talk of turning I-80 from Minooka to New Lenox into a tollway to fund the Will-80 widening project.

http://www.wcsjnews.com/news/local/interstate-near-minooka-could-become-tollway/article_85244a9e-ab82-11e8-94a5-83104e0797b4.html

OK, if it needs to be done, then it should be done.  At least it'll be out of IDOT's hands and their lack of maintenance.

Lack of maintenance? Drove down to Springfield for the state fair a couple weeks back and I 55 was in adequate shape. The sections that weren't are scheduled to be worked on. Go to WIS, IN or MI if you want to see lack of maintenance. All 3 states have a higher percentage of roads that need repairs than IL.

I drive I-55 between I-80 and Weber Rd. every day.  When they widened 55 through here 6-7 years ago, the pavement started sliding off the road within months of completion!  Now it's a patchwork of patches, potholes and patches that didn't take.  I've had to have several windshields repaired because of rocks flying loose on this stretch!

I did notice the patches that need to be redone but overall still a smooth ride. Drive US12 in Walworth County WI then tell me what lack of maintenance is. That road hadn't been touched at least since the early 00s.

[silverback1065]

if you want to see what real lack of maintenance is, come down to Potholeville (Indianapolis), IN and drive anywhere. 

[paulthemapguy]

Apparently only one place on Earth can have potholes at a given time.

[ChiMilNet]

There's talk of turning I-80 from Minooka to New Lenox into a tollway to fund the Will-80 widening project.

http://www.wcsjnews.com/news/local/interstate-near-minooka-could-become-tollway/article_85244a9e-ab82-11e8-94a5-83104e0797b4.html

OK, if it needs to be done, then it should be done.  At least it'll be out of IDOT's hands and their lack of maintenance.

That'd be fine with me. IDOT has really become more and more of a joke, and the gap in quality between the ISTHA and IDOT is quite apparent now. I say let the Tollway take over the entire portion from I-355 to at least Minooka, though one could make an argument to let them have the portion that goes to Morris or even out to I-39. Honestly, all of I-80 through IL would benefit from a widening, but I'll stop that pipe dream!

[inkyatari]

There's talk of turning I-80 from Minooka to New Lenox into a tollway to fund the Will-80 widening project.

http://www.wcsjnews.com/news/local/interstate-near-minooka-could-become-tollway/article_85244a9e-ab82-11e8-94a5-83104e0797b4.html

OK, if it needs to be done, then it should be done.  At least it'll be out of IDOT's hands and their lack of maintenance.

That'd be fine with me. IDOT has really become more and more of a joke, and the gap in quality between the ISTHA and IDOT is quite apparent now. I say let the Tollway take over the entire portion from I-355 to at least Minooka, though one could make an argument to let them have the portion that goes to Morris or even out to I-39. Honestly, all of I-80 through IL would benefit from a widening, but I'll stop that pipe dream!

For me, I could easily bypass the tolls from where I live (I have a feeling Pine Bluff / Lorenzo Rd. south of the Illinois river would see a huge increase in traffic.)  As much as I hate the idea, I don't see any other way this project could be funded.

And I too support 3 laning 80 from Indiana to Iowa

[GeekJedi]

The IDOT website has been rated "structurally obsolete"   

They're trying to have the Tollway Authority take it over.

[edwaleni]

The IDOT website has been rated "structurally obsolete"   

They're trying to have the Tollway Authority take it over.

Does this mean the IDOT website will go behind a paywall?

I gotta pay to see what IDOT does? LOL.

[inkyatari]

Apparently only one place on Earth can have potholes at a given time.

This isn't just potholes on I-55.  It's about the complet sham of a construction job in the first place, followed by lack of maintenance.

[Joe The Dragon]

There's talk of turning I-80 from Minooka to New Lenox into a tollway to fund the Will-80 widening project.

http://www.wcsjnews.com/news/local/interstate-near-minooka-could-become-tollway/article_85244a9e-ab82-11e8-94a5-83104e0797b4.html

OK, if it needs to be done, then it should be done.  At least it'll be out of IDOT's hands and their lack of maintenance.

That'd be fine with me. IDOT has really become more and more of a joke, and the gap in quality between the ISTHA and IDOT is quite apparent now. I say let the Tollway take over the entire portion from I-355 to at least Minooka, though one could make an argument to let them have the portion that goes to Morris or even out to I-39. Honestly, all of I-80 through IL would benefit from a widening, but I'll stop that pipe dream!

For me, I could easily bypass the tolls from where I live (I have a feeling Pine Bluff / Lorenzo Rd. south of the Illinois river would see a huge increase in traffic.)  As much as I hate the idea, I don't see any other way this project could be funded.

And I too support 3 laning 80 from Indiana to Iowa

What about 3 laneing I-88 (at least the tolled parts)?

[ilpt4u]

3 Laning I-88? Maybe Sugar Grove to DeKalb, if not to I-39. All the way to Dixon would be overkill, I think...

[ET21]

There's talk of turning I-80 from Minooka to New Lenox into a tollway to fund the Will-80 widening project.

http://www.wcsjnews.com/news/local/interstate-near-minooka-could-become-tollway/article_85244a9e-ab82-11e8-94a5-83104e0797b4.html

OK, if it needs to be done, then it should be done.  At least it'll be out of IDOT's hands and their lack of maintenance.

That'd be fine with me. IDOT has really become more and more of a joke, and the gap in quality between the ISTHA and IDOT is quite apparent now. I say let the Tollway take over the entire portion from I-355 to at least Minooka, though one could make an argument to let them have the portion that goes to Morris or even out to I-39. Honestly, all of I-80 through IL would benefit from a widening, but I'll stop that pipe dream!

For me, I could easily bypass the tolls from where I live (I have a feeling Pine Bluff / Lorenzo Rd. south of the Illinois river would see a huge increase in traffic.)  As much as I hate the idea, I don't see any other way this project could be funded.

And I too support 3 laning 80 from Indiana to Iowa

What about 3 laneing I-88 (at least the tolled parts)?

I-88 doesn't really need 3 lanes past the Sugar Grove exit. Traffic runs pretty smoothly and since I-90 was completed the traffic has actually dropped a bit. Now maybe they can 3 lane it to IL-47 when that becomes a full interchange but otherwise keep as is

[abefroman329]

I saw a VMS this morning that said something like "stop staring at your lap, put it down and drive."  It was really clever.

[Brandon]

I saw a VMS this morning that said something like "stop staring at your lap, put it down and drive."  It was really clever.

I figured it had a different innuendo.