Illinois notes

[Crash_It]

Results of a 2021 study by TRIP:

That only takes account the interstate mileage.. I'm talking about the whole picture. I don't really have issue with Wisconsin interstates other than them being boring

[kphoger]

I don't really have issue with Wisconsin interstates other than them being boring

Almost there.

You agree, then, that Interstate bridges in Illinois suck?

[Crash_It]

I don't really have issue with Wisconsin interstates other than them being boring

Almost there.

You agree, then, that Interstate bridges in Illinois suck?

Only 8% of them but they are being fixed/replaced.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I don't really have issue with Wisconsin interstates other than them being boring

Almost there.

You agree, then, that Interstate bridges in Illinois suck?

Only 8% of them but they are being fixed/replaced.

Meh, for the most part no they're not. IL is no better at this than any other state.

[skluth]

I don't really have issue with Wisconsin interstates other than them being boring

Anyone from Illinois calling another state's interstates boring is the proverbial pot calling the kettle black. I'm not sure which of I-57, I-39, I-80, and I-72 in Illinois is more boring, but every one is more boring than any Wisconsin interstate (though the non-concurrent part of I-39 north of Portage may come close). I-74 and I-55 aren't much better. There are more boring interstates than the ones in Illinois, but none are east of the Mississippi except Florida.

[hobsini2]

I don't really have issue with Wisconsin interstates other than them being boring

Anyone from Illinois calling another state's interstates boring is the proverbial pot calling the kettle black. I'm not sure which of I-57, I-39, I-80, and I-72 in Illinois is more boring, but every one is more boring than any Wisconsin interstate (though the non-concurrent part of I-39 north of Portage may come close). I-74 and I-55 aren't much better. There are more boring interstates than the ones in Illinois, but none are east of the Mississippi except Florida.

Don't forget I-88 being relatively boring. I will say that 57 south of 64 is a pretty drive.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'd go further and say that 90-95% of Interstate mileage is uninteresting.  What segments of Interstate in Illinois that aren't boring tend to be centered around Chicago (even though they are flat).

[triplemultiplex]

What segments of Interstate in Illinois that aren't boring tend to be centered around Chicago (even though they are flat).

It is true that aggravating is not boring.

[JoePCool14]

Don't forget I-88 being relatively boring. I will say that 57 south of 64 is a pretty drive.

At least I-88 isn't that long. But once you get into Iowa, things don't get much better.

Illinois' Interstate mileage is generally either boring or aggravating. But that's also most states' Interstate systems. I-41/94 in Wisconsin south of Milwaukee is excellent in terms of quality, but it's pretty boring once you've driven it a couple times.

[Max Rockatansky]

What segments of Interstate in Illinois that aren't boring tend to be centered around Chicago (even though they are flat).

It is true that aggravating is not boring.

Aggravating yes, at minimum the back drop of the Chicago Skyline is nice to look at. 

[Crash_It]

Don't forget I-88 being relatively boring. I will say that 57 south of 64 is a pretty drive.

At least I-88 isn't that long. But once you get into Iowa, things don't get much better.

Illinois' Interstate mileage is generally either boring or aggravating. But that's also most states' Interstate systems. I-41/94 in Wisconsin south of Milwaukee is excellent in terms of quality, but it's pretty boring once you've driven it a couple times.

41/94 in WI is considerably more boring than the 94 or 41 in IL, you're on an elevated surface nearly the whole entire time. I've gotten the habit of avoiding it and taking the frontage instead to make it slightly more varied and interesting. The entirety of 80/94 in Indiana and I-65 except for Lafayette and around Columbus can kick rocks too as well as 465.

[skluth]

Don't forget I-88 being relatively boring. I will say that 57 south of 64 is a pretty drive.

At least I-88 isn't that long. But once you get into Iowa, things don't get much better.

Illinois' Interstate mileage is generally either boring or aggravating. But that's also most states' Interstate systems. I-41/94 in Wisconsin south of Milwaukee is excellent in terms of quality, but it's pretty boring once you've driven it a couple times.

41/94 in WI is considerably more boring than the 94 or 41 in IL, you're on an elevated surface nearly the whole entire time. I've gotten the habit of avoiding it and taking the frontage instead to make it slightly more varied and interesting. The entirety of 80/94 in Indiana and I-65 except for Lafayette and around Columbus can kick rocks too as well as 465.

Yes, I will agree that the Edens, Kennedy, and Dan Ryan are all more exciting than the racetrack through Racine and Kenosha Counties. Driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic with the added thrill of someone with road rage shooting at you is more excitement than I can handle.

[hobsini2]

Getting back to non-Crash It items, The Highway & MMY IDOT plan is out for FY 2023-2028.
https://idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/transportation-management/transportation-improvement-programs-/multi-modal-transportation-improvement-program/index

[Hobart]

Getting back to non-Crash It items, The Highway & MMY IDOT plan is out for FY 2023-2028.
https://idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/transportation-management/transportation-improvement-programs-/multi-modal-transportation-improvement-program/index

Thank god! They're updating the signals at the intersection of Cicero and Lincoln Highway. Right now they have exactly one overhead signal controlling each approach, with left and right supplementals. One of these approaches has three thru lanes, a left turn lane, and a right turn lane, and the signal configuration itself seems to be underbuilt.

They're also doing Wolf and 183rd... which I don't really see the point of, because nobody uses 183rd west of LaGrange, and 191st and 80th, which although probably deserved, isn't even maintained by the state unless either of those roads are unsigned highways.

[JoePCool14]

Some items to note of interest in Lake County:

- The US-41/IL-176 "interchange" in Lake County is finally going to be reconstructed, including a new bridge.

- US-14 is scheduled to get RR grade separation in Barrington.

- IL-22 and IL-83 intersection is going to see improvements. Maybe additional thru-lanes?

- IL-60/IL-83 concurrency is going to receive additional lanes including RR grade separation at the crossing north of IL-176.

- IL-131 is going to receive "additional lanes" (probably 4-laned) north to Wadsworth Road.

- Deerfield Road is going to receive "additional lanes" between Milwaukee Ave and Saunders Rd. Very important, as it's currently the last two-lane bottleneck between I-94 (NB exit/SB entrance) and points west.

[Crash_It]

Some items to note of interest in Lake County:

- The US-41/IL-176 "interchange" in Lake County is finally going to be reconstructed, including a new bridge.

Thank goodness for this. They're also going to add another thru lane. That should help greatly with the people that can't handle a simple curve and as a result drive side by side with each other at 40mph or less. Resulting in so many honking situations   

[Rick Powell]

Getting back to non-Crash It items, The Highway & MMY IDOT plan is out for FY 2023-2028.
https://idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/transportation-management/transportation-improvement-programs-/multi-modal-transportation-improvement-program/index

The 23-28 MYP has actually been out since last summer. :-)

[paulthemapguy]

Getting back to non-Crash It items, The Highway & MMY IDOT plan is out for FY 2023-2028.
https://idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/transportation-management/transportation-improvement-programs-/multi-modal-transportation-improvement-program/index

The 23-28 MYP has actually been out since last summer. :-)

I don't blame the guy if he was just trying to bring something else up to change the subject 

[hobsini2]

Getting back to non-Crash It items, The Highway & MMY IDOT plan is out for FY 2023-2028.
https://idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/transportation-management/transportation-improvement-programs-/multi-modal-transportation-improvement-program/index

The 23-28 MYP has actually been out since last summer. :-)

I don't blame the guy if he was just trying to bring something else up to change the subject 

I was.

[edwaleni]

Actually, I like the long stretches of Illinois interstates. Boring and beauty vary among the drivers.

Short of creating a thread on "boring" stretches of roads....

I-10 from Baldwin, Florida to Pensacola, FL (with a brief point of interest in Tallahassee) is the most challenging because the forest comes right up to the highway for several hundred miles. No billboards and very few exits make it a mind sleeper.

As for the route of reduced interest, for me it was I-90 from Hardin, Montana down to the Sheridan, Wyoming. Unless you have SiriusXM, there are no FM radio stations.  I used to set my FM tuner to "scan" and it would search for an hour or two looking for a station and failing.

As for routes in Illinois I appreciate, while a dangerous route, US-20 from Freeport to Dubuque, Iowa in the fall is wonderful. IL-1/IL-146 from near Shawneetown, south through Golconda, Rosieclare is a great drive.

[SEWIGuy]

IL-2 from Sterling to Rockford is a nice drive as well.

[hobsini2]

I always enjoyed the drive along Route 26 between Hennepin and Route 116 or Route 29 between I-180 and Peoria along the Illinois River.

[edwaleni]

I always enjoyed the drive along Route 26 between Hennepin and Route 116 or Route 29 between I-180 and Peoria along the Illinois River.

Agreed. Route 29 along the Illinois River is really nice. There is a restaurant in Henry we used to stop at, but I can't remember the name of it.

[Crash_It]

I always enjoyed the drive along Route 26 between Hennepin and Route 116 or Route 29 between I-180 and Peoria along the Illinois River.

Agreed. Route 29 along the Illinois River is really nice. There is a restaurant in Henry we used to stop at, but I can't remember the name of it.

Route 26 on the other side of the river is nice too. I featured it in this video

https://youtu.be/S5Pu7dRTDGs

[paulthemapguy]

The riverside drives in the northern 3/4 of Illinois are the best drives outside of the Driftless Region, especially in autumn.  I try to make it a point in every October to drive some of the riverside highways, because they are often the Illinois highways most consistently lined with colorful trees.  These riverside highways include Illinois 26, 29, 2, and 25. 71 from Ottawa to Oglesby is nice as well.