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Proposed Danville, IL beltline and potential IL-1 relocation in Danville, IL

Started by Aaron Camp, November 26, 2017, 06:09:09 AM

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Aaron Camp

This has been in the planning stages for nearly two decades: a proposed eastern beltline around Danville, Illinois that would intersect with I-74 between current Illinois exits 216 and 220; access between to and from beltline and I-74 would be via a diamond interchange.

A map of the proposed beltline can be found on page 3 of this PDF from the late 2000's. According to the Danville Area Transportation Study's most recent long-term plan, the beltline is classified as a planned project consisting of five sections, with a total estimated cost of, by my calculations, $94.6 million.

I'm not a big fan of the beltline proposal, for the following reasons:

  • The beltline proposal lacks a direct connection with the Tilton/Belgium/Westville/Georgetown US-150/IL-1 corridor, and without a direct connection between that area of Vermilion County, IL and the beltline, you're not going to alleviate any congestion on IL-1
  • The beltline would probably not be heavily-used, with most of the traffic being traffic from I-74 from points west and east of Danville to the big-box retail district in the northern part of Danville, which is probably a small percentage of the customers of the big-box stores in that part of Danville

A southern extension of the Beltline past Perrysville Road (Perrysville Road is a county-maintained road in Vermilion County, IL linking IN-32 in Indiana with Danville, IL), which there are no plans for, would add a lot of traffic to the Beltline, although connecting it to IL-1 would be difficult and controversial. For starters, a bridge over the Vermilion River would be needed for a southern beltline extension, and such a bridge would be located in an area with quite a bit of, by Illinois standards, rugged terrain, and that doesn't even go into problems with linking a would-be southern beltline extension with IL-1 in the Westville area (pretty much any theoretical proposal would receive a ton of complaints from Westville residents), so I can understand why a southern Danville Beltline extension isn't being seriously considered.

There are some advantages to the beltline, however:

  • The beltline would provide easier access from the eastern part of Danville to the northern part of Danville
  • The beltline would provide easier access to Vermilion Regional Airport, although that airport is a small general aviation airport

Additionally, a report by the (Danville, IL) Commercial-News from about a year ago indicated that a railroad grade separation project on North Bowman Avenue in Danville is in the planning stages; the Danville Area Transportation Study's most recent long-term plan lists this as a planned project with an estimated $30 million pricetag. Although the City of Danville, not IDOT, is listed as the lead agency, the Commercial-News reported a year or so ago that IL-1 may be rerouted to the Bowman Avenue corridor in Danville (currently, IL-1 follows, from south to north within Danville, Gilbert Street to Fairchild Street to Vermilion Street, and IL-1 is multiplexed with US-150 south of Main Street and multiplexed with US-136 north of Main Street). Bowman Avenue currently has two at-grade railroad crossings between Voorhees Street and Williams Street in Danville.

I'm not sure if IL-1 would follow a routing along the current IL-119 to N 1800 E Road (the road between Vermilion Regional Airport and the Village of Bismarck) to Bowman Avenue in Danville to I-74 to current US-150/IL-1 or some other routing. If the IL-119 to Bowman routing is used, that would result in IL-119 either being multiplexed with IL-1 for much of IL-119's very short route connecting IN-28 in Indiana to US-136 and IL-1 in Illinois or either IL-119 being truncated to the very short section between its current intersection with N 1800 E in Vermilion County, IL and the Indiana border or decommissioned altogether. Interestingly, IDOT (not Vermilion County) is listed in the Danville area long-term plan as the lead agency of a proposed widening of "Westville Avenue" between Catlin and Westville in Vermilion County; it's not clear if the road being referred to is a road leading due east out of Catlin that is locally called Lyons Road and runs from Catlin to the village of Belgium in Vermilion County (a very narrow road barely wide enough for two cars to pass each other) and listed on Google Maps as "County Road 1350 N" or the road leading from Westville to Catlin-Indianola Road about two miles or so south of Catlin (this is the 1200N road in Vermilion County; it's a standard-width two-lane highway with very little traffic). Neither of the roads between Catlin and the Westville/Belgium area are state highways; according to a map by the Vermilion County (IL) Clerk's office, the road leading due west out of Westville to the Catlin-Indianola Road is Vermilion County Highway 5 (the Catlin-Indianola road is Vermilion County Highway 7); Lyons Road is a township-maintained road. "Westville Avenue" is not a commonly-used term to describe any road in Vermilion County, IL, and I live in Westville, IL.


ChiMilNet

I'm just going to be completely honest on this one... but this would be a complete waste of money! Illinois has so many other needs that take precedent LONG before this one (both in the Chicago Area and Downstate). Also, with IDOT's funding issues, this all the more becomes something that should be moved WAY down the line, if ever at all.

2trailertrucker

Quote from: ChiMilNet on November 27, 2017, 07:53:59 PM
I'm just going to be completely honest on this one... but this would be a complete waste of money! Illinois has so many other needs that take precedent LONG before this one (both in the Chicago Area and Downstate). Also, with IDOT's funding issues, this all the more becomes something that should be moved WAY down the line, if ever at all.

I would agree. Being familiar with Danville, I would say this would be good for a 20 year wish list type of project. However, I see the Iliana being more of a priority than a Danville bypass.

triplemultiplex

"Beltline" seems a bit of a generous description.  It's clearly a surface artery with 3 proposed 90 degree changes of direction at intersections, zero interchanges and probably only token access control.  A future magnet for big box retail that will completely undermine it's existence in the first place.

I don't expect a freeway to be considered, but to call this proposal a "beltline" is rich.  In no way does this fit the modern sense of the word.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

paulthemapguy

Quote from: Aaron Camp on November 26, 2017, 06:09:09 AM
I'm not a big fan of the beltline proposal, for the following reasons:

  • The beltline proposal lacks a direct connection with the Tilton/Belgium/Westville/Georgetown US-150/IL-1 corridor, and without a direct connection between that area of Vermilion County, IL and the beltline, you're not going to alleviate any congestion on IL-1
  • The beltline would probably not be heavily-used, with most of the traffic being traffic from I-74 from points west and east of Danville to the big-box retail district in the northern part of Danville, which is probably a small percentage of the customers of the big-box stores in that part of Danville

These are extremely good points.  I'd assume a lot of the traffic on IL-1 comes from people in Danville trying to access the nearby towns to the south and vice versa.  What is the point, if people in Tilton, Georgetown etc. can't use it?
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Brandon

Quote from: 2trailertrucker on November 28, 2017, 08:49:00 AM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on November 27, 2017, 07:53:59 PM
I'm just going to be completely honest on this one... but this would be a complete waste of money! Illinois has so many other needs that take precedent LONG before this one (both in the Chicago Area and Downstate). Also, with IDOT's funding issues, this all the more becomes something that should be moved WAY down the line, if ever at all.

I would agree. Being familiar with Danville, I would say this would be good for a 20 year wish list type of project. However, I see the Iliana being more of a priority than a Danville bypass.

As do I.  Danville isn't exactly growing.  I'd rather IDOT actually spend that money on widening I-80.
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captkirk_4

Quote from: paulthemapguy on November 30, 2017, 08:16:47 PM
Quote from: Aaron Camp on November 26, 2017, 06:09:09 AM
I'm not a big fan of the beltline proposal, for the following reasons:

  • The beltline proposal lacks a direct connection with the Tilton/Belgium/Westville/Georgetown US-150/IL-1 corridor, and without a direct connection between that area of Vermilion County, IL and the beltline, you're not going to alleviate any congestion on IL-1
  • The beltline would probably not be heavily-used, with most of the traffic being traffic from I-74 from points west and east of Danville to the big-box retail district in the northern part of Danville, which is probably a small percentage of the customers of the big-box stores in that part of Danville

These are extremely good points.  I'd assume a lot of the traffic on IL-1 comes from people in Danville trying to access the nearby towns to the south and vice versa.  What is the point, if people in Tilton, Georgetown etc. can't use it?
Since US 41 Indiana 63 runs just a few miles east of there for all the long distance traffic, Illinois 1 is going to be almost all local traffic not really needing a bypass. If you are forced to use route 1 though expect a very, very slow ride from Chicago south with lots of small towns, tons of stop lights in Watseka, and Danville seems to stretch forever though the north south axis. The drive from Westville-Georgetown to the shopping district on the north edge of Danville is also a good 20 minutes.



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