Old 66 sights in IL?

[Alps]

Hi ho, Kermit the Alps here. I've already posted in the St. Louis thread, now I get to post here. Between there and Chicago, and besides whatever will be covered on the Joplin meet, what should I keep an eye out for either along or just off US 66?

~ I already know about the old brick alignment along IL 4. I plan to take the easterly (I-55 related) alignment, but I'll swing over for that.
~ Looking for other old/abandoned roads, truss bridges, etc.
~ Any road closures? I'm told the old 66 bridge with the IL 3 (or 8, or whatever) stencil is closed in Pontiac. Is that on the original through route (N. Division St.) such that I can't continue on, or has it been bypassed?
~ Any must-stops?
~ Etc. Thanks!

[rmsandw]

Been a while since I was through Pontiac, it was IL 4.  But you should still be able to get near it, since there are business on each side of it.  The bridge was on the orignial way through town, the maked path takes you on the 4-lane by-pass around town.  I say take IL 116 into downtown.  This will take you to the Rt66 museum.  In downtown Pontiac there are morals through the area.  I do have coverage of most of the paths that 66 took through Illinois online so you can get a few ideas.  http://www.billburmaster.com/rmsandw/illinois/66/66il.html

[Rick Powell]

The Launching Pad restaurant in Wilmington!
Cozy's dogs in Springfield!
The restored gas station in Odell!
The Meramec Caverns barn in Ocoya!

[adt1982]

There's a brick section near Auburn.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/il-auburn.html

There's also an original section south of Nilwood.

http://illinoisroute66.org/turkey-tracks-in-pavement/

[US71]

Launching Pad is for sale, but the Gemini Giant is still there.

Atlanta, IL has the "hot dog" Muffler Man

There is a covered bridge SE of Chatham OFF Route 66.

Soulsby Shell in Mt Oilve
Odell Standard

Pontiac has a Route 66 museum

There a number of places where 4-Lane 66 was partially replaced by I-55 (NB 55 took over SB 66), I think north of Lexington

Lexington also has a preserved section of original pavement

Illinois has lots of short segments of old 66 since I-55 was practically built on top of it

Near Chicago, there is a detour along Joliet Rd: the road had to be closed because trucks from a nearby quarry damaged the road.

There's a shopping center at 16 & 55 in Litchfield that had a US Shaped I-55 sign, but I don't know if it's still there.

Once you get to Chi-town, there are lots of old bridges, though not necessarily on old 66

[Alps]

There's a brick section near Auburn.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/il-auburn.html

There's also an original section south of Nilwood.

http://illinoisroute66.org/turkey-tracks-in-pavement/

Auburn is the old brick alignment I referred to. I will be over by I-55 though, rather than along IL 4 (just a choice I made), so I won't be near Nilwood.

[US71]

There's a brick section near Auburn.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/il-auburn.html

There's also an original section south of Nilwood.

http://illinoisroute66.org/turkey-tracks-in-pavement/

Auburn is the old brick alignment I referred to. I will be over by I-55 though, rather than along IL 4 (just a choice I made), so I won't be near Nilwood.

You'll miss a LOT of stuff

[Alps]

There's a shopping center at 16 & 55 in Litchfield that had a US Shaped I-55 sign, but I don't know if it's still there.

Once you get to Chi-town, there are lots of old bridges, though not necessarily on old 66

Which shopping center? I see several. It's worth a few minute detour for a chance at US I-55, but not going into every lot.

Re: Chicago: Where in town are the _scenic_ old bridges? Whether from above or below. I know this question is necessarily exhaustive, but since I won't be able to see all of them anyway, just point me to the best.

[xcellntbuy]

There's a brick section near Auburn.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/il-auburn.html

The brick pavement is beautiful.

[agentsteel53]

I remember the US I-55 was in the Walmart parking lot.



there were several.

[NE2]

Not 66-related, but take some time to drive around the lower/service level streets in Chicago.

[Alps]

Not 66-related, but take some time to drive around the lower/service level streets in Chicago.

Will be doing that.

You'll miss a LOT of stuff

Have you been on both the IL 4 and what I'm calling the I-55 (although really just later US 66) alignments, and is the difference that notable? What I saw indicated that 66 was only on 4 for a handful of years before most of it was bypassed.

[agentsteel53]

Not 66-related, but take some time to drive around the lower/service level streets in Chicago.

Will be doing that.

plenty of 1960s interstate shields.  18x18s, no less.

find us some old US route markers!  even the '61 spec black square is getting very tough to find

[adt1982]

Not 66-related, but take some time to drive around the lower/service level streets in Chicago.

Will be doing that.

You'll miss a LOT of stuff

Have you been on both the IL 4 and what I'm calling the I-55 (although really just later US 66) alignments, and is the difference that notable? What I saw indicated that 66 was only on 4 for a handful of years before most of it was bypassed.

Except for the Soulsby Station in Mt. Olive there is pretty much nothing absolutely worth seeing on the 55 side, IMO.  Of course, I live in Litchfield, therefore I've driven that route a lot, so that might be part of it.

But from Litchfield to Springfield there's pretty much nothing but fields.  The only towns right on 55/66 are tiny and have nothing to see.  There's the Lady of the Higwhays statue by Waggoner and Art's Hotel/Restaurant in Farmersville, but that's about it.  Even Litchfield doesn't really have anything "must see."

[hobsini2]

Not 66-related, but take some time to drive around the lower/service level streets in Chicago.

Unfortunately there are sections of Lower Wacker Dr in Chicago that are closed for reconstruction between I-290/Congress Pkwy up to about Lake St. The rest of Lower Wacker is accessible.

But if you want to go to a famous dive for a bite to eat in the area, go to the original Billy Goat Tavern under 430 N Michigan Ave at Hubbard St and get a "cheezborger, cheezborger, no fires, cheeps, no Pepsi, Coke." (old SNL skit)
http://www.billygoattavern.com/home.html
Sometimes you can "run in to" some famous people and writers.
Easiest access to the place is off of Lower Wacker Dr and Lower Michigan Ave. Take Lower Michigan north over the river to Hubbard St. It's on the NW corner.

On Broadway (Rt 53/old 66) in Joliet, there is a good ice cream shack that has "Jake and Elwood" from the "Blues Brothers" on the roof. It is next to Gateway Park.
Also in Joliet on Ottawa St, there's the Joliet Historical Museum which has Route 66 exhibits.
Joliet has several Route 66 sights along Old 66/Rt 53.

The previous post that mentioned a detour of 66 off Joliet Rd is in Hodgkins. Heading northeast, the detour is on East Ave, turn left, go to 55th St, turn right and back to Joliet Rd. This detour has been in place for over a decade.

In Berwyn, US 66 went along Ogden Ave. It still has a couple of 66 things but there is so much traffic and no turn lanes that you have to really watch the traffic. My advice is to stay in the right lane to get thru Berwyn otherwise you can (and will) be stopped at each light waiting for the turning cars to go left.

[US71]

I don't know if they still do, but Chicago used to have some cool 4-Way traffic signals on posts in the downtown area.

Nope, never mind... all gone     

[Alps]

Not 66-related, but take some time to drive around the lower/service level streets in Chicago.

Will be doing that.

You'll miss a LOT of stuff

Have you been on both the IL 4 and what I'm calling the I-55 (although really just later US 66) alignments, and is the difference that notable? What I saw indicated that 66 was only on 4 for a handful of years before most of it was bypassed.

Except for the Soulsby Station in Mt. Olive there is pretty much nothing absolutely worth seeing on the 55 side, IMO.  Of course, I live in Litchfield, therefore I've driven that route a lot, so that might be part of it.

But from Litchfield to Springfield there's pretty much nothing but fields.  The only towns right on 55/66 are tiny and have nothing to see.  There's the Lady of the Higwhays statue by Waggoner and Art's Hotel/Restaurant in Farmersville, but that's about it.  Even Litchfield doesn't really have anything "must see."

I looked at http://www.historic66.com/illinois/det-il4.html for my source, and it seems that there's a lot more on the eastern alignment. At least, what they'll list.

[US71]

Have you been on both the IL 4 and what I'm calling the I-55 (although really just later US 66) alignments, and is the difference that notable? What I saw indicated that 66 was only on 4 for a handful of years before most of it was bypassed.

OK, when you say 55, you mean the 1940's alignment of 66 and not the Interstate? There's a bit more to see that way, though it was on IL 4 that I found the guide signs for the covered bridge.

I drove UP 4 and back home old 66 Mk II.  The IL 4 alignment only really goes to Springfield, so you could cover the IL 4 section in half a day probably, if you chose to look. It kind of zigs and zags and goes through lots of small communities.

But if you go I-55, you WILL miss a lot

[Alps]

Have you been on both the IL 4 and what I'm calling the I-55 (although really just later US 66) alignments, and is the difference that notable? What I saw indicated that 66 was only on 4 for a handful of years before most of it was bypassed.

OK, when you say 55, you mean the 1940's alignment of 66 and not the Interstate? There's a bit more to see that way, though it was on IL 4 that I found the guide signs for the covered bridge.

I drove UP 4 and back home old 66 Mk II.  The IL 4 alignment only really goes to Springfield, so you could cover the IL 4 section in half a day probably, if you chose to look. It kind of zigs and zags and goes through lots of small communities.

But if you go I-55, you WILL miss a lot

Yes, I will only be on I-55 for a sparing bit where old 66 is nothing but frontage roads (or else overlaid completely by 55). Since I'm detouring for the brick pavement and coming back via the covered bridge, I think I've got everything covered on the 4 side. (I'm sure both alignments have their share of old buildings.)

[Brandon]

There's a shopping center at 16 & 55 in Litchfield that had a US Shaped I-55 sign, but I don't know if it's still there.

Once you get to Chi-town, there are lots of old bridges, though not necessarily on old 66

Which shopping center? I see several. It's worth a few minute detour for a chance at US I-55, but not going into every lot.

Re: Chicago: Where in town are the _scenic_ old bridges? Whether from above or below. I know this question is necessarily exhaustive, but since I won't be able to see all of them anyway, just point me to the best.

Almost anything over the Chicago River (north and south branches as well as the main branch).
Of course, there's the Scherzer rolling lift bridges of Joliet (covered in my road meet tour).
Many metal monsters cross the Cal-Sag Canal and the Des Plaines River such as IL-83.

As for US-66, there are 3 different routings here between Bolingbrook and Gardner.
US-66 1926 - Currently IL-53 to Romeoville and then Joliet Road to I-55.
US-66 1940 - Currently unnumbered from Gardner to Braidwood (fmr IL-129); IL-129; I-55 from Exit 238 to Exit 251; IL-59 to IL-126; IL-126 to I-55; and I-55 to Bolingbrook.
US-66 1956 - I-55, built as US-66 freeway.

The section from Gardner to Channahon is mostly the same as in 1956 with the exception of a couple of exits that have been rebuilt (240, 248).  Check out the narrow median.  We'll cover some of this in the tour.

[adt1982]

There's a shopping center at 16 & 55 in Litchfield that had a US Shaped I-55 sign, but I don't know if it's still there.

Once you get to Chi-town, there are lots of old bridges, though not necessarily on old 66

I can't recall exactly, but I'm pretty sure there's more than 1 of those around town.  I'll have to see how many I can find one day this week.  I know there's at least one "to Interstate I-55 sign" here.

[Alps]

Almost anything over the Chicago River (north and south branches as well as the main branch).
Of course, there's the Scherzer rolling lift bridges of Joliet (covered in my road meet tour).
Many metal monsters cross the Cal-Sag Canal and the Des Plaines River such as IL-83.

I'll take a look at the Chicago River and see what I see. It looks like this could add a lot of time to my... time.

I can't recall exactly, but I'm pretty sure there's more than 1 of those around town.  I'll have to see how many I can find one day this week.  I know there's at least one "to Interstate I-55 sign" here.

Interstate I-55? I'm on that. Hit me.

[adt1982]

There's a US-shaped but interstate colored 55 sign at the south of Wal-Mart where it meets Ferdon St.

The "to Interstate I-55 signs" are in in the industrial park between 55, 66, and 16.

Here's a pic from Bill Burmaster's site.