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Illinois notes

Started by mgk920, September 12, 2012, 02:19:57 PM

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ChiMilNet

Quote from: ILRoad55 on June 18, 2016, 08:28:05 AM
That's interesting, that reminds of the really strange signal at Naper Blvd and Plank Road. The signal has two red lights and it forms a T.

http://www.billburmaster.com/rmsandw/illinois/images/signaperblvd0211.jpg

Hahaha, that signal looks like some type of alien or robot with the two red lights being like eyes!


captkirk_4

Quote from: ChiMilNet on June 08, 2016, 11:15:18 PM
Quote from: Rick Powell on June 08, 2016, 05:29:50 PM
Quote from: Henry on June 08, 2016, 10:44:53 AM
It works for me.

I-180 could sure use a downgrade, since all those businesses on the other end of it have long since left, essentially making it a spur to nowhere.

mgk, the synopsis of the article was that a private plane made an emergency landing on I-180, and the pilot remarked that he thought the road was closed because there were no vehicles on it.

Henry, there is a big ethanol plant north of the abandoned steel mill that wasn't there until a few years ago, and Acelor Mittal is trying to market the steel mill property to other potential industrial developers. So it's not exactly a road to nowhere, but more of a road to not much.

If looking at a bigger picture map, it is obvious that this could fill in as a Chicago-Peoria route if IDOT were to ever get the funding. If that happened, it would well serve a purpose. I don't see a point in "downgrading", but I also would say it is lower on the list of IDOT's Interstate maintenance priorities.

Problem is the IL29 up to I-180 then over to Chicago isn't really a shortcut and people can already head over to Bloomington and take I-55 up which is about the same length. Any actual direct route to Chicago would go where no highways currrently exist, from Peoria through Steator up to Morris. No way is that ever going to get built. Perhaps adding an extra two lanes on US 24 to Chenoa like the stretch of 51 between Bloomington and Decatur is more feasible. I hear a lot of Peoria traffic already takes that route and it has a lot of accidents. With fantasy level funding, upgrading US24 to four lanes from Peoria to Logansport Indiana, with bypasses of towns such as Watseka, could provide trucks an alternate route around some of the worst traffic in the Midwest on the Kingery/Borman south end of Chicagoland and lake Michigan.

That said, I did take a ride on I-180 this weekend and have to say I was surprised that it was one of the most scenic Interstates in the entire State of Illinois, it becomes rolling forested hills just a few miles south of I-80.

tribar

Anyone know when Google will update the satellite imagery for the Chicago area?  A number of things are already outdated.

The Ghostbuster

With Google Maps, everything is outdated, or why would there be a thread named "Google Maps Sucks"?

Rick Powell

Quote from: captkirk_4 on June 23, 2016, 10:29:27 AM

Problem is the IL29 up to I-180 then over to Chicago isn't really a shortcut and people can already head over to Bloomington and take I-55 up which is about the same length. Any actual direct route to Chicago would go where no highways currrently exist, from Peoria through Steator up to Morris. No way is that ever going to get built. Perhaps adding an extra two lanes on US 24 to Chenoa like the stretch of 51 between Bloomington and Decatur is more feasible. I hear a lot of Peoria traffic already takes that route and it has a lot of accidents. With fantasy level funding, upgrading US24 to four lanes from Peoria to Logansport Indiana, with bypasses of towns such as Watseka, could provide trucks an alternate route around some of the worst traffic in the Midwest on the Kingery/Borman south end of Chicagoland and lake Michigan.


There have been some moves to create a Chenoa-to-Peoria highway route.  It's 4-laned from Peoria east into Woodford County, but the urban section through Eureka would probably need a bypass. The I-55 and US 24 interchange at Chenoa was built in the 70's with an eye toward 4-laning US 24 at some point. And it was one of the alternatives in the Chicago to Peoria study that ultimately selected IL 29 as the preferred route.

My daughter lives right off of US 24 in Chatsworth; it is not a busy road, and people routinely drive 65 mph on it. It might eventually be looked at as a Chicago bypass route, but as of right now, it's not even on the radar. Fairbury, Gilman and Watseka are the only places where traffic slows down appreciably to go thru town.

ChiMilNet

Quote from: Rick Powell on June 26, 2016, 05:08:34 PM
Quote from: captkirk_4 on June 23, 2016, 10:29:27 AM

Problem is the IL29 up to I-180 then over to Chicago isn't really a shortcut and people can already head over to Bloomington and take I-55 up which is about the same length. Any actual direct route to Chicago would go where no highways currrently exist, from Peoria through Steator up to Morris. No way is that ever going to get built. Perhaps adding an extra two lanes on US 24 to Chenoa like the stretch of 51 between Bloomington and Decatur is more feasible. I hear a lot of Peoria traffic already takes that route and it has a lot of accidents. With fantasy level funding, upgrading US24 to four lanes from Peoria to Logansport Indiana, with bypasses of towns such as Watseka, could provide trucks an alternate route around some of the worst traffic in the Midwest on the Kingery/Borman south end of Chicagoland and lake Michigan.


There have been some moves to create a Chenoa-to-Peoria highway route.  It's 4-laned from Peoria east into Woodford County, but the urban section through Eureka would probably need a bypass. The I-55 and US 24 interchange at Chenoa was built in the 70's with an eye toward 4-laning US 24 at some point. And it was one of the alternatives in the Chicago to Peoria study that ultimately selected IL 29 as the preferred route.

My daughter lives right off of US 24 in Chatsworth; it is not a busy road, and people routinely drive 65 mph on it. It might eventually be looked at as a Chicago bypass route, but as of right now, it's not even on the radar. Fairbury, Gilman and Watseka are the only places where traffic slows down appreciably to go thru town.

Obviously, any upgrade to either route would be years or decades off with much bigger infrastructure needs coming first. In short, anything to divert some of the traffic from the mishmash of interchanges at Bloomington/Normal would be welcome (although the recently completed 6 laning of I-55 through has made a huge difference and probably moves this even lower on the list of priorities). US 24, from looking at it on a map, does make the most sense actually. Getting IDOT to even study it, let alone do engineering plans, is a whole other ballgame.

tribar

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on June 24, 2016, 04:41:25 PM
With Google Maps, everything is outdated, or why would there be a thread named "Google Maps Sucks"?

Not Google Maps, Google Earth.

ILRoad55

Quote from: tribar on June 27, 2016, 03:25:20 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on June 24, 2016, 04:41:25 PM
With Google Maps, everything is outdated, or why would there be a thread named "Google Maps Sucks"?

Not Google Maps, Google Earth.
Satellite imagery is the same for both though. Most of the Chicagoland is from early 2015, which may not seem old, but it sure is. Look at Thorndale, or the LSD/55 interchange, or the Circle interchange.

ChiMilNet

Well, for construction workers in IL, it's a relief to see that a deal was reached to keep the funds going for construction for the remainder of the year and avert a shutdown. In addition to how much of a pain it would have been to drivers to have delays in getting projects finished, it would have just been sad to see construction workers in the state without work. Just wondering, even though construction did not ultimately come to a halt, have there been any resulting delays that were noted from contractors focusing on "securing" their construction sites just incase?

Rick Powell

Quote from: ChiMilNet on July 02, 2016, 11:53:40 PM
Well, for construction workers in IL, it's a relief to see that a deal was reached to keep the funds going for construction for the remainder of the year and avert a shutdown. In addition to how much of a pain it would have been to drivers to have delays in getting projects finished, it would have just been sad to see construction workers in the state without work. Just wondering, even though construction did not ultimately come to a halt, have there been any resulting delays that were noted from contractors focusing on "securing" their construction sites just incase?

I didn't notice a whole lot of shutdown activities ahead of the 31st. The contractors were getting ready for the July 4 weekend anyway, where no short term lane shutdowns were going to be done. There was a directive to shut down "destructive" work a few days ahead of the deadline. I doubt if anyone lost more than a day or 2; some contractors may have been working extra hard to get billable work done ahead of the potential shutdown, too.

captkirk_4

Quote from: Rick Powell on July 03, 2016, 01:37:36 PM
Quote from: ChiMilNet on July 02, 2016, 11:53:40 PM
Well, for construction workers in IL, it's a relief to see that a deal was reached to keep the funds going for construction for the remainder of the year and avert a shutdown. In addition to how much of a pain it would have been to drivers to have delays in getting projects finished, it would have just been sad to see construction workers in the state without work. Just wondering, even though construction did not ultimately come to a halt, have there been any resulting delays that were noted from contractors focusing on "securing" their construction sites just incase?

I didn't notice a whole lot of shutdown activities ahead of the 31st. The contractors were getting ready for the July 4 weekend anyway, where no short term lane shutdowns were going to be done. There was a directive to shut down "destructive" work a few days ahead of the deadline. I doubt if anyone lost more than a day or 2; some contractors may have been working extra hard to get billable work done ahead of the potential shutdown, too.

Well, they shut down the Farmer City rest area on I-74 last month and I always stopped and got a can of soda from it's vending machines when going between Champaign and Bloomington. Don't know if it is for remodeling or the budget battle.

adt1982

Many rest areas in Illinois are/were shut down due to the budget issues.

Farmer City, near Hamel, and Metropolis all come to mind.

paulthemapguy

Quote from: adt1982 on July 03, 2016, 05:46:34 PM
Many rest areas in Illinois are/were shut down due to the budget issues.

Farmer City, near Hamel, and Metropolis all come to mind.

Really?  I thought the Farmer City rest area was one of the fancier ones!
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SSOWorld

Who needs rest areas now that there are truck stops to stop at? :-D
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cl94

Quote from: SSOWorld on July 04, 2016, 06:58:26 PM
Who needs rest areas now that there are truck stops to stop at? :-D

But you need to buy something in order to justify using the truck stop restroom
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

MisterSG1

Quote from: cl94 on July 04, 2016, 07:28:45 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on July 04, 2016, 06:58:26 PM
Who needs rest areas now that there are truck stops to stop at? :-D

But you need to buy something in order to justify using the truck stop restroom

Who says you have to buy anything, I've used the Dixie/Shawson Husky a lot for instance to use the bathroom back when I used to planespot regularly with one of my friends and I never bought anything.

Stratuscaster

It's a courtesy to buy something if you use the restroom - but it's not a law.

Perhaps IDOT should look at deals to lease the rest areas and allow travel plazas to be built in them.

MisterSG1

Quote from: Stratuscaster on July 04, 2016, 11:53:26 PM
It's a courtesy to buy something if you use the restroom - but it's not a law.

Perhaps IDOT should look at deals to lease the rest areas and allow travel plazas to be built in them.

I believe that violates a federal law, there's a reason you only see service centers on toll roads in the US, because they aren't allowed on non tolled interstates. The belief is that by building service centers, it would take away business located at actual exits.

With the prominence of national chains in which many have a huge multinational presence, obviously the purpose of the original law is kind of pointless and I see absolutely no reason why rest areas couldn't be converted into service centers. How often do you take an exit to go to a mom and pop shop, better yet, how often is a mom and pop shop advertised on the interstate using either BBS or billboards.


As for using the bathroom, with a general big space like a truck stop, obviously larger than your everyday gas station, I don't see an issue whatsoever. I'm sure you don't feel guilt about using the bathroom at Walmart now do you? I do feel a sense of having to buy something if I use the bathroom at a place that has a rather small floor space, like at a Subway for instance. I'm not sure why I feel this way, but I just do.

cl94

I rarely stop in a business to use the restroom without buying something. Granted, I try and time restroom breaks with when I need a snack or drink to make that easier. I know I could slip in and out easily, but I'd feel bad. Real challenge is knowing what has a public restroom, especially in rural areas. At least in New York, they can be quite hard to come by in small towns, as few gas stations have them (especially clean ones).

As far as services on the Interstate system, yes, there is a law against it. Toll roads and facilities that existed before the 60s or something becoming part of the system are exempt. This is why the Major Deegan in the Bronx and 128 in Boston have service plazas, even though they were always free. Granted, New York is putting a rest area with a store on Free 90, so who knows what is actually allowed.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

Brandon

Quote from: cl94 on July 04, 2016, 07:28:45 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on July 04, 2016, 06:58:26 PM
Who needs rest areas now that there are truck stops to stop at? :-D

But you need to buy something in order to justify using the truck stop restroom

No, you don't.  They're also required to have public restrooms as per the Illinois Plumbing Code (state law).
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

inkyatari

Quote from: adt1982 on July 03, 2016, 05:46:34 PM
Many rest areas in Illinois are/were shut down due to the budget issues.

Farmer City, near Hamel, and Metropolis all come to mind.

I know the Minooka rest areas on 80 are/were closed.
I'm never wrong, just wildly inaccurate.

dvferyance

Quote from: Stratuscaster on July 04, 2016, 11:53:26 PM
It's a courtesy to buy something if you use the restroom - but it's not a law.

Perhaps IDOT should look at deals to lease the rest areas and allow travel plazas to be built in them.
Many places have signs bathrooms for customers only. It's very clear the only place I will do it is at Wal Mart and only because I work for the company.

tribar

Quote from: dvferyance on July 05, 2016, 05:06:14 PM
Quote from: Stratuscaster on July 04, 2016, 11:53:26 PM
It's a courtesy to buy something if you use the restroom - but it's not a law.

Perhaps IDOT should look at deals to lease the rest areas and allow travel plazas to be built in them.
Many places have signs bathrooms for customers only. It's very clear the only place I will do it is at Wal Mart and only because I work for the company.

What are they honestly going to do about it if you go ahead and use the bathroom anyways?

Brandon

Quote from: dvferyance on July 05, 2016, 05:06:14 PM
Quote from: Stratuscaster on July 04, 2016, 11:53:26 PM
It's a courtesy to buy something if you use the restroom - but it's not a law.

Perhaps IDOT should look at deals to lease the rest areas and allow travel plazas to be built in them.
Many places have signs bathrooms for customers only. It's very clear the only place I will do it is at Wal Mart and only because I work for the company.

If it's a gas station in Illinois, then they're in violation of state law if they put up such a sign.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

dvferyance

Quote from: Brandon on July 05, 2016, 06:45:03 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on July 05, 2016, 05:06:14 PM
Quote from: Stratuscaster on July 04, 2016, 11:53:26 PM
It's a courtesy to buy something if you use the restroom - but it's not a law.

Perhaps IDOT should look at deals to lease the rest areas and allow travel plazas to be built in them.
Many places have signs bathrooms for customers only. It's very clear the only place I will do it is at Wal Mart and only because I work for the company.

If it's a gas station in Illinois, then they're in violation of state law if they put up such a sign.
Not that many gas stations have bathrooms. It's places like Mc Donald's that have such signs



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