Checking in from the far FAR sw suburbs of Chicago. Just take I-80 west until the end of the earth, and go 12 miles past that.
I collect road maps and enjoy reading them with my son, enjoy the occasional road trip, avid amateur bicycle rider, and huge into video games, hence my user name. I'm co-host of a classic arcade video game podcast, The Pie Factory Podcast (http://piefactorypodcast.com)
I'm doing a couple of charity bike rides this summer, and am planning on going hiking with my son either in the Shawnees or the Galena area some point this summer (2016)
Welcome! I was born in Joliet.
Quote from: inkyatari on June 09, 2016, 02:04:29 PM
Just take I-80 west until the end of the earth, and go 12 miles past that.
You live underwater in the Pacific Ocean?
Quote from: 1 on June 09, 2016, 02:07:36 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on June 09, 2016, 02:04:29 PM
Just take I-80 west until the end of the earth, and go 12 miles past that.
You live underwater in the Pacific Ocean?
According to most citizens of Chicago, it ends at the DuPage river.
Quote from: inkyatari on June 09, 2016, 02:31:26 PM
Quote from: 1 on June 09, 2016, 02:07:36 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on June 09, 2016, 02:04:29 PM
Just take I-80 west until the end of the earth, and go 12 miles past that.
You live underwater in the Pacific Ocean?
According to most citizens of Chicago, it ends at the DuPage river.
Ouch, that hurts. Most Chicagozoids at least acknowledge the existence of Rockford. Even if they think it's the western frontier.
Welcome from stormy Winnipeg!
Welcome! I'm from the far SW burbs too, bordering on the boonies. Joliet-ish.
Hope you have a good time here!
My guess is Minoka that's about as far SW you can get for the Chicago suburbs.
Welcome to the board!
Long time map collector and video game player here.
Welcome from Alabama!
Welcome from the state that thinks 300 miles is a trek across the universe, AKA Pennsylvania!
Quote from: dvferyance on June 10, 2016, 01:33:36 PM
My guess is Minoka that's about as far SW you can get for the Chicago suburbs.
Minooka is on the edge of the world's end. You have to go past that. :)
Quote from: inkyatari on June 13, 2016, 09:10:21 AM
Quote from: dvferyance on June 10, 2016, 01:33:36 PM
My guess is Minoka that's about as far SW you can get for the Chicago suburbs.
Minooka is on the edge of the world's end. You have to go past that. :)
When you said 12 miles I was going to say Morris right off the bat. I'm actually working in Minooka for the next week or so.
Quote from: inkyatari on June 09, 2016, 02:31:26 PM
Quote from: 1 on June 09, 2016, 02:07:36 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on June 09, 2016, 02:04:29 PM
Just take I-80 west until the end of the earth, and go 12 miles past that.
You live underwater in the Pacific Ocean?
According to most citizens of Chicago, it ends at the DuPage river.
Ain't that the truth. Downstate to a typical Chicagoan is foreign territory.
Quote from: inkyatari on June 13, 2016, 09:10:21 AM
Quote from: dvferyance on June 10, 2016, 01:33:36 PM
My guess is Minoka that's about as far SW you can get for the Chicago suburbs.
Minooka is on the edge of the world's end. You have to go past that. :)
Morris? So how do you like the IL-47 construction so far? it looks like IDOT is making it into a divided highway between Morris and Yorkville.
IL-47 should have been four-laned there twelve years ago...
Quote from: kphoger on June 18, 2016, 08:51:32 AM
IL-47 should have been four-laned there twelve years ago...
It's par for the course for IDOT. They usually run 10-20 years behind (if not more).
Quote from: Brandon on June 18, 2016, 05:00:18 PM
Quote from: kphoger on June 18, 2016, 08:51:32 AM
IL-47 should have been four-laned there twelve years ago...
It's par for the course for IDOT. They usually run 10-20 years behind (if not more).
That's about right. IL-71 widening in Oswego has had Phase II plans released since 2002. Took until 2015 to get it started.
THe IL 47 widening is sorely needed, and I'd go as far as saying they need a western bypass around Yorkville.
My big issue with the area is the access over the Illinois river. There needs to be an additional crossing somewhere between Morris and I-55. The thing that would hold this up is the environmental issues, given the Goose Lake Prairie and Morris Wetlands, among other areas. THe only way I can see to bring a crossing is to go south off the Brisbin Road exit off of I-80, and connect it to Pine Bluff road and the boy scout camp road (name of the street eluding me for the moment) south of the Illinois River.
I had previously rejected a connection near the Dresden lock and Dam because of environmental issues, but over the last year or so, a gas operated generation company showed thier plans to build a gas generation plant across the street from the Dresden Nuclear plant which is right there. If that plant gets the green light, then that would be another potential spot for a crossing.
I'm not adverse to a tunnel under the Illinois river, but realistically, I know this is probably a non-starter.
Quote from: kphoger on June 09, 2016, 02:06:07 PM
Welcome! I was born in Joliet.
Same, but lived in Tinley Park for 4 years ;)
Quote from: inkyatari on June 22, 2016, 11:30:00 AM
THe IL 47 widening is sorely needed, and I'd go as far as saying they need a western bypass around Yorkville.
My big issue with the area is the access over the Illinois river. There needs to be an additional crossing somewhere between Morris and I-55. The thing that would hold this up is the environmental issues, given the Goose Lake Prairie and Morris Wetlands, among other areas. THe only way I can see to bring a crossing is to go south off the Brisbin Road exit off of I-80, and connect it to Pine Bluff road and the boy scout camp road (name of the street eluding me for the moment) south of the Illinois River.
I had previously rejected a connection near the Dresden lock and Dam because of environmental issues, but over the last year or so, a gas operated generation company showed thier plans to build a gas generation plant across the street from the Dresden Nuclear plant which is right there. If that plant gets the green light, then that would be another potential spot for a crossing.
I'm not adverse to a tunnel under the Illinois river, but realistically, I know this is probably a non-starter.
A tunnel might actually work. Most of the bedrock in that area is Joliet Dolomite. It's fairly impermeable and fairly strong, and has a long history of being quarried in the area for blocks and aggregate.
I wholeheartedly agree about a bypass of Yorkville. The Prairie Parkway would've solved that issue.
It's a real bitch to have to go around the I-55 crossing as it is. You have to go back up to Joliet (Brandon Road, I-80), or over to Morris (which has its own issues). Joliet is planning a toll bridge at the end of Houbolt Road to connect Houbolt to the intermodal yards on the east side of the Des Plaines River.
http://www.theherald-news.com/2015/05/26/joliet-mayor-bob-odekirk-pushes-for-houbolt-bridge-project/aen98w5/
http://buglenewspapers.com/area-officials-discuss-proposed-houbolt-road-bridge
http://www.wjol.com/future-houbolt-road-bridge-80-gets-easement-thats-now/
Quote from: Brandon on June 22, 2016, 11:59:49 AM
A tunnel might actually work. Most of the bedrock in that area is Joliet Dolomite. It's fairly impermeable and fairly strong, and has a long history of being quarried in the area for blocks and aggregate.
I wholeheartedly agree about a bypass of Yorkville. The Prairie Parkway would've solved that issue.
It's a real bitch to have to go around the I-55 crossing as it is. You have to go back up to Joliet (Brandon Road, I-80), or over to Morris (which has its own issues). Joliet is planning a toll bridge at the end of Houbolt Road to connect Houbolt to the intermodal yards on the east side of the Des Plaines River.
http://www.theherald-news.com/2015/05/26/joliet-mayor-bob-odekirk-pushes-for-houbolt-bridge-project/aen98w5/
http://buglenewspapers.com/area-officials-discuss-proposed-houbolt-road-bridge
http://www.wjol.com/future-houbolt-road-bridge-80-gets-easement-thats-now/
I saw the article about the Houbolt Road bridge, and the theory is that they'd charge only semis a toll to go over it. I think that bridge is a waste of money, should it ever get built. With the new Arsenal Road interchange on 55, it seems to me most semis would just hoof it down there.
Weren't the funds allocated to the Prairie Parkway diverted to the 47 widening?
Quote from: inkyatari on June 22, 2016, 04:50:05 PM
I saw the article about the Houbolt Road bridge, and the theory is that they'd charge only semis a toll to go over it. I think that bridge is a waste of money, should it ever get built. With the new Arsenal Road interchange on 55, it seems to me most semis would just hoof it down there.
Except that the volume of truck traffic is
insane. Half of the trucks still use I-80 to IL53 south to Laraway west, and if you've gone that way, you know that IL53 and Laraway have been beaten to a pulp. Plus that railroad underpass on IL53 just south of I-80 is woefully narrow and terrifying to drive through.
Quote from: inkyatari on June 22, 2016, 04:51:36 PM
Weren't the funds allocated to the Prairie Parkway diverted to the 47 widening?
Yep! That was the idea anyway. Having grown up in Oswego, 20 mins from the nearest Interstate, I would have liked to see the Prairie Parkway come to fruition.
Quote from: paulthemapguy on June 22, 2016, 06:19:37 PM
Except that the volume of truck traffic is insane. Half of the trucks still use I-80 to IL53 south to Laraway west, and if you've gone that way, you know that IL53 and Laraway have been beaten to a pulp. Plus that railroad underpass on IL53 just south of I-80 is woefully narrow and terrifying to drive through.
If the Illiana was considered along the Laraway Road corridor, that would have killed two birds with one stone. IMHO, that's where the Illiana through the Joliet area should be located.
This conversation is a bit surreal to me. I remember, growing up in New Lenox, going for drives with my dad out into farm country; Laraway Road was still gravel. And I'm only 34 years old.
Quote from: kphoger on June 23, 2016, 09:49:53 AM
This conversation is a bit surreal to me. I remember, growing up in New Lenox, going for drives with my dad out into farm country; Laraway Road was still gravel. And I'm only 34 years old.
I'm 47, and I remembger when Essington Rd. in Joliet was a 1 lane gravel road.
The old Essington Rd bridge over the Rock Run is actually still just off Essington, behind a bank just north east of the corner of Essington and Black Rd.
In the expanding suburban sprawl of western Chicagoland, they need more business parks, arts & entertainment, and major league sports (Aurora, IL's 2nd largest city is 30-35 miles W of Chicago, similar position like Newark and Jersey City, NJ; Long Beach and Anaheim in So CA, and Oakland and San Jose in No CA). The DC- Baltimore-NoVa region is an example of a megalopolis with more than one urban center, due to Washington (DC) is the nation's capital.
Anyways, welcome to AARoads, the place for road geeks (like you and me).