Fox Valley Freeway

[Brandon]

This freeway would've been along IL-59 from Joliet to the Wisconsin border, matching up with US-12.  This is an image of the study area from the 1990s from my own collection.  It also shows FAP-431 (now I-355 between I-80 and I-55), FAP-432 (IL-35 extension proposed through Lake County), and FAP-435 (Elgin-O'Hare Expressway).

http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz298/midamcrossrds/FoxValleyFwy_0001.jpg

[Henry]

That would've been a good I-94 alternative in the Chicago/Milwaukee megalopolis.

[3467]

The area filled in by the early 90s and Gov Edgar cancelled it. Another outer belt plan developed into the Praire parkway/Illiana  tollway. Ironically the crosstown inside Chicago would be easier to revive because there is the RR ROW. Beyond these 2 and the mini crosstown only the IL 53 and Elgin Ohare are on any plans for the next 30 years, all as tollways

[hobsini2]

It actually was cancelled beacuase of the NIMBYS in Warrenville by Fermilab.  And this was actually going to be built as a Toll Road.

[Brandon]

It actually was cancelled beacuase of the NIMBYS in Warrenville by Fermilab.  And this was actually going to be built as a Toll Road.

Which is quite a shame since IL-59 is god-awful busy now.  Oh well, hopefully the Prairie Parkway stays on track.

[Rick Powell]

If you stay in this business long enough, things will come around full circle.  I was IDOT's project manager on the Prairie Parkway and I am working in the private sector now.  Our team will be working on the Tiered EIS for the Illiana Expressway over the next few years.  One of the guys on our team was IDOT's project manager for the Fox Valley Freeway study back in the early 90's.

[Chicagosuburban]

Interesting, the Freeway could have gone through where my subdivision is now (it wasn't built yet when they were planning the Freeway so it would be interesting to see if it was actually built, where exactly it would have gone)

[Max B. (FreewayTitan)]

Personally I like the idea of the Prairie Parkway, or something along the IL-47 corridor in general.

[ftballfan]

NIMBYs must apparently like being stuck in traffic

[hobsini2]

Never underestimate the power of the NIMBY!  Thes are the same bastards that will go 45 in a 55 on Butterfield Rd between Route 59 and Farnsworth.   Thank god IDiOT is finally, after 20 so odd years of promise, widening it.

[NE2]

I hear NIMBYs are preventing an I-82 extension from passing through Yellowstone!

[Brandon]

Never underestimate the power of the NIMBY!  Thes are the same bastards that will go 45 in a 55 on Butterfield Rd between Route 59 and Farnsworth.   Thank god IDiOT is finally, after 20 so odd years of promise, widening it.

And yet, they're the same bastards who will bitch, piss, whine, moan, and complain when roads like Butterfield are widened so we don't have to sit behind their Prius-driving slow-asses.  They hate to see their "rural atmosphere" go away.  Here's a hint, the "rural atmosphere" went away when you built your oversized wannabe McMansion in what used to be the middle of nowhere.

[Revive 755]

There's an older map on a wall in the Mokena Library that showed a short section of the Fox Valley running west to IL 59 from a trumpet on I-55 maybe a mile northeast of the IL 126 interchange.

[hobsini2]

There's an older map on a wall in the Mokena Library that showed a short section of the Fox Valley running west to IL 59 from a trumpet on I-55 maybe a mile northeast of the IL 126 interchange.

Yes somewhere i have a 6 county atlas that Rand McNally made that had the same proposal.  I want to say that was in 1993 or so.  I haven't seen that book in ages.

[Stratuscaster]

Thank god IDiOT is finally, after 20 so odd years of promise, widening it.

Only between Naperville Rd and the EJE tracks west of 59.

The rural atmosphere will continue from the EJE to Farnsworth - no real surprise since the only thing north of Butterfield in that stretch is Fermilab - and then it will crash into the oh-so rural retail atmosphere of Super Wal-Mart and the nearby Chicago Premium Outlets mall that still backs up traffic onto I-88 at times.

It does amuse me that the 6-lane I-88 and the 2-lane IL-56/Butterfield Rd are both posted at 55MPH, too.

[Revive 755]

It does amuse me that the 6-lane I-88 and the 2-lane IL-56/Butterfield Rd are both posted at 55MPH, too.

The Toll Authority does not seem capable of posting decent speed limits, otherwise I-94 would stay 65 until at least IL 132.  As with I-88, some of the parallel routes to I-94 do make it up to 55.

[Brandon]

Thank god IDiOT is finally, after 20 so odd years of promise, widening it.

Only between Naperville Rd and the EJE tracks west of 59.

The rural atmosphere will continue from the EJE to Farnsworth - no real surprise since the only thing north of Butterfield in that stretch is Fermilab - and then it will crash into the oh-so rural retail atmosphere of Super Wal-Mart and the nearby Chicago Premium Outlets mall that still backs up traffic onto I-88 at times.

It does amuse me that the 6-lane I-88 and the 2-lane IL-56/Butterfield Rd are both posted at 55MPH, too.

Based on the 85th percentile, I-88 should be 70 mph from what I've seen.  55 mph is a sick joke around Chicagoland.

[Lightning Strike]

Based on the 85th percentile, I-88 should be 70 mph from what I've seen.  55 mph is a sick joke around Chicagoland.

45 on 90/94 through downtown is also a sick joke, but agree at least 65 on outer loops (294/290), I despise 55mph speed limits of these routes especially