Illinois 29 Project: Mossville to I-180

[I-39]

The ring road has always been a district engineer priority -the problem is it has never been a public priority and that is why LaHood got involved last time . I think Dist 4s obsession with it means nothing is going to be done in Dist 4 . I really welcome Rick Powells insights on this . I have been on 29 recently and adding a passing lane would be a breeze and that's all that is needed ,I-180 could then be IL 29 . The same could be done on the even emptier Peoria-Macomb route. Adam maybe you want to make this the " do the Peoria routes make sense thread. I did the math 29 from downtown saves all of 4 miles off 74/55

I agree 29 does not need any additional work, I thought I made that clear? And I think IL-336 is incredibly stupid, even the existing segment between Quincy and Macomb was not necessary. But the point I was making is IL-29 is even stupider, you don't need a four lane highway when you already have I-39 east of there. Even adding a passing lane would be a stretch.

Think of how much progress could have been made on U.S 67 with all the money spent on studies/construction on the IL-29/336 corridor.

[Rick Powell]

Think of how much progress could have been made on U.S 67 with all the money spent on studies/construction on the IL-29/336 corridor.

The cost of a study is but a small fraction of actual construction.  I have worked on at least 4 medium-to-mega-projects that got scrapped, and the combined money spent on the planning studies for these might've been enough to build 5 miles of freeway.

[Lyon Wonder]

IMO, an alternate to 4-laning IL-29 to IL-180 might be to upgrade US 24 from Washington to I-55 at Chenoa to make it easier for Peoria traffic to connect to I-39 and I-55. Using 24 to get to I-55 is also 17 miles shorter than taking I-74 to I-55 at Normal, and an upgraded US 24 expressway/freeway from Peoria to I-39 and I-55 would be quicker.  Though this is getting into fictional territory.

[3467]

Those were all looked at those corridors in Peoria Chicago and were shot down by the counties leaving only those along 29 saying well OK ...I just checked the Peoria-Chicago study The shortest route only saved 8 miles over the interstate 74-55 route and half the Chicago trips were using it now.
I enjoy Rick Powells insights.

[I-39]

IMO, an alternate to 4-laning IL-29 to IL-180 might be to upgrade US 24 from Washington to I-55 at Chenoa to make it easier for Peoria traffic to connect to I-39 and I-55. Using 24 to get to I-55 is also 17 miles shorter than taking I-74 to I-55 at Normal, and an upgraded US 24 expressway/freeway from Peoria to I-39 and I-55 would be quicker.  Though this is getting into fictional territory.

Those were all looked at those corridors in Peoria Chicago and were shot down by the counties leaving only those along 29 saying well OK ...I just checked the Peoria-Chicago study The shortest route only saved 8 miles over the interstate 74-55 route and half the Chicago trips were using it now.
I enjoy Rick Powells insights.

I agree. I enjoy Rick Powell's insights too.

I actually have family who lives in Eureka, so I drive that stretch (U.S 24 from I-39 to Eureka and sometimes to Washington) a couple times a year. It does not need a full blown expressway, but it could defiantly use some passing lanes like 3647 suggests for other routes. They did study this for the Peoria to Chicago highway, but it would require bypassing Eureka, El Paso, Gridley, etc (there is no way you could build four lanes through those towns).

[3467]

And IDOT could do a lot of Projects like passing  lanes on 24 if they would get over this freeway or near freeway or nothing attitude they seem to have!

[I-39]

And IDOT could do a lot of Projects like passing  lanes on 24 if they would get over this freeway or near freeway or nothing attitude they seem to have!

Agreed. I have changed my mind and now concede that U.S 20 doesn't need four lanes, a Galena bypass and passing lanes would be fine.

[3467]

I really think Wisconsin and Missouri are on to something but Illinois being a richer state with the world class city bristles at doing anything like its neighbors -well it needs to get off its high horse Both those states have better run DOTS under both parties .
Iowa seemed to be going in a similar direction but they are a joke too but in a different way. They main arterials but 66% of their road mileage is gravel. They are the anti-Illinois too far the other way

[I-39]

I really think Wisconsin and Missouri are on to something but Illinois being a richer state with the world class city bristles at doing anything like its neighbors -well it needs to get off its high horse Both those states have better run DOTS under both parties .
Iowa seemed to be going in a similar direction but they are a joke too but in a different way. They main arterials but 66% of their road mileage is gravel. They are the anti-Illinois too far the other way

Wisconsin builds more freeways and expressways than Illinois, even in some areas that really don't need it. Missouri DOT is in worse shape financially than Illinois.

Illinois should be an economic powerhouse, but corruption and Chicago politics is dragging the state down.

[3467]

Mo DOT is in really bad shape but that forced them to come up with innovative ideas IDOT hasn't It just gives up

[I-39]

Mo DOT is in really bad shape but that forced them to come up with innovative ideas IDOT hasn't It just gives up

What kind of innovative ideas is MoDOT thinking of? Last I heard, they are creating a program where they will only fund critical corridors for maintenance.

[Brandon]

Mo DOT is in really bad shape but that forced them to come up with innovative ideas IDOT hasn't It just gives up

Too true.  IDOT feels like they just give up.  I do wish they were more like ISTHA with innovative thinking. 

[3467]

Brandon is right Like Rick Powell said they just scrap them Well maybe something is needed but not a mega project That is how the EIS process should be done
MoDOT came up with a very interesting 3 lane design I will try to link later. They cam up with innovative funding for US 61 and US 36 

[3467]

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150221/NEWS/150229863/13313/SPORTS

In a series of stories that featured the revenue problems that are a big topic here from 70 in Mo to other sources of funding The Peoria paper included the local wish list -the Eastern Bypass is here but 29 and 336 are not . If IDOT didn't really want to build those they should rush in and offer some passing lanes but they just are not that smart

[I-39]

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150221/NEWS/150229863/13313/SPORTS

In a series of stories that featured the revenue problems that are a big topic here from 70 in Mo to other sources of funding The Peoria paper included the local wish list -the Eastern Bypass is here but 29 and 336 are not . If IDOT didn't really want to build those they should rush in and offer some passing lanes but they just are not that smart

Good, both IL-336 and IL-29 should be scrapped and the priorities should be shifted elsewhere.