Chicago to Columbus

[Truvelo]

I've just returned from another trip. I flew into O'Hare and drove to Columbus OH and back. The scenery is a little flat so the pictures aren't as interesting as those from areas such as the Rockies. Click on each picture to enlarge, except the last one.

Kennedy Expressway heading into Chicago around 2pm. I had a clear run all the way whereas traffic heading out of town is stuck in traffic. The centre lanes appear to be tidal flow but the additional two lanes don't seem to make much difference to the congestion.


Dan Ryan heading out of town taken shortly after the last picture. Once again I had a clear run and traffic heading the other way is stuck in a massive queue. For some reason traffic heading into town is busier whereas I would expect outbound traffic to be heavier in the afternoon. I was heading towards Matteson on I-57 so I decided to risk taking I-90/I-94 instead of I-294 and save a few $ by shunpiking. As it turned out I didn't hit a single queue by using the free route so it was money well saved.


I-65 near I-865 Indianapolis. Resurfacing work is taking place. I think it's also being widened from 4 to 6 lanes. The food sign on the right is button copy. This one doesn't show a McDonalds which is strange as there seems to be one at almost every other exit.


County Road 550 north of Crawfordsville IN. The surface appears to be brand new and isn't yet striped. The speed limit signs along here all contain a retro-fitted 5 and there appears to be a 4 underneath. The 5 is also in an incorrect font.


US-41 between SR-63 and US-52 Indiana. This road seems excessively over-engineered for the amount of traffic it carries, perhaps one vehicle each way per minute. The two-lane stretch of US-41 south of 63 seems a lot busier in comparison and the US-41/SR-63 interchange takes up a ridiculous amount of land. 60mph is also a painful crawl on such a wide deserted road.


I-294 south of O'Hare. After seeing the queues on northbound I-90/I-94 I decided to pay the tolls on my return journey. The VMS signs around Chicago give travelling times to certain locations and this one alternates between that and advertising the next rest area which are called Oasis.

[Brandon]

^^
Those are the Kennedy reversibles.  They tend to flow out in the evening and in in the morning.  The change between flows is automatically controlled.

Did you enjoy the Ryan express lanes?  They tend to be fast and not for the week at heart drivers.  I find them to be easier than taking the Stevenson (I-55) into the Loop.

The tollway service areas are indeed called oases (oasis - singular).  They are similar in setup to the service areas you have in Britain, including being over the road (except for the DeKalb Oasis on I-88).  The VMSs are very common on the tollway system, and I wish IDOT would do likewise with theirs.  ISTHA (Illinois State Toll Highway Authority) VMSs usually display travel time with a message.  They're very useful at rush hour.

[Truvelo]

I didn't use the Dan Ryan express lanes as I wanted I-94 then 57. I wasn't sure if the express lanes defaulted onto I-90 and then I'd end up going out of my way and paying tolls.

[rawmustard]

I didn't use the Dan Ryan express lanes as I wanted I-94 then 57. I wasn't sure if the express lanes defaulted onto I-90 and then I'd end up going out of my way and paying tolls.

Nope, the Dan Ryan's express lanes don't force you onto the Skyway. You'd have to shunt back over to the local lanes if you had wanted to take the Skyway had you taken the express lanes.

[3467]

Did you tale 74 to IN 63 /US 41 back to Chicago.
You might be amused to know Illinois once considered a freeway just 4 miles west of IN 63

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

So what's to see in Columbus, Indiana?

[Truvelo]

Did you tale 74 to IN 63 /US 41 back to Chicago.

No, I took 231 out of Crawfordsville and then some county roads between Linden and Attica to join US-41. Then US-24 to Watseka, SR1 to 52 then US-45 and I-57 to Chicago including I-80 to 294 since there's no connection between 57 and 294 as mentioned in other threads on this forum. I don't know why the connection is missing as it only really needs movements between O'Hare and I-57 South. There's enough space to add ramps for those movements including a loop on the eastern side if the shacks to the east were removed.

[Truvelo]

Here's some more pictures.

I-69 northeast of Indianapolis. In just a mile or so these six lanes become two.


US-40 near Centerville IN. The four lanes seem wasted now but I wonder what it would have been like before I-70 was built?


I-70 near Richmond IN. Columbus has the state name after it which is normally the case when the control city is out of state and there's a city of the same name in the current state. However, anyone wanting Columbus IN wouldn't be going this way. Clicking on the picture will enlarge it showing the button copy.


The control cities here are more like control states.

[Brandon]

^^ The control states are pretty common around Chicagoland.  Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin are used by both IDOT and ISTHA.

[6a]

Oh man, I know I'm new around here but it would have been cool to show you some insider spots around Columbus.

[NE2]

US-40 near Centerville IN. The four lanes seem wasted now but I wonder what it would have been like before I-70 was built?

On part of US 1 in northeast Florida I zoned out for a bit and when I came back to I thought for a second I was on I-95. Literally the only major difference is the occasional unpaved driveway. US 1 was a very major highway in Florida before I-95, and was I believe entirely four-laned north of Miami, though most parts are developed enough that some difference can be seen easily.

[3467]

US 40 @ Centerville was the last section of 40 four laned. I dont know where to find 1960s Indiana traffic volmes( I do have acess to IL). If you could get those you coule try to imagine what it looked like .....with a bunch of 50s and 60s cars.