Is the U.S 20 freeway between Freeport and Galena necessary?

[I-39]

Deleted

[US 41]

I think the current highway is good as is. There doesn't appear to be that much traffic on it and in the hilly areas there are the keep right except to pass areas (1 lane downhill, 2 uphill).

[skluth]

Upgrading it to a decent expressway like US 151 in Wisconsin, US 61 in Iowa, or Ill 110 in Western Illinois (meaning frontage roads, interchanges at busy intersections, and short freeways around towns) could help draw some traffic off I-80. You'd also have to upgrade 20 through Dubuque to freeway (a new bridge across the Mississippi plus Dubuque bypass would likely cost more than upgrading the current alignment between Freeport and Dubuque to freeway).

[kphoger]

Yes!

I mean, no!

I mean...

[cwm1276]

I think it would help the depresses economy for the region. Is it worth it? I would have to ask that about a lot of illinois highway projects did not return much.  I think the same about all the highway construction in western illinois.  I hear you post that Macomb needs multiple freeways but Freeport does not deserve one for the same reasons as Macomb?

I could see both towns served only with better bypasses and expressway sections.

[NE2]

How does Macomb not have Interstate access (via Galesburg)? It may not have it in all directions via four-lane roads, but how many relatively minor county seats do?

[I-39]

How does Macomb not have Interstate access (via Galesburg)? It may not have it in all directions via four-lane roads, but how many relatively minor county seats do?

The only reason I keep mentioning Macomb is that is where Western Illinois University is. And Galesburg is an hour away. It's not so much Macomb in of itself, it's the general West Central Illinois area (between I-72 to the south and Galesburg to the north) that is bereft of major highway access. I'd be fine with IDOT building a freeway or at least a high quality expressway with minimal at-grade intersections along U.S 67 between Macomb and Godfrey and leave it at that. Forget the IL-336 nonsense, U.S 67 is where they need to focus on.

[NE2]

The only reason I keep mentioning Macomb is that is where Western Illinois University is. And Galesburg is an hour away.

I don't see your point. What four-lane construction would put Macomb less than an hour from an Interstate?

[I-39]

The only reason I keep mentioning Macomb is that is where Western Illinois University is. And Galesburg is an hour away.

I don't see your point. What four-lane construction would put Macomb less than an hour from an Interstate?

My point is Western Illinois in general (not just Macomb) would've been better off with a north-south Interstate highway providing better connectivity for the communities in the region. There is a reason this area is called "Forgottonia", they've suffered economically from a lack of highway access. Of course, I-72 helped, but that is an east-west, not north-south. At this point, the priority in this region should be upgrading U.S 67 to an expressway and that is it, enough of this IL-336 nonsense.

[NE2]

Western Illinois in general is a bunch of small towns that would be better off if everyone moved elsewhere. There, I said it.

[I-39]

Western Illinois in general is a bunch of small towns that would be better off if everyone moved elsewhere. There, I said it.

Well, that is your opinion and you are certainly entitled to it.

Anyway, lets get back to the topic at hand. The proposed U.S 20 freeway between Freeport and Galena.

[Revive 755]

I think the current highway is good as is. There doesn't appear to be that much traffic on it and in the hilly areas there are the keep right except to pass areas (1 lane downhill, 2 uphill).

The current highway is not adequate.  Galena needs a bypass, and there are a few long stretches between the three lane sections where passing is impossible due to the amount of traffic in the summer months.

Additionally, since US 20 is an expressway across most of Iowa, the gap between Dubuque and Freeport should be filled to provide another option for traffic trying to avoid I-80 across Iowa and I-90 through Wisconsin.

EDIT:

Western Illinois in general is a bunch of small towns that would be better off if everyone moved elsewhere. There, I said it.

Per Google:

Macomb:  19,278 (2010)
Monmouth:  9,446 (2010)
Galesburg:  32,179 (2010)
Jacksonville:  19,446 (2010)
Quincy:  40,688 (2010)
Canton:  14,703 (2010)

Seem big enough to remain to me.

[I-39]

I think the current highway is good as is. There doesn't appear to be that much traffic on it and in the hilly areas there are the keep right except to pass areas (1 lane downhill, 2 uphill).

The current highway is not adequate.  Galena needs a bypass, and there are a few long stretches between the three lane sections where passing is impossible due to the amount of traffic in the summer months.

Additionally, since US 20 is an expressway across most of Iowa, the gap between Dubuque and Freeport should be filled to provide another option for traffic trying to avoid I-80 across Iowa and I-90 through Wisconsin.

The problem is, if/when the Freeport to Galena section is built, then they are going to have to figure out what to do with the Mississippi River bridge. If the long-term goal is to make U.S 20 fully access controlled between Rockford and Interstate 35 (which I'm not sure if that is so, but from all external appearances, it sure looks like it), then they are going to have to bypass Dubuque to the south, since the current U.S 20 bridge corridor cannot be rebuilt/upgraded to freeway standards. If they bypass Dubuque, that will cost a ton of $$$$, so who knows what will happen there

[NE2]

they are going to have to bypass Dubuque to the south, since the current U.S 20 bridge corridor cannot be rebuilt/upgraded to freeway standards.

Why not? There's one intersection at the end of the bridge that could easily become an overpass, then a short freeway, then a commercial area that already has intermittent frontage roads.

[GeekJedi]

I don't believe that the "big picture" plan is to make US 20 completely controlled access. However, US 20 from Freeport through Galena in the summer months is crowded and dangerous. I lived in that area many moons ago, and there are some fairly dangerous segments, such as Stockton to Galena. Getting through Galena on a summer weekend can be a challenge as well.

[I-39]

I don't believe that the "big picture" plan is to make US 20 completely controlled access. However, US 20 from Freeport through Galena in the summer months is crowded and dangerous. I lived in that area many moons ago, and there are some fairly dangerous segments, such as Stockton to Galena. Getting through Galena on a summer weekend can be a challenge as well.

The Galena to Freeport segment will be fully access controlled. I have heard rumors (but again, I cannot verify and don't know for sure) that U.S 20 may be converted to freeway between Freeport and Rockford if the Freeport to Galena section is built. If so, that would leave the section west of the proposed IL-84 interchange the only segment not fully access-controlled (which some parts of that expressway segment need fixing/realignment). And the existing bridge over the Mississippi cannot be widened and converted to freeway, there are too many houses on the East Dubuque side that would lose access.

The best thing to do would be to have U.S 20 continue straight when it hits Higley Dr, just east of Peosta in Iowa. It would bypass Dubuque to the far south, crossing U.S 61 and 52, cross the Mississippi River and then reconnect with the existing alignment in Illinois southeast of East Dubuque, just west of that half interchange, half at-grade intersection at Menominee Road. Of course, this will cost a fortune and will never happen, but it's the only way U.S 20 can be fully access controlled.

[3467]

I will give some 20 background. IDOT has a lot of power in district engineers and Dist 2s made the 20 freeway his personal project. When he retired it was no longer the states big project 336 was because the head of Quincy newspapers made it his. Here is the Good news Tom Oakley has just taken over Corridor 67 so 755 and Adam work will continue on 67 when there is money again (whenever that will be)
There is a study on how to finance 20 because its cost is so high up to 20 million a mile. It is not worth that . Illinois needs to get real. I think expanding the 3 lanes for the length plus a Galena Bypass would do the job, The extra costs to make the rest of 20 a freeway with no hope of a freeway in Dubuque makes a freeway segment pointless in my opinion.. The 3 lane could be built for 80 million  plus 100 million for the bypass as opposed to nearly a billion for the 47 mile freeway

[NE2]

I repeat my question: how is it impossible to upgrade US 20 through Dubuque to a freeway?

[I-39]

I repeat my question: how is it impossible to upgrade US 20 through Dubuque to a freeway?

And I'll repeat my answer. There are too many homes/businesses (particularly on the Illinois side in East Dubuque) that would lose access and there really isn't a lot of ROW to do so.

[NE2]

East Dubuque may be a little harder, but Dubuque itself looks pretty trivial. An elevated freeway over the railroad in East Dubuque would be much easier than a whole new bypass alignment.

[Lyon Wonder]

A freeway US 20 from Rockford to Galena looks like a potential future I-590 or I-139, or even an eastern I-82 if freeway construction is extended west to Dubuque and connected to the US 20 freeway alignment in Iowa.

[I-39]

East Dubuque may be a little harder, but Dubuque itself looks pretty trivial. An elevated freeway over the railroad in East Dubuque would be much easier than a whole new bypass alignment.

Still would have to destroy too many houses, there is simply not enough room. It would have to be bypassed somehow.

A freeway US 20 from Rockford to Galena looks like a potential future I-590 or I-139, or even an eastern I-82 if freeway construction is extended west to Dubuque and connected to the US 20 freeway alignment in Iowa.

It likely only becomes an Interstate if it is connected directly to the freeway in Iowa, and I-82 wouldn't work because I-88 is to the south. They'd also have to convert the segment between Rockford and Freeport to freeway and I'm not sure if that is officially in IDOT plans (assuming they build the Freeport to Galena as a freeway).

[NE2]

East Dubuque may be a little harder, but Dubuque itself looks pretty trivial. An elevated freeway over the railroad in East Dubuque would be much easier than a whole new bypass alignment.

Still would have to destroy too many houses, there is simply not enough room. It would have to be bypassed somehow.

What houses? All of them in the block bounded by 5th-Wall-6th and the railroad have been torn down since 2005 (street view shows it's now state property - are they planning something here?). All that remains on the south side of US 20 is two gas stations and the railroad.

[I-39]

East Dubuque may be a little harder, but Dubuque itself looks pretty trivial. An elevated freeway over the railroad in East Dubuque would be much easier than a whole new bypass alignment.

Still would have to destroy too many houses, there is simply not enough room. It would have to be bypassed somehow.

What houses? All of them in the block bounded by 5th-Wall-6th and the railroad have been torn down since 2005 (street view shows it's now state property - are they planning something here?). All that remains on the south side of US 20 is two gas stations and the railroad.

The houses southeast of where you were saying along Sinsinawa Ave (U.S 20). If they aren't going to be torn down, they will lose access to U.S 20. There is not enough room for a frontage road. I don't really understand how you would fit a freeway in there, it would be VERY tight. Plus, there is not enough ROW on some of the intersections on the Iowa side for interchanges and a frontage road.

If the bridge is built in this area, it will not be a limited access freeway.

[3467]

IDOT did list 2 engineering studies for Rockford Freeport and Galena -East Dubuque. I don't think they were ever completed
Dist 2 now has a study to improve IL 2 from Byron to Rockford. It looks like reconstruct with some passing lanes. Perhaps the model to wrap up US 20?