Illinois may increase speed limit 70

[UNDSIOUX]

Isn't the Mt. Vernon widening project done already?- With three lanes in each direction, there should be no reason to slow you down now.

Just a frickin' speed trap now- 70 then 65 for approx. 4 miles and then back up to 70, and unlike the northern part of the state, they do patrol the speed down there.

If they are not gonna raise Mt. Vernon even when it is complete, there is no way in hell they will ever raise Effingham.  Much more traffic there compared to Mt. Vernon from what I have seen goin' down to the lake.

[UNDSIOUX]

Just noticed....

No increase to US20 around Rockford out to the State St. (business 20) merge....

So IDOT, you are telling me that the area with the most merging and congestion in the area is "safe enough" (from the I-39 split up to Harrison Ave/Cherry Valley Interchange) to raise to 70 (the area I usually can't keep my normal 74 MPH due to increased traffic), but the straight line freeway with miles between its interchanges remains 65 because it is "too unsafe" to raise to 70.

There is no rhyme or reason to this at all.  But at least we finally have some 70 zones in Illinois and Blago couldn't veto it from jail.

[US 41]

I know Indiana is a different state, but I'm sort of confused as to why the SL drops from 70 to 65 in Terre Haute. All the exits in TH are spaced out fairly far from each other.

[signalman]

I know Indiana is a different state, but I'm sort of confused as to why the SL drops from 70 to 65 in Terre Haute. All the exits in TH are spaced out fairly far from each other.

This is just a guess on my part, since I've never driven this section of I-70.  But could the speed reduction be to slow drivers down in preparation for IL and to match their current speed limit?  I know the new limit takes effect today, but I'm assuming that it isn't legal until the signs are changed (presumably sometime in the near future).  Perhaps once the limit is raised in IL, INDOT will increase the limit in Terre Haute.

[tdindy88]

I-65 has a slower speed limit around Lafayette with similarly spaced exits like Terre Haute. While the Illinois aspect to TH's speed limits may be valid, it could just INDOT lowering the interstate near a mid-sized city. Presumebly by that measure, I-69 will have a slower speed limit around Bloomington. Come to think of it, I'm sure it will.

So, I hear the speed limit on interstates in Illinois is now 70 miles per hour.

[jnewkirk77]

My best guess is that it's based on the number and severity of accidents on I-70 through the Terre Haute area in recent years.  It carries a lot more traffic than they planned for back when it was built.

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

Wow, they're going to raise I-74 to 70 in Moline.  Here's to hoping that puts the pressure on Iowa to raise their entire portion after the bridge to at least 65.

And 255 between I-64 and Missouri could go to 70 as well.  I've been on 255 countless times at all times of the day and it has very little traffic for the way it's built.

[theline]

My best guess is that it's based on the number and severity of accidents on I-70 through the Terre Haute area in recent years.  It carries a lot more traffic than they planned for back when it was built.

I think the lower speed limit around Terre Haute and Lafayette may be due in part to the gradual lifting of the national 55 MPH limit. In Indiana, the first increases were allowed along interstates, but not on the segments in counties that contained cities above a certain population. Tippecanoe and Vigo counties would have retained the 55 limit at that time.

That led to very odd locations of speed limit reductions, at county lines that were often far from urban areas. The folly of this was eventually recognized and limits crept upward within those counties. I assume that jnewkirk's idea about accident and traffic levels in those areas played a part in preventing the limit going up all the way to 70.

[ChiMilNet]

First post here. I happened to notice the other day that the speed limit along I-290 (at least the portion between Addison and Schaumburg) has been bumped up to 60 mph (still 55 for trucks). I haven't seen any prior mention of this, nor does there seem to by any publication that mentions this. Obviously, the tollways have made it clear that theirs will not be raised for the time being. Has anyone else seen any similar bumps in the speed limit on any Chicago area IDOT Interstates Highways? (Would have been nice to see at least 65 mph though, and not surprisingly, the flow of traffic was no different).

[pianocello]

First post here. I happened to notice the other day that the speed limit along I-290 (at least the portion between Addison and Schaumburg) has been bumped up to 60 mph (still 55 for trucks). I haven't seen any prior mention of this, nor does there seem to by any publication that mentions this. Obviously, the tollways have made it clear that theirs will not be raised for the time being. Has anyone else seen any similar bumps in the speed limit on any Chicago area IDOT Interstates Highways? (Would have been nice to see at least 65 mph though, and not surprisingly, the flow of traffic was no different).

Interesting, I've never heard of that either. Tomorrow I'll see if any of the three 55 zones on I-80 were bumped up to 60.

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

UPDATE: I was disappointed to see that none of the signs along the length of I-80, not even the 65 signs, had been replaced.

[Joe The Dragon]

with all the snow it's hard to see some signs

[cwm1276]

I saw a 70 on 39/90 just north of the Cherry Valley Interchange on Saturday.  This morning I39 between 72 and Rochelle had been bumped up as well.

[dirtroad66]

They have the 70 signs up on I64 from Indiana line to Mt Vernon. speed limit is still 65 in the I64/57 area around Mt Vernon.

[adt1982]

I-55 is now signed for 70 from Springfield to at least Litchfield.

[Joe The Dragon]

First post here. I happened to notice the other day that the speed limit along I-290 (at least the portion between Addison and Schaumburg) has been bumped up to 60 mph (still 55 for trucks). I haven't seen any prior mention of this, nor does there seem to by any publication that mentions this. Obviously, the tollways have made it clear that theirs will not be raised for the time being. Has anyone else seen any similar bumps in the speed limit on any Chicago area IDOT Interstates Highways? (Would have been nice to see at least 65 mph though, and not surprisingly, the flow of traffic was no different).

I-355 needs to go to 60 or more to match it seems odd for the main flow to drop from 60 to 55 there.

[ChiMilNet]

First post here. I happened to notice the other day that the speed limit along I-290 (at least the portion between Addison and Schaumburg) has been bumped up to 60 mph (still 55 for trucks). I haven't seen any prior mention of this, nor does there seem to by any publication that mentions this. Obviously, the tollways have made it clear that theirs will not be raised for the time being. Has anyone else seen any similar bumps in the speed limit on any Chicago area IDOT Interstates Highways? (Would have been nice to see at least 65 mph though, and not surprisingly, the flow of traffic was no different).

I-355 needs to go to 60 or more to match it seems odd for the main flow to drop from 60 to 55 there.

I would also say the same with IL 53 north of I-90, though I know some of the exits through that stretch are an older design. I guess IDOT is applying the same philosophy there as with U.S. 20 near Rockford. It seems the tollway is resistant to any incremental increases unless it is the rural stretches that went up to 70.

[Revive 755]

I-55 is now signed for 70 from Springfield to at least Litchfield.

The 70 mph signage on I-55 is complete through IL.  Approximate locations of the transitions:

* About 1/2 mile north of North River Road (Exit 241)

* Maybe 1 mile north of the IL 54 cloverleaf for SB, much closer to the interchange for NB.  SB gets a reduced speed ahead sign, NB has a pair of flags on the first 70 mph sign.

* Right after the western/southern interchange with I-72 SB; I want to say the drop northbound is around the overpass for the street Google labels as Southwind Drive.  NB also gets a reduced speed ahead sign.

* Somewhere around a mile north of I-270.

The IDOT maintained portion of I-355 is still 55.

There has not been an increase of the 55 mph section on I-55 to 60 either.

[US 41]

I-70 is posted as 70 from the IN/IL state line to Effingham. I didn't go west of Effingham so I don't know if that's posted as 70, but I'd guess it probably is. Effingham is 65. The widening project is pretty much finished in Effingham.

[tvketchum]

I know Indiana is a different state, but I'm sort of confused as to why the SL drops from 70 to 65 in Terre Haute. All the exits in TH are spaced out fairly far from each other.

From SR 46 to the Illinois line, traffic is heavier, you have bridges with no shoulders, you have older highway design standards, not to mention present day traffic levels on a highway design from the 1960s. On top of that, the first exit westbound (former US 40) is a left exit, just after the weigh station and prior to the welcome center. All in all,  65 is a justified limit for the stretch. Until the road is rebuilt and widened, 70 will likely not be seen at Terre Haute.

[US 41]

I-70 is supposed to get widened to 3 lanes each direction in Terre Haute. Whether or not it will actually happen, who knows.

[ET21]

I-88 between IL-47 and DeKalb have the 70 finally, on very tall wooden posts 

[cwm1276]

Just noticed....

No increase to US20 around Rockford out to the State St. (business 20) merge....

So IDOT, you are telling me that the area with the most merging and congestion in the area is "safe enough" (from the I-39 split up to Harrison Ave/Cherry Valley Interchange) to raise to 70 (the area I usually can't keep my normal 74 MPH due to increased traffic), but the straight line freeway with miles between its interchanges remains 65 because it is "too unsafe" to raise to 70.

There is no rhyme or reason to this at all.  But at least we finally have some 70 zones in Illinois and Blago couldn't veto it from jail.

I saw last night the I39/US20/US51 section of the Rockford bypass is still 65, it did not get the increase that 39/90/51 got north of the Cherry Valley interchange, and 39/51 got south of US 20.

[JREwing78]

That's probably for the best. There's quite a lot of activity in a short space in the I-39/US-20/US-51 section, particularly EBD/NBD right at the tollway interchange.

The remainder of the bypass probably could handle a 70mph limit, but at the west end of the bypass it'd have to go back down to 65mph again. Is it worth the effort?

[sandwalk]

And honestly, even if the speed limit remains 65mph on the Rockford Bypass, it's fairly common for travelers to go 70-75mph anyway.....and the state police don't seem to mind.

[Revive 755]

I recently used the I-80 Mississippi River crossing; going WB the speed limit drops to 65 right where the entrance from IL 84 merges in.

EB I-280 gets posted at 70 right after it's Mississippi River bridge.

I didn't have time though to see how I-74 is posted now.