Study of I-80 around Joliet, IL starting

[Revive 755]

http://www.morrisdailyherald.com/articles/2010/08/17/03545412/index.xml

[Brandon]

This should have been widened years ago, but, as usual, IDiOT is well behind the curve.  I-80 should be six lanes from US-45 to IL-47.

[rmsandw]

When I-80 was re-built a few years back from the Grundy/Kendall/Will County Line at Minooka to just east of IL 47 the right of way, road bed, and bridges were built for 6-lanes.  As was the strech of I-80 at I-355.  It will be interesting to see what plans they come up with to get a wider I-80 through Downtown Joliet, with the tight interchanges

[rawmustard]

When I-80 was re-built a few years back from the Grundy/Kendall/Will County Line at Minooka to just east of IL 47 the right of way, road bed, and bridges were built for 6-lanes.  As was the strech of I-80 at I-355.  It will be interesting to see what plans they come up with to get a wider I-80 through Downtown Joliet, with the tight interchanges

But I-80 doesn't go through downtown Joliet; it goes past it to the south. If IDOT doesn't already have the ROW, there would be some land acquisition that would need to happen. Last I knew, Joliet's development didn't extend in such a way to make that infeasible.

[3467]

It is 6 Lanes through part of downtown Joliet and the Bridge is 6 lanes There is one bad curve approaching the Bridge Bad for illinois but not for say the east and the Appalachians
It really needs 6 to IL 47 . I think Ridge Road is the Minooka exit. I remember that used to  nothing but a Phillips 66 station

[Brandon]

It is 6 Lanes through part of downtown Joliet and the Bridge is 6 lanes There is one bad curve approaching the Bridge Bad for illinois but not for say the east and the Appalachians
It really needs 6 to IL 47 . I think Ridge Road is the Minooka exit. I remember that used to  nothing but a Phillips 66 station

Yes, correct.  It is 6 lanes already from Center St to Richards St (131 to 133), and Ridge Rd is the Minooka exit.

[rmsandw]

The curve in the middle of the Center Street Interchange is the site of many accidents, with traffic not going the posted 45 through there but near 65-70.  Plus coming off the bluff onto the Des Plaines River bridge the dip in the roadway in the curve doesn't help.

When I-80 was placed in the Chicago Street Exit (US 52/IL53) wasn't a full interchange.  Some on off was sent to Richards Street.  But when Chicago Street was widened more ramps to and from I-80 were added. 

I really want to see how they plan to make the on/off from that exit, Chicago St, safe with adding a 3rd thru lane.  The current 3rd lane is more for merging to get off at Richards and Chicago Street, or on from there.

[Brandon]

The curve in the middle of the Center Street Interchange is the site of many accidents, with traffic not going the posted 45 through there but near 65-70.  Plus coming off the bluff onto the Des Plaines River bridge the dip in the roadway in the curve doesn't help.

When I-80 was placed in the Chicago Street Exit (US 52/IL53) wasn't a full interchange.  Some on off was sent to Richards Street.  But when Chicago Street was widened more ramps to and from I-80 were added. 

I really want to see how they plan to make the on/off from that exit, Chicago St, safe with adding a 3rd thru lane.  The current 3rd lane is more for merging to get off at Richards and Chicago Street, or on from there.

More ramps to/from I-80 were not added.  IDOT used the two loops on the west side of the interchange to complete the full movements.  Chicago St has not been widened, but the roads have been slightly realigned.  Ottawa St used to be Sbd only, and Chicago St was Nbd only from I-80 to downtown.  Now all traffic uses Chicago St.  And the third lane crosses the bridge to drop/add at Center St, not Chicago St.  That interchange won't matter for this.  To add lanes at Richards (a diamond interchange) and Center (a three level stack) would be fairly easy to do.

[Brandon]

To update this thread, IDiOT is widening I-80 from US-30 to US-45 this year, and merely repaving the rest out to the Will/Kendall/Grundy County Line.  Now let's see the backups begin after the road is finished.  How long will the backups be at US-30 due to the lane drop?  5 miles, 10 miles, more?  Utter foolishness not to widen all the way to Richards St, and then widen from Center St to IL-47 in Morris.  But, then again, this is IDiOT.

[hobsini2]

Frankly, sense there is a high volume of semi traffic and it is probably the busiest overall cross country route, i would like to see 80 become 6 lanes at a minimum from end to end.  However more realistically, US 45 to IL 47 at a minimum be 6 laned.  8 lanes (6 main line lanes, 2 exit only lanes for each exit) from Larkin to Briggs would be even better.  Something similar to I-290 from I-355 to I-90.  The "5th" lane on that stretch of 290 are made up from the entrance ramps and become exit only at Thorndale and Biesterfield.

[froggie]

Brandon:  perhaps they don't have the money yet to widen it beyond US 30.  Last time I checked, just about every DOT in the country was running with a tight budget....made even tighter due to Congress's inaction on a long-term transportation bill.

[Brandon]

Brandon:  perhaps they don't have the money yet to widen it beyond US 30.  Last time I checked, just about every DOT in the country was running with a tight budget....made even tighter due to Congress's inaction on a long-term transportation bill.

Yeah, such a tight budget that IDOT can spend in DuPage and Cook, but not in Will.  That's been the case from District 1 for a long time, even when they were flush with money.  It was a fight to widen I-55, IL-59, and even US-30 (which needed it for almost 30 years before IDOT got to it).

[mukade]

Brandon:  perhaps they don't have the money yet to widen it beyond US 30.  Last time I checked, just about every DOT in the country was running with a tight budget....made even tighter due to Congress's inaction on a long-term transportation bill.

I am sure that is correct, but OTOH there is this from IDOT: "...as part of the State's annual budget process, Governor Pat Quinn proposed a $27.1 billion capital budget, of which more than half is dedicated to transportation projects...". That seems like a lot to me. Also, Illinois (like Michigan) has sure spent a lot of money needlessly to replace perfectly good freeway signage solely to change it to Clearview. Also regarding priorities, they have money to widen/build/rebuild lightly travelled US 67 and Ill. 336 in western Illinois, but a road like I-80 which is heavily travelled and has a lot of trucks hasn't gotten necessary improvements that it has needed for decades.

[froggie]

Signage replacement is not as expensive as you think.  Even on a statewide scale, the money you'd have saved from that wouldn't allow you to build much lane mileage.  You have a point on IL 336 and parts of US 67, but other parts of 67 do warrant widening.

[mukade]

Signage replacement is not as expensive as you think.  Even on a statewide scale, the money you'd have saved from that wouldn't allow you to build much lane mileage.  You have a point on IL 336 and parts of US 67, but other parts of 67 do warrant widening.

I am not saying signs cost a huge amount compared with building a new highway, but replacing perfectly good signs demonstrates a wasteful attitude IMO. Illinois is in very bad shape financially so I guess it figures.

For some parts of US 67 widening may be justified, but other parts are definitely quite empty. A lot of highways in the Chicago area need widening before US 67 does.

[3467]

67 North of Monmouth should be 3 lane(a passing lane) Between Macomb and Jacksonville 3lanes would be fine for the traffic BUT the Beardstown Bridge must be replaced and several areas need new alignments so IDOT might as well make it 4 lane for system continuity because it should be a full freeway from North of Jerseyville to downtown St Louis. I have a 67 thread in this section if you want further information. I would agree that 3 lanes would more than suffice for most downstate arterials and most would be very happy with that BUT Idiot often gets grand ideas and IDOT does have money because it has a separate capital budget In  the Case of 80-the IDOT slogan should be why do today what we can spend double on in 10 years?!