Old US-66/Joliet Road

[edwaleni]

So what ever became of the the US-66/Joliet Road settlement with IDOT and Vulcan Materials?

The quarry company compromised the ROW by extracting limestone too close to the supporting rockface and caused the road to subside. It was subsequently closed and IDOT filed suit.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) settled a long-standing lawsuit with Vulcan Materials Co. in May 2010, requiring the company to pay the state $40 million. The lawsuit was originally filed in 2001 regarding damages caused to a mile-long stretch of Joliet Road near a Vulcan quarry in McCook, Illinois.

Key details of the settlement:
Payment Terms: Vulcan agreed to pay $20 million within 10 days of the announcement, with the remaining $20 million structured through a settlement agreement.
Cause of Action: The state alleged that quarrying operations caused the adjacent road to shift, making it unsafe and resulting in its closure for over a decade.

No Admission of Liability: Vulcan Materials settled the lawsuit with no admission of liability.
Infrastructure Impact: The settlement allowed for work to begin on repairing and reopening the affected section of Joliet Road

As far as I can tell, nothing has happened at 55th and Joliet Road. It is still barricaded off and no traffic can go through.

It says half the of the $40 million was paid within 10 days. Is IDOT really going to fix it, can they?

Vulcan said they were going to have insurance pay the other half.

Does anyone know where IDOT is with this? I don't see any engineering in their planning documents.

Or did the money just go into an IDOT bucket for something else?

[mgk920]

for many years now I have been going on the assumption that that roadway would be abandoned by IDOT and added to the quarry.

Mike

[SEWIGuy]

At this point, that's probably for the best.

[ilpt4u]

Look at the newest GSV on the east end of the closed section: Barricades are gone, but so is the pavement and green space added

New permanent pavement, sidewalks, and signals where the Vulcan entrance meets 55th & Joliet Rd.

I don't think Joliet Rd between 55th & East is ever opening again

Vulcan is even using the eastern end of the closed section for an access road and parking. And Vulcan has a tunnel under Joliet Rd between their quarries north & south of Old 66

The western end of the closed section is also being used for direct quarry access

[Henry]

No matter how you see it, the same sad conclusion is that another piece of the Mother Road has been lost to time.

[edwaleni]

Look at the newest GSV on the east end of the closed section: Barricades are gone, but so is the pavement and green space added

New permanent pavement, sidewalks, and signals where the Vulcan entrance meets 55th & Joliet Rd.

I don't think Joliet Rd between 55th & East is ever opening again

Vulcan is even using the eastern end of the closed section for an access road and parking. And Vulcan has a tunnel under Joliet Rd between their quarries north & south of Old 66

The western end of the closed section is also being used for direct quarry access

I am sure it didn't cost $40 million to plant grass and put a curb at each end. Curious to see how IDOT squandered the cash. If it cant handle cars anymore, they certainly aren't going to put a nature trail on it. I reckon it will die a slow death and a section will just simply give way and collapse into the quarry.

[SEWIGuy]

Look at the newest GSV on the east end of the closed section: Barricades are gone, but so is the pavement and green space added

New permanent pavement, sidewalks, and signals where the Vulcan entrance meets 55th & Joliet Rd.

I don't think Joliet Rd between 55th & East is ever opening again

Vulcan is even using the eastern end of the closed section for an access road and parking. And Vulcan has a tunnel under Joliet Rd between their quarries north & south of Old 66

The western end of the closed section is also being used for direct quarry access

I am sure it didn't cost $40 million to plant grass and put a curb at each end. Curious to see how IDOT squandered the cash. If it cant handle cars anymore, they certainly aren't going to put a nature trail on it. I reckon it will die a slow death and a section will just simply give way and collapse into the quarry.

Squandered? They most likely directed it toward projects that are more important.

[ARMOURERERIC]

I figured it was used to keep the state pension fund solvent for another 60 days.