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[Flint1979]

I enjoyed the drive down IL-1 when I was finishing up county clinching in that part of Illinois, south of Danville. The ride all the way to Cave In Rock was real nice.

[paulthemapguy]

I enjoyed the drive down IL-1 when I was finishing up county clinching in that part of Illinois, south of Danville. The ride all the way to Cave In Rock was real nice.

I especially enjoy the more rugged terrain along IL-1 south of IL-13 

[Flint1979]

I enjoyed the drive down IL-1 when I was finishing up county clinching in that part of Illinois, south of Danville. The ride all the way to Cave In Rock was real nice.

I especially enjoy the more rugged terrain along IL-1 south of IL-13 

I agree I enjoyed that part of the route more than any other part of the route.

[Georgia]

The ride from Ridge Farm to Mt. Carmel is pretty boring though, unless you like farms and trees.  Not much terrain change aside from the hill south of Paris(5 Mile Hill)

[skluth]

Bluff Road going south from Columbia is also quite nice and relaxing. I once continued the drive down IL 3 past Chester to Cairo. IL 3 was pretty and seeing the pipeline suspension bridge was cool but Cairo is one of the most depressing towns I've ever visited.

[Hobart]

Bluff Road going south from Columbia is also quite nice and relaxing. I once continued the drive down IL 3 past Chester to Cairo. IL 3 was pretty and seeing the pipeline suspension bridge was cool but Cairo is one of the most depressing towns I've ever visited.

I second the Cairo part, my dad and I drove through on US-51, and it was even more of a Scooby-Doo ghost town than Gary, which I didn't even know was possible. The floodgate being on the north side of the city is kind of symbolic too; it's like they're prepared to seal the town off at any moment and let water damage take care of the rest.

[ilpt4u]

The ride from Ridge Farm to Mt. Carmel is pretty boring though, unless you like farms and trees.  Not much terrain change aside from the hill south of Paris(5 Mile Hill)

I’ve made it down to Paris, but there on south to I-64 is the only long segment of Rt 1 I haven’t driven. Also haven’t made the trip south of Rt 13/Shawneetown down to Cave-in-Rock either

My little brother got a nice ticket on Rt 1 near Watseka. Thru Central IL, it is a really straight and flat road

[adt1982]

The ride from Ridge Farm to Mt. Carmel is pretty boring though, unless you like farms and trees.  Not much terrain change aside from the hill south of Paris(5 Mile Hill)

I've driven the whole length of IL 1, but the stretch from Marshall to Mt. Carmel is one I've done hundreds of times.  It certainly is not very exciting, and it can also be very low in traffic depending on when you are out there.

[Georgia]

The ride from Ridge Farm to Mt. Carmel is pretty boring though, unless you like farms and trees.  Not much terrain change aside from the hill south of Paris(5 Mile Hill)

I've driven the whole length of IL 1, but the stretch from Marshall to Mt. Carmel is one I've done hundreds of times.  It certainly is not very exciting, and it can also be very low in traffic depending on when you are out there.

The only time the traffic is bad is during planting and harvesting seasons and the bad is due to the slow moving farm vehicles. 
Yea, i've done the Paris to Lawrenceville drive more times than I care to count. Neither of the options(IL-1 or US 41) in that area are fun drives and no one should be as excited to see Evansville as one is after that stretch.

[Flint1979]

I drove through Cairo last time in 2014 and it was just basically a ghost town nothing I was scared of and I stopped at this BBQ place just so I could say I stopped there.

[paulthemapguy]

Rockford has its own 11'-8" bridge!  And a 2-way signal for the narrow sharp S-curve under the railroad viaduct:

https://goo.gl/maps/MSazraxmQUd4AwpaA

Nothing new per se, but I thought it was interesting.

I'm planning to pass through Cairo sometime in February.  I passed through there in 2008 and wow, what a ghost town.  All the signals were turned off to dark.  It feels post-apocalyptic, which can be kind of a fun vibe for a short while.

[edwaleni]

Rockford has its own 11'-8" bridge!  And a 2-way signal for the narrow sharp S-curve under the railroad viaduct:

https://goo.gl/maps/MSazraxmQUd4AwpaA

Nothing new per se, but I thought it was interesting.

I'm planning to pass through Cairo sometime in February.  I passed through there in 2008 and wow, what a ghost town.  All the signals were turned off to dark.  It feels post-apocalyptic, which can be kind of a fun vibe for a short while.

That bridge has the battle scars, that is for sure, but that road is not nearly as busy as the famous one of You Tube legend. I ran across a 10' 6" one in Indiana recently.

Factoid: 142,000 people departed Illinois permanently last year. That is losing the entire city of Rockford in just 12 months.

[JoePCool14]

I'm planning to pass through Cairo sometime in February.  I passed through there in 2008 and wow, what a ghost town.  All the signals were turned off to dark.  It feels post-apocalyptic, which can be kind of a fun vibe for a short while.

That's the vibe I get get perusing Street View in Gary, East St. Louis, and Detroit. It can be interesting, especially looking back over the last 15 years. I'm not sure I'd want to see it in person though. Cairo might not be so bad since it's almost completely empty.

[adt1982]

I last went through Cairo in 2016.  We were coming home from vacation, but decided to spend the night in Paducah.  Even though we were 3 1/2 hours from home, our then 2-year old daughter would be much happier if we rested before going on.  After checking into the hotel, I decided to take my wife on a short circle tour of southern IL and western KY.  I made one stop in Cairo: the Secretary of State's office, to pick up a new license sticker, as the one on the car we were driving expired that evening.  My wife wasn't fond of the US 60/62 bridges.  She noted that the town reminded her a lot of Gary, which I took her through the previous summer.  She's realized that I often take the US highways instead of interstates.  When we went to Gulf Shores I took US 45 from Jackson, TN, all the way to Mobile.  Meanwhile, a friend who was going to Florida that same week, sent us regular updates of traffic backups and delays on I-65.

[Flint1979]

I last went through Cairo in 2016.  We were coming home from vacation, but decided to spend the night in Paducah.  Even though we were 3 1/2 hours from home, our then 2-year old daughter would be much happier if we rested before going on.  After checking into the hotel, I decided to take my wife on a short circle tour of southern IL and western KY.  I made one stop in Cairo: the Secretary of State's office, to pick up a new license sticker, as the one on the car we were driving expired that evening.  My wife wasn't fond of the US 60/62 bridges.  She noted that the town reminded her a lot of Gary, which I took her through the previous summer.  She's realized that I often take the US highways instead of interstates.  When we went to Gulf Shores I took US 45 from Jackson, TN, all the way to Mobile.  Meanwhile, a friend who was going to Florida that same week, sent us regular updates of traffic backups and delays on I-65.

To me going over the Brookport Bridge was a thrill and a half. It's funny because as I was approaching the bridge I remembered discussing the bridge on this site before I did it and tried to remember what the heck it was about the bridge that was being discussed. Turns out it's just a narrow, steel deck bridge with a 25 mph speed limit.

[Crash_It]

Rockford has its own 11'-8" bridge!  And a 2-way signal for the narrow sharp S-curve under the railroad viaduct:

https://goo.gl/maps/MSazraxmQUd4AwpaA

Nothing new per se, but I thought it was interesting.

I'm planning to pass through Cairo sometime in February.  I passed through there in 2008 and wow, what a ghost town.  All the signals were turned off to dark.  It feels post-apocalyptic, which can be kind of a fun vibe for a short while.

Factoid: 142,000 people departed Illinois permanently last year. That is losing the entire city of Rockford in just 12 months.

You know how many times those estimates circulate around ?

All of them are nothing but a bunch of malarkey

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-illinois-population-decline-met-20161220-story.html


Yet the official census showed only an 18k loss so either people moved out then moved back or the moving company estimates are just assumptions that people are moving out of state. In either case, I highly doubt we'll be down 1m people in 2030.

[1]

Crash_It is actually right this time. The difference between the 2019 estimates and the 2020 actual census is being ignored when 2021 and 2022 estimates are being given (this is happening nationwide). Any place that was underestimated in 2019 is going to look like a huge drop that doesn't actually exist when going from 2020 census data to whatever year's estimate.

[Flint1979]

That's why it's called an estimate.

[Brandon]

Rockford has its own 11'-8" bridge!  And a 2-way signal for the narrow sharp S-curve under the railroad viaduct:

https://goo.gl/maps/MSazraxmQUd4AwpaA

Nothing new per se, but I thought it was interesting.

I'm planning to pass through Cairo sometime in February.  I passed through there in 2008 and wow, what a ghost town.  All the signals were turned off to dark.  It feels post-apocalyptic, which can be kind of a fun vibe for a short while.

Been through it before.  It's interesting.  Now, for real battle scars, nothing beats Brandon Road here in town.  That one really needs its own YouTube page as it rivals 11 Foot 8 for crashes, and definitely has more semi crashes.

https://goo.gl/maps/W8Sn1qSNspYBFi957

[JoePCool14]

Rockford has its own 11'-8" bridge!  And a 2-way signal for the narrow sharp S-curve under the railroad viaduct:

https://goo.gl/maps/MSazraxmQUd4AwpaA

Nothing new per se, but I thought it was interesting.

I'm planning to pass through Cairo sometime in February.  I passed through there in 2008 and wow, what a ghost town.  All the signals were turned off to dark.  It feels post-apocalyptic, which can be kind of a fun vibe for a short while.

Been through it before.  It's interesting.  Now, for real battle scars, nothing beats Brandon Road here in town.  That one really needs its own YouTube page as it rivals 11 Foot 8 for crashes, and definitely has more semi crashes.

https://goo.gl/maps/W8Sn1qSNspYBFi957

Maybe if they installed an MUTCD-compliant sign, trucks wouldn't hit it. 

Edit: That road's got everything. Draw bridge, long river bridge, railroad crossing, low-clearance underpass. Also, IDOT can't seem to make low clearance signs either anymore.

https://goo.gl/maps/H9mkZwrZHo1dpJjP8

[Crash_It]

Rockford has its own 11'-8" bridge!  And a 2-way signal for the narrow sharp S-curve under the railroad viaduct:

https://goo.gl/maps/MSazraxmQUd4AwpaA

Nothing new per se, but I thought it was interesting.

I'm planning to pass through Cairo sometime in February.  I passed through there in 2008 and wow, what a ghost town.  All the signals were turned off to dark.  It feels post-apocalyptic, which can be kind of a fun vibe for a short while.

Been through it before.  It's interesting.  Now, for real battle scars, nothing beats Brandon Road here in town.  That one really needs its own YouTube page as it rivals 11 Foot 8 for crashes, and definitely has more semi crashes.

https://goo.gl/maps/W8Sn1qSNspYBFi957

Maybe if they installed an MUTCD-compliant sign, trucks wouldn't hit it. 

Edit: That road's got everything. Draw bridge, long river bridge, railroad crossing, low-clearance underpass. Also, IDOT can't seem to make low clearance signs either anymore.

https://goo.gl/maps/H9mkZwrZHo1dpJjP8

It's not IDOT's fault that truckers are retarded and can't read.

[Flint1979]

Rockford has its own 11'-8" bridge!  And a 2-way signal for the narrow sharp S-curve under the railroad viaduct:

https://goo.gl/maps/MSazraxmQUd4AwpaA

Nothing new per se, but I thought it was interesting.

I'm planning to pass through Cairo sometime in February.  I passed through there in 2008 and wow, what a ghost town.  All the signals were turned off to dark.  It feels post-apocalyptic, which can be kind of a fun vibe for a short while.

Been through it before.  It's interesting.  Now, for real battle scars, nothing beats Brandon Road here in town.  That one really needs its own YouTube page as it rivals 11 Foot 8 for crashes, and definitely has more semi crashes.

https://goo.gl/maps/W8Sn1qSNspYBFi957

Maybe if they installed an MUTCD-compliant sign, trucks wouldn't hit it. 

Edit: That road's got everything. Draw bridge, long river bridge, railroad crossing, low-clearance underpass. Also, IDOT can't seem to make low clearance signs either anymore.

https://goo.gl/maps/H9mkZwrZHo1dpJjP8

I think I'd be confused with that sign.

[paulthemapguy]

Been through it before.  It's interesting.  Now, for real battle scars, nothing beats Brandon Road here in town.  That one really needs its own YouTube page as it rivals 11 Foot 8 for crashes, and definitely has more semi crashes.

https://goo.gl/maps/W8Sn1qSNspYBFi957

Maybe if they installed an MUTCD-compliant sign, trucks wouldn't hit it. 

Edit: That road's got everything. Draw bridge, long river bridge, railroad crossing, low-clearance underpass. Also, IDOT can't seem to make low clearance signs either anymore.

https://goo.gl/maps/H9mkZwrZHo1dpJjP8

Between you and me, I'm pretty sure Joliet Township went rogue and put those low clearance signs on that pole. Either that or they fabricated the signs and gave them to the state to install.  I know it wasn't the County, for reasons...and I think IDOT would put up a proper sign on their own accord because they do everything at their own sign shop, outfitted with all the right templates and materials.  I've seen other low clearance signs around Joliet that look exactly the same in that improper way, and they also lead to township roads...

Brandon Road is my alternate route to work when the Interstate 80 bridge is jammed or under emergency repairs.  It's a terrible alternate, though, because it can be held up by a train or by a barge moving through the canal.  If a barge is there, it'll get you stuck there a good 15 to 20 minutes.  The road has some old nifty 12-8-8s though!

[JoePCool14]

Been through it before.  It's interesting.  Now, for real battle scars, nothing beats Brandon Road here in town.  That one really needs its own YouTube page as it rivals 11 Foot 8 for crashes, and definitely has more semi crashes.

https://goo.gl/maps/W8Sn1qSNspYBFi957

Maybe if they installed an MUTCD-compliant sign, trucks wouldn't hit it. 

Edit: That road's got everything. Draw bridge, long river bridge, railroad crossing, low-clearance underpass. Also, IDOT can't seem to make low clearance signs either anymore.

https://goo.gl/maps/H9mkZwrZHo1dpJjP8

Between you and me, I'm pretty sure Joliet Township went rogue and put those low clearance signs on that pole. Either that or they fabricated the signs and gave them to the state to install.  I know it wasn't the County, for reasons...and I think IDOT would put up a proper sign on their own accord because they do everything at their own sign shop, outfitted with all the right templates and materials.  I've seen other low clearance signs around Joliet that look exactly the same in that improper way, and they also lead to township roads...

Oh you sweet summer child...

[paulthemapguy]

Been through it before.  It's interesting.  Now, for real battle scars, nothing beats Brandon Road here in town.  That one really needs its own YouTube page as it rivals 11 Foot 8 for crashes, and definitely has more semi crashes.

https://goo.gl/maps/W8Sn1qSNspYBFi957

Maybe if they installed an MUTCD-compliant sign, trucks wouldn't hit it. 

Edit: That road's got everything. Draw bridge, long river bridge, railroad crossing, low-clearance underpass. Also, IDOT can't seem to make low clearance signs either anymore.

https://goo.gl/maps/H9mkZwrZHo1dpJjP8

Between you and me, I'm pretty sure Joliet Township went rogue and put those low clearance signs on that pole. Either that or they fabricated the signs and gave them to the state to install.  I know it wasn't the County, for reasons...and I think IDOT would put up a proper sign on their own accord because they do everything at their own sign shop, outfitted with all the right templates and materials.  I've seen other low clearance signs around Joliet that look exactly the same in that improper way, and they also lead to township roads...

Oh you sweet summer child...

Oh....oh no...What hath IDOT wrought?

And for the record I was born in November