Illinois notes

[Rick Powell]

That whole stretch from Marion to Mount Vernon has been getting six laned for a while now. During the 2017 eclipse it was only from Marion up to the next exit north of the town. In 2023 coming back up 57 I saw they had only finished it up to the second exit two towns up from Marion during those six years although it seemed all the bridges along the stretch also had widening work going on. I don't know why they wouldn't have a second team working down from Marion sort of how like we built the transcontinental railroad or the channel tunnel hoping to meet up somewhere in between and drive the golden spike.

As ilpt4u sates above, all the remaining stretches between the 24 and 64 junctions are funded in the current 2024-2029 program, including going south from Marion, so it's only a matter of time.

[SGwithADD]

I-57 should be 6 (or 8 where indicated) lanes as follows in my opinion:
I-24 Pulley's Mill to I-64 WEST Mt Vernon (the concurrency with I-64 is 6 lanes)
I-70 WEST Effingham to I-70 EAST Effingham (existing 6 lanes)
Monticello Rd Savoy to US 136 Rantoul
US 45/52 Kankakee to Bourbonnais Pkwy Bourbonnais
Stuenkel Rd/University Pkwy Richton Park to I-80
I-80 to I-294 (existing 6 lanes needs to be 8 lanes)
I-294 to IL 1 Halsted St (existing 6 lanes)
IL 1 Halsted St to I-94 (existing 8 lanes)

I don't think with the pathetic budget the nation puts towards it's infrastructure these days that we need 6 lanes for that extensive an area around Champaign. I drive part of that stretch every day and there is very little traffic between Curtis (232) and Monticello Road (229). The only real stretch that needs imminent 6 laning is near the I74 interchange with all the merging traffic. About a mile on each side of that interchange should in fact be six laned with overhead signs encouraging all the through movement into the left two lanes leaving the right one for traffic coming and going onto 74. Actually maybe two miles on the southern side should be 6 laned up until the I72 interchange. Problem though, there is an old railroad bridge with close in columns just south of the 74 interchange that might be too narrow to run a 6 lane highway under, at least without zig zagging inwards and having no shoulders.

I can see a case starting from Exit 232 (Curtis Rd). Even in the few years I've been here, truck traffic in that area is picking up, and there are often merging issues going northbound. Six-laning I-57 from 232 to Exit 238 (Olympian Drive) seems like it could help things out overall. It would also be nice to make the northbound Exit 238 a folded diamond, to give more distance between the new on-ramps from I-74. Alas, IDOT has no interest/money in doing any of this, and even ruled out spot I-57 upgrades as part of the interchange project.

[captkirk_4]

No I-57 construction between Champaign and Kankakee this year? I drove through there three times since early April and had expected to see them beginning the seasonal repaving on at least one segment. The stretch between Paxton and Buckley is really torn up and full of potholes. Same with a stretch in the Onarga to Gilman area. I was expecting at least one of them to have those orange cones and seeing the crews and repaving machines out. Last year they did the Buckley to Onarga section so I expected the old, bad, weathered pavement on either end of the fixed area to be next. Guess it makes the trip faster but wondering if there are budget issues as those stretches are looking pretty bad.

IDOT will sometimes do a "Spring Road Repair" to react to winter road damage where a simple patch and overlay just might get some extra life out of the pavement until the next programmed rehabilitation project happens. Look at the June letting (coming out tomorrow) to see if any of your stretch of I-57 made it.

Just saw all the orange barrels laid out for about 10 miles around Onarga and Gilman this weekend so it looks like they are getting ready to do that segment after all. Just seems way later than usual. I remember I 74 repaved the Mansfield to Farmer City stretch a few years ago and it started in early April and went into the fall. Starting so late this year unless they are really quick they might still be working into November. I can also say it looks like they are done with that construction around Kankakee and also the five mile bridge on the tollway is finished. However my apple maps warned me not to go northbound on 294 and diverted me onto 355 due to 6 miles of stop and go traffic only in the northbound lanes between 55 and 88. Heading home the southbound was fine.

[edwaleni]

So why do they need to close half the highway?

I'm guessing it's a full-depth reconstruction, where they would strip the road to its core and rebuild it from scratch. It's possible to close one lane at a time, protect the work zone with a barrier wall, and keep the traffic from crossing over, but if there's a 1- to 2-foot dropoff on the other side of the wall there has to be enough space to protect errant vehicles from crossing into the work zone.

Plus workers can move more quickly if they don't have to constantly check for traffic barreling within 5 feet of them at 70 miles an hour.

Yes, it's a full-depth rebuild.  I believe this is one of the oldest stretches of 70 in Illinois.

Since I remember I-70 being built, if memory serves the oldest parts of I-70 (anyone, please correct me) were 3 parts.

The eastern portion from the Indiana State line to US-40/Mt Moriah Road.
The Effingham Bypass from Montrose to Altamont.
The western part from US-40 (Highland) to the I-55 junction

The part west of Altamont was opened in sections.  First to US-40 east of Vandalia.

Then the Vandalia bypass, and then there were constant back and forths as I-70 was built on top of US-40 from Vandalia to Mulberry Grove and they forced us back on US-40 there.

Then it took several years to get the Mulberry Grove, around Greenville part done. I remember stopping at IL-127 and the traffic on US-40 was very heavy (for a 2 lane).

The last west section was west of Greenville, where it was built on top of US-40 again, I remember being diverted into Pocahontas when that bypass was still in the works. Then it was more "back and forth" miles until Highland as they built half of it and then moved US-40 over on the new section until the other half was done.

The last part of I-70 finishing took seemingly forever, that was east of Montrose. My dad said IDOT took a long time because they weren't using any of the old US-40, it was all new ROW past Marshall.

Which is interesting because post WW2, IDOT had been upgrading several railroad bridges on US-40 for a future expressway. I think this is covered in another thread, IDOT left it all behind and chose a new ROW instead.

I still have memories of all of the lane shifting at night between Effingham and Highland.

[adt1982]

The 1953 new ROW bypass of the old National Road US 40 alignment of Marshall and then Martinsville to Casey definitely shows that it was built with an expressway in mind.  Where 40 goes under what was then the Pennsylvania Railroad east of Martinsville was built wide enough to accommodate a second set of lanes.

[edwaleni]

The 1953 new ROW bypass of the old National Road US 40 alignment of Marshall and then Martinsville to Casey definitely shows that it was built with an expressway in mind.  Where 40 goes under what was then the Pennsylvania Railroad east of Martinsville was built wide enough to accommodate a second set of lanes.

Yep, it replaced what was also called "Cumberland Road" which is a name used for the National Road. There are still places where the original US-40 ROW (a bit broken up unfortunately) are still there or run alongside US-40. Much of it still called Cumberland Road.

I know a lot of people like to do their bucket list drives on US-66, But the original Cumberland-National Road is a great drive from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois.

[adt1982]

The 1953 new ROW bypass of the old National Road US 40 alignment of Marshall and then Martinsville to Casey definitely shows that it was built with an expressway in mind.  Where 40 goes under what was then the Pennsylvania Railroad east of Martinsville was built wide enough to accommodate a second set of lanes.

Yep, it replaced what was also called "Cumberland Road" which is a name used for the National Road. There are still places where the original US-40 ROW (a bit broken up unfortunately) are still there or run alongside US-40. Much of it still called Cumberland Road.

I know a lot of people like to do their bucket list drives on US-66, But the original Cumberland-National Road is a great drive from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois.

I grew up in Marshall, so I'm quite familiar with US 40 and the Cumberland Road.  On many trips back home I've used40 instead of 70 (avoids the construction mess near Effingham).

[edwaleni]

The 1953 new ROW bypass of the old National Road US 40 alignment of Marshall and then Martinsville to Casey definitely shows that it was built with an expressway in mind.  Where 40 goes under what was then the Pennsylvania Railroad east of Martinsville was built wide enough to accommodate a second set of lanes.

Yep, it replaced what was also called "Cumberland Road" which is a name used for the National Road. There are still places where the original US-40 ROW (a bit broken up unfortunately) are still there or run alongside US-40. Much of it still called Cumberland Road.

I know a lot of people like to do their bucket list drives on US-66, But the original Cumberland-National Road is a great drive from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois.

I grew up in Marshall, so I'm quite familiar with US 40 and the Cumberland Road.  On many trips back home I've used40 instead of 70 (avoids the construction mess near Effingham).

Pre-Amtrak, I took an Illinois Central passenger train out of Effingham and saw the construction of both I-70 and I-57 around Sigel and Neoga from my window. Of no shock to anyone, the cars on nearby US-45 were going faster than we were.

No air conditioning, just open windows. The seats had holes with straw sticking out. The snack bar consisted of a bunch of candy bars on ice in a milk crate. Those were the days.

[US20IL64]

IL folks remember parts of US 66 between the sections of completed I-55? Stop lights, after cruising at 70 mph, and still some RR crossings!   

[Rick Powell]

IL folks remember parts of US 66 between the sections of completed I-55? Stop lights, after cruising at 70 mph, and still some RR crossings!   

That light at IL 47 in Dwight especially! First one south of Chicago, it was a bloody corner until I-55 was built. My dad re-built a RR crossing on US 66 north of US 24 in Chenoa and a truck managed to crash through the barricade and fall into the hole where the track was being dug out, fortunately not during work hours.

[edwaleni]

IL folks remember parts of US 66 between the sections of completed I-55? Stop lights, after cruising at 70 mph, and still some RR crossings!   

We used to play a guessing game on US-66/I-55 road trips on where 66 started/ended and 55 started ended during all of the construction bypasses.

On the last section of 66 left (Gardner) my dad finally shared his secret.  The roadside reflectors for I-55 segments were different than the US-66 ones. I was always looking for pavement changes.

[hobsini2]

IL folks remember parts of US 66 between the sections of completed I-55? Stop lights, after cruising at 70 mph, and still some RR crossings!   

We used to play a guessing game on US-66/I-55 road trips on where 66 started/ended and 55 started ended during all of the construction bypasses.

On the last section of 66 left (Gardner) my dad finally shared his secret.  The roadside reflectors for I-55 segments were different than the US-66 ones. I was always looking for pavement changes.

Somewhere in my collection of paper maps (I hope) I have/had a Chicago Tribune issued map of Chicagoland (circa 1981) that on the back had an approximate 150 mile radius from Downtown mapped out which went out to Peoria, Madison and I think Ft Wayne. Anyway, I remember seeing the I-55 Under Construction markings south of Joliet.