Interstate 55 North - Divernon to Springfield

Interstate 55 runs across the east side of Divernon, a village of over 1,000, at forthcoming Exit 80 with Brown Street.

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Brown Street meets Interstate 55 at a diamond interchange northeast of the Divernon business district. Historic U.S. 66 follows Reichert Road, a west side frontage road, to Brown Street. The original four lane alignment of old U.S. 66 is discontinuous between Exits 80 and 82.

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Exit 80 leaves Interstate 55 north for Divernon. Brown Street becomes Divernon Road east and west from town across vast open farm land. Interstate 55 continues north to Pawnee Junction and IL 104.

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Three bridges span Brush Creek at this guide sign for Sangchris Lake State Park via IL 104 east. The I-55 mainline utilizes bridges built in 1972 while Brush Creek Road, a frontage road with no outlet, dates from 1949 as Historic U.S. 66.

12/20/09

A half mile ahead of the folded diamond interchange (Exit 82) with IL 104 along Interstate 55 north. IL 104 measures 106 miles in length from Quincy to the west and Taylorville to the east.

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Historic U.S. 66 resumes as a through route along the west side of Interstate 55. The route follows Frazee Road north from IL 104 at Cimic to Glenarm.

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I-55 north passes over the Illinois & Midland Railroad at the loop ramp (Exit 82) for IL 104.

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IL 104 runs six miles west to Auburn, where the original U.S. 66 passes through between Virden and Chatham. Eastward, IL 104 reaches Pawnee in three miles.

05/24/18

Interstate 55 expands to six overall lanes north from Exit 82.

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A diamond interchange joins Interstate 55 with Old Route 66, just south of the Glenarm community. Historic U.S. 66 splits into two branches at Exit 83. An older alignment meanders east from Glenarm and north to Lake Springfield. The final route of U.S. 66 remains alongside I-55 via Frazee Road, Douglas Street and Palm Road.

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Horse Farm Road stems west from Exit 83 and Old Route 66. Burtle Lane nearby to the north is the old U.S. 66 that connected with Douglas Street in Glenarm. The creation of Lake Springfield to the north submerged a portion of the old U.S. 66 to the east.

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Interstate 55 and parallel Historic U.S. 66 (Palm Road) north cross over a Canadian National Railway beyond this confirming marker.

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County Route 40 (New City Road) passes over Interstate 55 north one mile from Exit 88 to E Lake Drive and Palm Road (Historic U.S. 66).

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Interstate 55 and Historic U.S. 66 (Palm Road) briefly part ways ahead of the parclo interchange with Lake Shore Drive. U.S. 66 followed what is now Waters Edge Boulevard north from Palm Road to the I-55 crossing of Lake Springfield.

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Exit 88 departs Interstate 55 north for E Lake Shore Drive and Palm Road south. Nearby connections with Chatham Road west leads onto Walnut Street in Chatham. Lake Shore Drive encircles Lake Springfield north to I-55/72 at Exit 94.

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Lake Shore Drive and U.S. 66 once intersected at-grade within the vicinity of this northbound reassurance marker.

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Lake Springfield was formed with the building of Spaulding Dam across Sugar Creek during the years of 1931-35.¹ Before the lake was created, U.S. 66 followed Cotton Hill Road north of the reservoir and a portion of Lake Shore Drive south of the lake. A portion of original concrete acts as a private driveway off of Lake Shore Drive.

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Striped for six lanes, the bridges over Lake Springfield include shoulders on both sides and decorative lighting. The southbound span was replaced in 2001, followed by the northbound crossing a year later.

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Toronto Road serves the University of Illinois at Springfield campus east of Exit 90 in south Springfield. West from I-55, Toronto Road navigates along an S-curve northwest toward Woodside.

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Exit 90 to Toronto Road (CR 42) departs I-55 north ahead of the exchange at Exit 92 A where Historic U.S. 66 / Business Loop I-55 separate and Interstate 72 east converges from the west.

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Historic sites in Springfield, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, are located off Business Loop I-55 / Historic U.S. 66 (6th Street) north into Downtown Springfield via Exit 92 A.

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Interstate 55 shield posted ahead of the Southwind Road (Historic U.S. 66 to the east) overpass.

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Business Loop I-55 (6th Street) provides the connection for I-72/U.S. 36 west to Curran, Jacksonville and Quincy.

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A remnant from when Interstate 55 doubled as U.S. 66 is the left ramp to Business Loop I-55 (6th Street) north at Exit 92.

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This diagrammatic sign outlines the ramp configuration for the directional cloverleaf interchange (Exit 92) joining I-55 with I-72/U.S. 36 west and 6th Street (Business Loop I-55 / Historic U.S. 66) north. I-72/U.S. 36 extend west from Springfield along the Central Illinois Expressway toward Hannibal, Missouri.

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Interests to the Illinois State Fairgrounds are directed to remain along Interstate 55 north to Sangamon Avenue west in lieu of Business Loop I-55 through Springfield.

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I-55 north partitions with Business Loop I-55 (6th Street) north. The business route follows portions of Historic U.S. 66 through Springfield and Sherman, returning to I-55 at Exit 105. I-72 west from Springfield opened as a new freeway for U.S. 36 to Hull on November 22, 1991. I-72 was designated along the US highway after April 22, 1995.

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I-72/U.S. 36 east combines with I-55 north for 4.9 miles around the southeast side of Springfield.

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The freeway curves northeast by an arm of Lake Springfield beyond a Canadian National Railway overpass.

05/24/18

W Lake Shore Drive spans I-55/72 one mile southwest of the folded diamond interchange (Exit 94) with Stevenson Drive west and E Lake Shore Drive. E Lake Shore drive concludes the route from Exit 88 around Lake Springfield at Exit 94.

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I-55/72 curve northward by the City Water, Light & Power (municipal utility for Springfield) plant leading into Exit 94.

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Exit 94 loops away from I-55/72 north for Stevenson Drive west and E Lake Drive east. E Lake Drive becomes a part of CR 43 southward from nearby Spaulding Dam to Olde Carriage Way / Old Route 66.

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Sugar Creek flows northward from Spaulding Dam parallel to I-55/72 out of view near this shield assembly.

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IL 29 heads northwest from Taylorsville and the bypass around Edinburg completed in 2014 to meet I-55/72 at a cloverleaf interchange (Exits 96 A/B) in one mile.

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IL 29 angles four miles southeast to the village of Rochester.

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Exit 96 A leaves I-55 north in a half mile for IL 29 south. The 180 mile long route of IL 29 concludes a at U.S. 51 in Pana.

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Interstate 72 separates with I-55 north one mile beyond Exit 96 A. IL 29 turns northward onto Dirksen Parkway just west of Exit 96 B.

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S Grand Avenue stems west from IL 29 (Dirksen Parkway) through the residential street grid of Springfield to Washington Park. Interests to the Illinois State Museum are directed onto Exit 96 B.

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The final shield assembly for the overlap of I-55 north and I-72/U.S. 36 east.

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IL 97 previously began at the upcoming cloverleaf interchange (Exit 98) with I-55, I-72 and U.S. 36. Clear Lake Avenue leads west to Downtown Springfield, which includes a number of points of interest such as the Capitol Complex and the Illinois war memorials.

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Interstate 72 resumes an eastward course alongside U.S. 36 for another 30 miles to Decatur. I-72 ends in 80 miles at I-57 within the city of Champaign.

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I-72/U.S. 36 weave five miles northeast from I-55 at Exit 98 A by the villages of Clear Lake and Riverton before turning east to Decatur.
Exit 98 B follows onto Clear Lake Avenue (old IL 97) west 2.6 miles to Historic U.S. 66 at Downtown Springfield.

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Formerly 110 miles in length, IL 97 was truncated westward to Business Loop I-55 and the couplet of Jefferson and Madison Streets through the Springfield central business district. IL 97 continues from Springfield to Bradfordton and ultimately to U.S. 150 east of Galesburg.

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Interstate 55 advances north across tracts of farm land preceding Hoover Branch.

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IL 29 branches west from IL 54 at Dirksen Parkway (Historic U.S. 66 Bypass) along a convoluted route 4.8 miles to Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI). The airport is located in northwest Springfield, west of IL 29 north of IL 4.

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IL 54 is a 117 mile long highway to U.S. 45 at Onarga. This alignment was a part of U.S. 54 until its truncation west of Pittsfield by AASHTO on June 21, 1971.

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IL 54 travels northeast from Springfield to Mt. Pulaski, Clinton and Farmer City.

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Exit 100 B loops away from I-55 north for Sangamon Avenue west to Dirksen Parkway (IL 29 south) and Business Loop I-55 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. IL 29 leaves the city for Mason City, Pekin, Peoria and ultimately Spring Valley.

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Lowering from the Canadian National Railway under pass, I-55 parallels Historic U.S. 66 Bypass / Dirksen Parkway. IDOT recorded 33,300 vehicles per day (vpd) on this section in 2017.

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Bissell Road passes over Interstate 55 one mile south of the Rail Splittler Rest Area.

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The northbound Rail Splitter Rest Area precedes the Sangamon River.

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The Rail Splitter Rest Area along Interstate 55 southbound lies north of the Sangamon River.

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Flowing 246 miles along a U-shaped course from southern McLean County to the Illinois River near Browning, the Sangamon passes under I-55 in a wooded area southeast of Sherman.

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The village of Sherman represents the next exit of I-55 north in two miles. Bloomington lies 60 miles to the northeast, with Chicago still around three hours away.

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Business Loop I-55 returns to I-55 north alongside Historic U.S. 66 through Sherman. The four lane highway converges with the freeway at a folded diamond interchange (Exit 105) in one mile.

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Interstate 55 curves west at Exit 105 and then east to over take the original alignment of U.S. 66 from Sherman northeast to Williamsville. The north end of Business Loop I-55 takes Historic U.S. 66 directly onto I-55.

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Exit 105 loops away from I-55 north for Business Loop I-55 south back into Sherman. IL 124 ties into Historic U.S. 66 from east of Andrew nearby.

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