Business Loop I-55 - Bloomington-Normal
Following Veterans Parkway, Business Loop I-55 follows the final alignment that U.S. 66 took prior to being decommissioned in the state of Illinois in 1979. Starting at the I-55/74 south split interchange, Business Loop I-55 follows Veterans Parkway northeast across the suburban south side of Bloomington to a diamond interchange with U.S. 51 Business (Main Street). U.S. 51 Business leads north to both Downtown Bloomington and Normal.
Veterans Parkway curves northeast ahead of Eastland Mall and IL 9 (Empire Street) in the city of Bloomington. Continuing north, Business Loop I-55 enters the town of Normal at General Electric Road. The commercial arterial passes by the Shoppes at College Hills and additional retail areas northward to cross Old U.S. Route 66 and a Union Pacific Railroad line with AMTRAK service. The 9.74 mile long business route concludes at I-55 at Exit 167 across from Pipeline Road.
North
Business Loop I-55 elevates to pass over a Union Pacific Railroad line and an older segment of Historic U.S. 66 ahead of the exchange with Interstate 55.
05/24/08
The right lane of Veterans Parkway defaults onto the entrance ramp for I-55 northbound. Joliet lies 90 miles to the northeast near the crossroads of I-55 and Interstate 80.
05/24/08
Business Loop I-55 ends at a six-ramp parclo interchange with Interstate 55 in northeast Normal.
05/24/08
A loop ramp follows onto I-55 south for I-39 north to La Salle and Rockford and I-74 west to Galesburg and the Quad Cities.
05/24/08
Bypassing Normal and Bloomington, Interstate 55 leads west and then south to Lincoln, Springfield and St. Louis, Missouri.
05/24/08
South
Pipeline Road (CR 31) expands into a four lane arterial south of Northtown Road and ahead of the six-ramp parclo interchange with Interstate 55. Pipeline Road becomes Business Loop I-55 and Veterans Parkway as the northbound ramp for Joliet departs.
05/06/10
An exit ramp connects Business Loop I-55 (Veterans Parkway) southbound with Shelbourne Drive (Historic U.S. 66). Historic U.S. 66 leads northeast to the village of Towanda and west along Shelbourne Drive through north Normal.
05/24/08
Lowering from the Union Pacific Railroad underpass, Business Loop I-55 transitions into a busy arterial lined with shopping centers and industrial businesses starting with the signalized intersection with Fort Jesse Road.
05/06/10
Parkway Plaza connects Veterans Parkway with adjacent retail at Landmark and Susan Drives.
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College Avenue leads west from Airport Road and Business Loop I-55 (Veterans Parkway) to Downtown Normal and the campus of Illinois State University.
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Von Maur Drive provides access from Business Loop I-55 to the Shoppes of College Hill opposite Jumer Drive east.
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Vernon Avenue east and General Electric Road west come together at Veterans Parkway just south of Sugar Creek. Vernon Avenue weaves west into residential areas of east Normal. General Electric Road extends the street through northeast Bloomington to Barnes.
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Business Loop I-55 leaves the Normal town limits south of Vernon Avenue. Meeting the freeway next is Clearwater Avenue west from Airport Road.
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IL 9 (Empire Street) and Veterans Parkway meet at a continuous flow intersection (CFI).
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IL 9 overall crosses the state between Fort Madison, Iowa and the Indiana state line east of Hoopeston.
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IL 9 travels east from Veterans Parkway to Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI) and 32 miles to Gibson City in neighboring Ford County.
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Eastland Drive links Business Loop I-55 with adjacent Eastland Mall to the west and Hershey Road amid a sprawling business park area to the east.
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Washington Street and Veterans Parkway intersect northeast of the State Farm Insurance corporate headquarters. The arterial street leads west to Downtown Bloomington from residential areas southwest of the airport.
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A segment of Jackson Street links Business Loop I-55 with the State Farm Insurance campus and Regency Drive.
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Meeting Veterans Parkway next is Oakland Avenue west to U.S. 150 (Hannah / Clinton Streets) and east to Streid Drive.
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Business Loop I-55 curves southwestward ahead of Lincoln Street.
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Ireland Grove Road stems eastward from Veterans Parkway by the State Farm Insurance Corporate South Headquarters campus to suburban areas in southeast Bloomington. Exiting the city, Ireland Grove Road becomes CR 28 en route to Holder, Ellsworth and Arrowsmith.
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Mercer Avenue heads south from residential areas in Bloomington to intersect Business Loop I-55 as the route travels westerly through a second retail cluster.
05/06/10
Brickyard Drive connects Veterans Parkway with an older stretch of Ireland Grove Road to the south and a mixed commercial and residential area to the north.
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U.S. 150 (Morrissey Drive) converges with Business Loop I-55 between Downs to the southeast of Bloomington and Oakland Avenue.
05/06/10
A Business Loop I-55 shield appears where Veterans Parkway intersects Morrissey Drive. U.S. 150 zigzags northward to Clinton Street and an overlap with IL 9 along Empire Street (west) and Locust Street (east) north of Downtown. The 265 mile long highway in Illinois generally parallels I-74 from Moline southeast to Danville.
05/06/10
Commerce Parkway arcs southward from Veterans Parkway through an industrial park east of a Norfolk Southern Railroad line.
05/06/10
Business Loop I-55 elevates to pass over both Bunn Street and the NS Railroad line ahead of the diamond interchange with U.S. 51 Business (Main Street).
05/06/10
Main Street doubles as U.S. 51 Business south to I-74 and U.S. 51 at Exit 135 and north to Center Street, which carries the route southbound opposite Main Street north to Downtown Bloomington.
05/06/10
Veterans Parkway curves southwest from Six Points Road ahead of Morris Avenue.
05/06/10
Veterans Parkway upgrades to a controlled access expressway alongside the frontage roads of Springfield Road and Greenwood Avenue southwest to I-55/74-U.S. 51.
05/06/10
Historic U.S. 66 branches west from Veterans Parkway to follow Fox Creek Road west, and Beich Road south paralleling Interstate 55 to Shirley.
05/06/10
Fox Creek Road continues west beyond the I-55/74 underpass to a golf course community. Hamilton Road extends the road east to U.S. 51 Business (Main Street).
05/06/10
Business Loop I-55 (Veterans Parkway) south ties into a three quarter cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 74 west to I-55 north and I-74 east to Champaign, Urbana and Danville.
05/06/10
I-74 leads west from Normal to Peoria while U.S. 51 combines with I-55 north to join Interstate 39 for Rockford. Business Loop I-55 defaults onto I-55 south for Springfield ahead.
05/06/10
A loop ramp joins Interstate 74 east to Champaign and U.S. 51 south to Decatur.
05/06/10
Photo Credits:
- Alex Nitzman: 05/24/08, 05/06/10
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Page Updated Monday October 21, 2013.