Business Loop I-55 through the Illinois capital city follows Historic U.S. 66 to Downtown, the Illinois State Fairgrounds and the village of Sherman. The route measures 14.06 miles in length from I-55/72-U.S. 36 at Exit 92 to Interstate 55 at Exit 105.
Business Loop I-55 branches north from a wye interchange with I-55 along S 6th Street. The commercial arterial runs 2.17 miles to partition into a one way couplet with 5th Street southbound. Northbound traffic follows 6th Street to Lawrence Avenue east three blocks to 9th Street. Business Loop I-55 south lines Cook Street west 0.31 miles from 9th to 5th Streets.
Changed sometime after 2019, the previous alignment of Business Loop I-55 through central Springfield utilized Myrtle Street east and Spruce Street west to make the connection between the couplet of 5th/6th Streets and 9th Street. Historic U.S. 66 along 9th Street became discontinuous with the construction of a new Norfolk Southern Railroad underpass along Laurel Street.
9th Street runs along the east side of the Springfield central business district north to the couplet of IL 97 along Jefferson and Madison Streets. Business Loop I-55 shifts northeast from 9th Street onto Peoria Road 1.37 miles beyond IL 97. Peoria Road continues the route to the Illinois State Fairgrounds and IL 4 (Veterans Parkway).
Peoria Road extends northeast from IL 4/29 (Veterans Parkway) as a four lane boulevard into Sherman at the Sangamon River. Business Loop I-55 curves eastward through the village to converge with Interstate 55 beyond Wolf Creek Road.
South
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The first confirming marker for Business Loop I-55 appears south beyond the village of Sherman welcome sign.
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Business Loop I-55 (Peoria Road) fully enters the Sherman village limits ahead of Village Center Drive.
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The east end of IL 124 ties into Business Loop I-55 (Peoria Road) along Andrew Road.
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Andrew Road extends two miles west from Business Loop I-55 to the unincorporated community of Andrew.
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IL 124 comprises a 5.71 mile long highway leading north from Sherman to IL 123 east of Athens.
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Business Loop I-55 follows Historic U.S. 66 and Abraham Lincoln Parkway south through Sherman.
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Continuing south into the city of Springfield, Business Loop I-55 meets Dirksen Parkway.
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Angling southwest, Business Loop I-55 (Peoria Road) meets IL 4/29 (Veterans Parkway) at Color Plant Road.
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IL 29 south combines with Business Loop I-55 along the east side of the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
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IL 4 (Veterans Parkway) encircles Springfield to the west from IL 29 to Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI) to I-72/U.S. 36 at Exit 93.
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South
Taintor Road along the north side of the Illinois State Fairgrounds was part of the 1926-30 alignment of U.S. 66.
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IL 29 overlaps with Business Loop I-55 (Peoria Road) south for 1.09 miles.
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IL 29 turns east from Business Loop I-55 along Sangamon Avenue for 1.70 miles to Dirksen Parkway.
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IL 29 continues southeast from Dirksen Parkway in Springfield to Rochester and Taylorville.
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South
Business Loop I-55 confirming marker and Historic U.S. 66 trailblazer posted at Peoria Road and Percy Avenue.
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Peoria Road south beyond the six point intersection with N 11th Street and Griffiths Avenue.
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Business Loop I-55 diverges south from Peoria Road onto N 9th Street.
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9th Street leads Business Loop I-55 south from Black Avenue below a Union Pacific Railroad line.
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Business Loop I-55 (N 9th Street) intersects the east end of IL 97 at Madison Street. IL 97 formerly continued 2.62 miles east to the cloverleaf interchange joining I-55 and I-72/U.S. 36.
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IL 97 travels northwest from Springfield to Petersburg and the Scott W. Lucas Memorial Bridge taking U.S. 136 across the Mississippi River at Havana.
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IL 97 runs along the north side of the Springfield central business district northbound along Washington Street and southbound on Madison Street. The couplet concludes at Amos Avenue to the west.
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N 9th Street intersects Adams Street at the Bank of Springfield Center.
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Capitol Avenue heads seven blocks west from Business Loop I-55 (9th Street) to the Illinois State Capitol Building.
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The realignment of Business Loop I-55 made after 2019 shifted the route four blocks west from 9th Street onto Cook Street for 5th Street southbound.
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9th Street - Former South
South
9th Street proceeds one block south from the turn of Business Loop I-55 at Cook Street to a signalized intersection with Lawrence Avenue.
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Business Loop I-55 reassurance marker formerly posted along 9th Street south between Scarritt and Allen Streets.
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An overhead sign assembly previously posted along S 9th Street at Vine Street. U.S. 36/54 historically follows 9th Street south from Cook Street to S Grand Avenue west.
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U.S. 36/54 followed S Grand Avenue west to 2nd Street, where IL 4 joined the pair to Mac Arthur Boulevard south and Wabash Avenue south.
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Removed in 2023, a distance sign formerly posted beyond S Grand Avenue recognized the historic route of U.S. 66 south from Springfield to Litchfield and St. Louis, Missouri.
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Historic U.S. 66 trailblazer posted south along S 9th Street between S Grand Avenue and E Pine Street.
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The previous route of Business Loop I-55 took Spruce Street west from S 9th Street. The shield assembly preceding the turn was replaced with a Road Ends - 500 feet regulatory sign assembly by 2022.
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The signalized intersection joining S 9th Street with Myrtle Street one block beyond Spruce Street was removed during construction of a new underpass for the parallel Norfolk Southern Railroad.
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Spruce Street - Former South
South
A trailblazer for the Lincoln Heritage Trail formerly posted along Spruce Street west at 8th Street. Spruce Street was converted into a local street with two-way traffic following the relocation of Business Loop I-55.
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Traffic lights at Spruce Street west and S 6th Street (Business Loop I-55) north were deactivated in 2019 and subsequently replaced with a stop sign.
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The turn of Business Loop I-55 south from Spruce Street onto S 5th Street was well marked.
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Traffic lights at Spruce Street west and S 5th Street were also replaced with a stop sign in 2019.
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The Historic U.S. 66 trailblazer at Spruce and 5th Street was also removed.
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South
Business Loop I-55 (S 5th Street) proceeds one block south from the former alignment on Spruce Street to a signalized intersection with Laurel Street.
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Abraham Lincoln Parkway trailblazer posted along S 5th Street at E Myrtle Street.
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The Norfolk Southern Railroad line spans Business Loop I-55 (S 5th Street) adjacent to Cross Street. A new overpass was constructed by this bridge in 2021/22.
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S 5th Street intersects Iles Avenue at this traffic light beyond the Norfolk Southern Railroad bridges.
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Business Loop I-55 reassurance marker posted at S 5th Street and Bryn Mawr Boulevard.
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The couplet of 5th/6th Streets along Business Loop I-55 concludes south of Stanford Avenue.
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Business Loop I-55 (S 6th Street) straddles the Southern View village and Springfield city line south from ahead of Linton Avenue to St. Joseph Street.
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Adlai Stevenson Drive stems 2.11 miles east from Business Loop I-55 to a folded diamond interchange (Exit 94) with I-55/72-U.S. 36.
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Stevenson Drive becomes E Lake Shore Drive beyond I-55/72 and across Spaulding Dam on the north side of Lake Springfield.
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Business Loop I-55 (S 6th Street) wholly enters the village of Southern View at St. Joseph Street.
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Lincolnshire Boulevard links Business Loop I-55 with S 11th Street, 0.31 miles to the east.
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Business Loop I-55 connects with I-72/U.S. 36 west to Jacksonville and Hannibal, Missouri at a three quarter cloverleaf interchange.
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A loop ramp follows onto I-72/U.S. 36 east for Interstate 55 north around Springfield. Business Loop I-55 south defaults onto I-55 at a wye interchange.
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Photo Credits:
05/24/18 by AARoads
Connect with:
Interstate 55
Interstate 72
Page Updated 01-15-2024.