Business Loop I-72 - Jacksonville
Business Loop I-72 follows the former alignment of U.S. 36 into the city of Jacksonville 1.79 miles west from Exit 68 to an overlap with Illinois State Route 104. Passing south of Downtown at IL 267 (S Main Street), Business Loop I-72/IL 104 overlap for 3.86 miles along Morton Avenue.
IL 104 branches north from Business Loop I-72 (Morton Avenue) to IL 78 along the west Jacksonville city line. Business Loop I-72 continues another 1.14 miles on old U.S. 36 west to the freeway along U.S. 67 at The Mound. Joining U.S. 67 for 2.73 miles, the business route returns to Interstate 72 south at Exit 60.
East
Business Loop I-72 (Morton Avenue) continues east from IL 104 to span a BNSF Railroad line ahead of Black Lane and Morgan County Route 32 (Mobil Road).
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1.64 miles east of IL 104, Business Loop I-72 reaches the diamond interchange with I-72/U.S. 36. Old US 36 continues east to Orleans and Alexander while the Central Illinois Expressway parallels to the north en route to Springfield.
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West
Business Loop I-72 commences west along Morton Avenue (old U.S. 36) west from a diamond interchange (Exit 68) with I-72 ahead of an industrial park and correctional facility.
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A four lane, divided highway, Business Loop I-72 (Morton Avenue) advances west to Blacks Lane ahead of a BNSF Railroad underpass.
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IL 104 parallels the BNSF Railroad line northwest from Franklin and Pisgah along a rural route into southeast Jacksonville.
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Traveling 106 miles from Quincy to Taylorville, IL 104 runs southeast from Jacksonville to the village of Franklin and city of Waverly.
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West
IL 104 combines with Business Loop I-72 (Morton Avenue) west along a commercial strip south of the city center.
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Business Loop I-72 west wholly enters the city of Jacksonville alongside IL 104 and Morton Avenue.
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Country Club Road stems south from Morton Avenue to Jacksonville Country Club golf course along Mauvaise Terre Lake while IL 104 connects with IL 78 in 5.26 miles.
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Emerging from below the Kansas City Southern Railroad overpass, Morton Avenue enters the Jacksonville street grid at Hardin Avenue.
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Clay Avenue leads north from the signal with Morton Avenue to MacMurray College and 0.50 miles south to the South Jacksonville village line.
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The succeeding traffic light on Morton Avenue west is at the north end of IL 267 and Main Street south of Downtown Jacksonville.
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IL 267 lines the pre-freeway alignment of U.S. 67 south to South Jacksonville and Woodson. Main Street north through Downtown is old U.S. 67 to IL 78 (Walnut Street).
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Church Street intersects Morton Avenue south across from Jacksonville Community Park.
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Business Loop I-72/IL 104 proceed west from Church Street to the traffic light at Diamond Street.
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Traffic lights operate along Morton Avenue at the entrance to the Lincoln Square and Town Brook Plaza shopping centers.
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Lincoln Avenue heads north from Business Loop I-72/IL 104 to Illinois College and south to the Prairieland Heritage Museum in South Jacksonville.
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Libby Lane stems north beyond the commercial strip along Morton Avenue to residential areas along Sherwood Eddy Drive.
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Westgate Avenue runs 1.51 miles north from Morton Avenue to the Morgan County Fairgrounds and IL 78 (Walnut Street) at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital.
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Massey Lane extends 7.03 miles south from Business Loop I-72/IL 104 to CR 28 (Woodson-Winchester Road) west of Woodson. North of Morton Avenue, Massey Lane becomes Locust Street at Mound Road (the historic route of U.S. 36) in 0.39 miles.
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IL 104 separates from Business Loop I-72 (Morton Avenue) west beyond a signalized entrance to big box retail.
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IL 104 converges with IL 78, 2.06 miles north of Business Loop I-72. The two routes combine west 0.49 miles to U.S. 67. U.S. 67 connects Jacksonville with Beardstown while IL 104 branches west from U.S. 67 near Meredosia en route to Quincy.
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IL 104 lines another former alignment of U.S. 67 north to IL 78. Narrowing to two lanes, Business Loop I-72 continues west to U.S. 67 just outside the Jacksonville city limits.
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West
Business Loop I-72 converges with Mound Road (Historic U.S. 36) west just ahead of the diamond interchange with the freeway along U.S. 67.
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The ensuing exit north from Business Loop I-72 on U.S. 67 connects with IL 104 east and IL 78 north. IL 78 follows old U.S. 67 north from Jacksonville to Virginia.
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Turning west from Jacksonville, U.S. 67 comprises an at-grade expressway to Chapin. The highway travels north to Beardstown, Macomb and the Quad Cities.
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Business Loop I-72 turns south alongside U.S. 67 back to I-72/U.S. 36. Old 36 continues west from The Mound to Riggston and I-72/U.S. 36 at Exit 52.
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West 
South
The freeway along U.S. 67 bypasses Jacksonville to the west from IL 78/104 south 5.10 miles to I-72/U.S. 36.
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Business Loop I-72 west concludes at a rural cloverleaf interchange joining U.S. 67 with I-72/U.S. 36 near Sandy Creek.
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I-72/U.S. 36 (Central Illinois Expressway) travel west from Jacksonville to Pittsfield, I-172 north to Quincy and across the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River into Hannibal, Missouri.
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Photo Credits:
- ABRoads: 05/07/10
- Alex Nitzman: 05/24/18
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Page Updated Friday November 24, 2023.