Interstate Business Route 72
The lone business route for Interstate 72 serves the Morgan County seat of Jacksonville
Illinois
Business Loop I-72 at Jacksonville connects Interstate 72, which bypasses the city to the south alongside U.S. 36, with the city along a 9.7 mile long loop. The western leg overlaps with the freeway along U.S. 67 from a full cloverleaf interchange (Exit 60) north to Morton Avenue (old U.S. 36) east. Morton Avenue forms a commercial boulevard east with IL 104 across Jacksonville to Mauvaise Terre Creek. East from there, the two routes separate, with Business Loop I-72 expanding into a four lane, divided highway to the rural diamond interchange (Exit 68) with I-72/U.S. 36 outside the city limits.
Springfield
U.S. 54 formerly overlapped with U.S. 36 along Wabash Avenue east to MacArthur Boulevard north and Grand Avenue to U.S. 66 Business. The pair then took 9th Street north and Cook Street east to split at U.S. 66, which bypassed Springfield along an at-grade route on Dirksen Parkway.
Guide signs posted along I-72/U.S. 36 east for Exit 60 and the concurrent section of Business Loop I-72 east / U.S. 67 north to the west side of Jacksonville. U.S. 67 constitutes an expressway south to Manchester and north to Chapin. Photos by Bill Burmaster (2003).
Sources:
- Geelhart, Chris. “Interstate Business Route.” Online posting. 07 Feb. 1999. misc.transport.road.
Page updated August 29, 2016.
The first westbound shield posted for Business Loop I-72 appears with an IL 104 trailblazer. IL 104 crosses I-72 to the southwest, but without direct access. 05/07/10
An end shield stands east of the I-72/U.S. 36 underpass within the diamond interchange at Business Loop I-72 and Old Route 36 east. Photo by Bill Burmaster (2003).