Interstate 80 in Illinois
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Interstate 80 (I-80) is a part of the
Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
that runs from
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, to
Teaneck, New Jersey Teaneck () is a Township (New Jersey), township in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, th ...
. I-80 enters
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
from
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
in the west, southwest of Rapids City, and runs generally eastward through East Moline, LaSalle, and Joliet, before entering
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
in
Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...
. The Interstate runs for approximately through the state. In the 1920s, two state highways followed the general alignment that I-80 takes. In 1932, US Route 6 (US 6) was extended through Illinois, paralleling the alignment that I-80 in Illinois takes today. Construction started in 1957, and I-80 was completed in 1968. In the early 1990s, Illinois wanted to reroute I-80 in the
Quad Cities The Quad Cities is a region of cities (originally four, see History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in northwestern Illinois. These cities are t ...
area. At the same time, the section of I-80 that is concurrent with
I-294 Interstate 294 (I-294) is a tolled auxiliary Interstate Highway in northeastern Illinois. It forms the southern portion of the Tri-State Tollway in Illinois. I-294 runs from South Holland at I-80/ I-94 and Illinois Route 394 (IL 394) to ...
was reconstructed. The portion of I-80 that is concurrent with the Kingery Expressway was rebuilt in the mid-2000s.


Route description

I-80 extends from west to east across the northern portion of the state through the population centers of the Quad Cities and south Chicago suburbs. The freeway is mostly maintained by the
Illinois Department of Transportation The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is a state agency in charge of state-maintained public roadways of the U.S. state of Illinois. In addition, IDOT provides funding for rail, public transit and airport projects and administers fuel ...
(IDOT); the
Illinois State Toll Highway Authority The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) is an administrative agency of the U.S. state of Illinois charged with building, operating, and maintaining toll roads in the state. The roads, as well as the authority itself, are sometimes referr ...
(ISTHA) maintains the section of I-80 concurrent with the
Tri-State Tollway The Tri-State Tollway is a toll highway in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. It follows: *Interstate 80 from I-94/I-294/IL 394 in South Holland to I-294 in Hazel Crest; * Interstate 294 from I-80/I-94/IL 394 in South Hol ...
. The busiest section of the freeway is between the I-94 and
Illinois Route 83 Illinois Route 83 (IL 83) is a major north–south state highway in northeast Illinois. It stretches from U.S. Route 30 (US 30, Lincoln Highway) by Lynwood and Dyer, Indiana, north to the Wisconsin border by Antioch at Wisconsin High ...
(IL 83) interchanges in Lansing. Approximately 181,200 vehicles used the freeway on average each day in 2011; in contrast, the lowest traffic level was 16,400 vehicles between the IL 78 and IL 40 interchanges in
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and
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counties. I-80 contains between a minimum of four lanes and a maximum of 10 lanes total. The majority of the highway runs through farmland and urban areas.


Iowa to Interstate 39

I-80 enters Illinois on the
Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge The Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge is a 4-lane steel girder bridge that carries Interstate 80 across the Mississippi River between LeClaire, Iowa and Rapids City, Illinois. The bridge is named for Fred Schwengel, a former U.S. Representative from ...
over the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
, southwest of Rapids City. After leaving the bridge, the Interstate has a
folded diamond interchange A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange. The design has been well received, and has since become one of the most popular freeway-to-arterial interchange designs in North America. It has also be ...
with IL 84. The highway heads south, as a four-lane Interstate, passing along the east side of the Quad Cities. Eastbound I-80 traffic has access to an Illinois Welcome Center. The road has a cloverleaf interchange with the western terminus of
I-88 Interstate 88 may refer to either of two United States Interstate highways: * Interstate 88 (Illinois), running from East Moline to Hillside * Interstate 88 (New York) Interstate 88 (I-88) is an Interstate Highway located entirely with ...
. After the interchange with I-88, the highway crosses over Rock River. The Interstate has a
diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
with US 6, before having an interchange with
I-74 } Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities); the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchange ...
in East Moline. At this interchange, I-80 turns easterly paralleling US 6 and leaving the Quad Cities area. East of the Quad Cities, the Interstate passes through rural farmland as a four-lane Interstate. The road passes south of Geneseo, with the city having one interchange at IL 82. The road passes south of
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, before passing over US 6 and a railroad track. After crossing over the railroad tracks, the Interstate has an interchange with IL 78, north of Annawan. The Interstate continues toward the east having a folded diamond interchange with IL 40, before having rest areas on both sides of the roadway. The highway passes on the north side of
Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine ...
, having an interchange with IL 26, near a commercial part of the city. I-80 passes over US 34, before leaving Princeton and having an interchange with the northern terminus of I-180. The Interstate has a rural interchange with IL 89, before entering LaSalle. In LaSalle, the highway has a diamond interchange with 103 Road, just north of the Illinois Valley Regional Airport. The highway has an interchange with IL 251, with commercial properties around the interchange. I-80 has an interchange with IL 351, just south of the Mitchell's Grove Nature Preserve, before having an interchange with
I-39 Interstate 39 (I-39) is a highway in the Midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois, at I-55 to State Trunk Highway 29 (WIS 29) in the town of Rib Mountain, Wisconsin, which is approximately south of Wausau. I- ...
/ US 51.


Interstate 39 to Indiana

After the interchange with I-39, I-80 leaves LaSalle, heading toward the east and passing through rural farmland. Between 12th road and 14th Road the Interstate passes the
AASHO Road Test The AASHO Road Test was a series of experiments carried out by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), to determine how traffic contributed to the deterioration of highway pavements. Methodology Of ...
site, one of old test loops used for testing different types of road surfaces in the 1950s. The Interstate enters
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
and has an interchange with IL 23, near many commercial businesses. After IL 23, the freeway leaves Ottawa and crosses over the Fox River, before having an interchange with IL 71. The road passes through rural farmland, having a few rural interchanges before entering
Morris Morris may refer to: Places Australia *St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia Canada * Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry * Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba ** Morris, Manitob ...
. In Morris the roadway curves toward the northeast, having an interchange with IL 47, near many commercial properties. The highway leaves Morris, passing through farmland and having a rural interchange with a county road. Both directions of I-80 have a rest area before entering
Minooka Minooka is a village (Illinois), village in Grundy County, Illinois, Grundy, Kendall County, Illinois, Kendall, and Will County, Illinois, Will counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,924 at the United States Census 2010, 2010 cen ...
. In Minooka, the Interstate curves the east, before turning back toward the northeast and leaving the village. The road enters
Will County Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...
by curving toward the northeast. The Interstate curves towards the east, before having an interchange with
I-55 Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The h ...
. After I-55, I-80 enters Joliet, passing near many warehouses. The road has an interchange with IL 7, before passing near residential. The road crosses over the
Des Plaines River The Des Plaines River () is a river that flows southward for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 13, 2011 through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois''American Her ...
on the Des Plaines River Bridge. After the river, the freeway has an interchange with US 52/ IL 53. The Interstate has an interchange with a city street, before crossing over a railroad tracks. After the railroad tracks, the freeway has a diamond interchange with another city street. The road has a folded diamond interchange with US 30, before passing southeast of Potawatomi Woods County Forest Preserve. While passing through the preserve, the roadway becomes a six-lane Interstate. The Interstate has an interchange with the southern terminus of
I-355 Interstate 355 (I-355), also known as the Veterans Memorial Tollway, is an Interstate Highway and tollway in the western and southwest suburbs of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. Like most other toll roads in the northeastern portion of th ...
(Veterans Memorial Tollway). The residential properties end and the highway passes through a more industrial area, before passing through the Yankee Woods ( Cook County Forest Preserve). After the preserve, the Interstate has an interchange with
I-57 Interstate 57 (I-57) is a north–south Interstate Highway in Missouri and Illinois that parallels the old Illinois Central Railroad for much of its route. It runs from Sikeston, Missouri, at I-55 to Chicago, Illinois, at I-94. I-57 essen ...
. I-80 joins the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) heading toward the east as a 10-lane tollway. The tollway passes over a railyard, before having an interchange with IL 1. After IL 1, the roadway narrows to eight-lanes and passes through the
Thornton Quarry Thornton Quarry is one of the largest aggregate quarries in the world, located in Thornton, Illinois just south of Chicago. The quarry is 1.5 miles (2.5 km) long, 0.5 miles (1 km) wide, and 450 feet (137.16 m) deep at its deepest poin ...
. The Interstate passes under the Chicago Southland Lincoln
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
, before passing north of Wampum Lake. After passing the lake, the tollway has an interchange with I-94. At this interchange with I-94 the Tri-State Tollway and I-294, both end, with I-94 running
concurrent Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with I-80 toward the east. The concurrency between I-80 and I-94 travels on a freeway locally known as the Kingery Expressway. The Interstate has a
single-point urban interchange A single-point urban interchange (SPUI, or ), also called a single-point interchange (SPI) or single-point diamond interchange (SPDI), is a type of highway interchange. The design was created in order to help move large volumes of traffic thro ...
(SPUI) with IL 83 and the western end of the US 6 concurrency. East of the US 6 exit, the freeway become a 10-lane Interstate, passing near residential properties. The road enters Indiana, and the freeway name becomes Borman Expressway.


Services

The IDOT operates five rest areas and ISTHA operates one Oasis in of Interstate Highway. Along I-80, there are three locations that have facilities for each direction of traffic. Parking areas are divided so passenger automobiles are separated from
semi truck A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer a ...
s. Common among most of the rest stops are restrooms,
payphone A payphone (alternative spelling: pay phone) is typically a coin-operated public telephone, often located in a telephone booth or in high-traffic outdoor areas, with prepayment by inserting money (usually coins) or by billing a credit or debit ...
s with TDD capabilities, weather information, picnic areas, and
vending machine A vending machine is an automated machine that provides items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or otherwise made. The fir ...
s. The eastbound rest area near Rapid City does not allow large trucks and does not have vending machines or TDD capabilities. The Oasis is the Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis, located in South Holland. Like most of the other Oasises, this location has several
fast-food Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheated or precooked ingredient ...
restaurants,
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s,
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s, visitor centers, and free
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. This Oasis is one of the few with an electric vehicle charging station. The Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis was originally named Lincoln Oasis, ISTHA added Chicago Southland to the name. The change was made to better represent the area around the Oasis. The Oasis's name was changed in February 2006, changing the name officially to the Chicago Southland Lincoln Oasis.


History

In 1917, there were many sections of named highways which made up the route that current I-80 takes through Illinois. The first was the Blue Line. It was routed between Rock Island and Princeton. The second section was named Sunset Trail, and it traveled between Princeton and Ottawa, passing through LaSalle. Illinois Valley Trail went from Ottawa to Orland Park. From Orland Park to the Indiana state line, no named highway was available. The first state highways along the I-80 corridor were numbered IL 7 from the Rock Island east to the
Orland Park Orland Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Will County. The village is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, Orland Park had a population of 58,703. Located 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Chicago ...
area and IL 53 from Orland Park east to Indiana state line in 1923. The US Numbered Highway System was approved on November 11, 1926, and US 32 was routed between Rock Island and Princeton. East of Princeton, US 32 followed a route closer to current US 34. US 6 was commissioned in Illinois in 1932, replacing US 32 west of Princeton, IL 7 between Princeton and Joliet, and IL 53 from Joliet to the Indiana state line. Construction of a test track for the Interstate Highway System between Utica and Ottawa began in 1952. The test track had six different segments of roadway, with different types of surfaces. One of the old test tracks can still be seen from I-80. The first section of I-80 to open was the section that is known as the Kingery Expressway, this section open in 1957, as US 6. In October 1958, the test track west of Ottawa opens to testing. The section of I-80 that is concurrent with the Tri-State Tollway was opened in 1958. In November 1960, the testing at the test track was completed. The Interstate opened between IL 71, near Ottawa, and I-55, near Joliet, in 1960. The segment of roadway between IL 23 and IL 71, near Ottawa, open in 1961. In 1962, the highway was extended west to IL 89, near LaSalle, replacing and paralleling the test track most of the way to Utica. Also in 1962, another section of road open between US 67 and IL 78. During 1964 and 1965, the gap between IL 78 and IL 89 was completed and opened to traffic. The north–south section of I-80 in Illinois was open in 1967. The last section of I-80 to open was the section between I-55 and the Tri-State Tollway, with it opening 1968. In 1990 and 1991, IDOT proposed rerouting I-80 onto present day I-280, with current I-80 becoming I-74. IDOT listed safety concerns and cost savings as reasons to reroute I-80. Iowa officials challenged the reroute of I-80 and the routes of I-74 and I-80 never changed. Between 1991 and 1992, the section of I-80 that is concurrent with the Tri-State Tollway was reconstructed and widened to eight-lanes. Between 2003 and 2007, construction to widen the Kingery Expressway was done and the project cost $460 million (equivalent to $ in ). This was the first major project on the Kingey Expressway since it was opened in the 1950s. In early 2011, IDOT began construction to widen a section of freeway to six-lanes between US 30 and US 45. This project had an opening ceremony on October 24, 2012, with the project costing $26 million (equivalent to $ in ).


Exit list


See also

* * *


References


External links

{{state detail page browse, type=I, route=80, state=Illinois, statebefore=Iowa, stateafter=Indiana Illinois 80 Transportation in Rock Island County, Illinois Transportation in Henry County, Illinois Transportation in Bureau County, Illinois Transportation in LaSalle County, Illinois Transportation in Grundy County, Illinois Transportation in Kendall County, Illinois Transportation in Will County, Illinois Transportation in Cook County, Illinois