Illinois Route 3

Infobox Illinois state route
article_route = 3
prev_route = 2
next_route = 4
length_mi = 187.44
length_round = 2
length_ref = cite web |author=Illinois Technology Transfer Center |url=http://www.dot.state.il.us/gist2/select.html |title=T2 GIS Data |accessdate=2007-11-08 |date=2007]
direction = North-south
established = 1918Carlson, Rick. [http://www.n9jig.com/1-20.html Illinois State Highways Page: Routes 1 through 20] . Last updated March 15, 2006. Retrieved March 24, 2006.]
starting_terminus =
ending_terminus =
cities = Chester, Red Bud, Waterloo, Columbia, East St. Louis, Granite City, Alton
counties = Alexander, Union, Jackson, Randolph, Monroe, St. Clair, Madison, Jersey
see_also =

Illinois Route 3 is a major north-south arterial state highway in southwestern Illinois. It has its southern terminus at Cairo Junction (about 4 miles, or 7 km, north of Cairo) at the intersection of Interstate 57 and U.S. Route 51, and its northern terminus in Grafton at Illinois Route 100. This is a distance of convert|187.44|mi|km|2.

Route description

Illinois 3 has 4 lanes from Waterloo to Godfrey, with a brief 6-lane stretch in Granite City around the "River's Edge" area (formerly the Army Depot of Granite City) and around Alton. It is 2 laned the majority of the southern part from Waterloo to Mound City around the Shawnee National Forest Area. It briefly overlaps Illinois Route 111 at Alton, Interstate 255 and U.S. Route 50, and Illinois Route 127north of Cache.

Illinois 3 parallels the Mississippi River for the entire length of its journey, and carries the Illinois portion of the Great River Road for most of its length. South of St. Louis, Interstate 55 is its parallel on the west side of the river, along with U.S. Route 61. The road runs along many historical sites along the Mississippi River, and is the closest Illinois state highway to the old state capitol of Kaskaskia.

Original 1918 RouteThe original Illinois 3 route went from Cairo Junction in southern Illinois to Morrison in northwest Illinois via Rock Island. With the completion of highway bridges over the Mississippi River (e.g. Clark Bridge at Alton) U.S. Route 67 was extended from St. Louis to Godfrey and replacing the original Illinois 3 to Rock Island. Today, this route is still the major north-south corridor for western Illinois - and the only major Illinois north-south route never upgraded to the Interstate highway system (e.g. Interstates 57, 55, 39).

Cities of Service

* Cairo
* Chester
* Red Bud
* Waterloo
* Columbia
* Dupo
* E. St. Louis
* Granite City
* Hartford
* E. Alton
* Alton
* Godfrey
* Grafton

Counties on this Route

*Alexander
*Union
*Jackson
*Randolph
*Monroe
*St. Clair
*Madison
*Jersey

External links

* [http://illi-indi.com/il_EndsPage.php?id=1003&section=1 Illinois Highway Ends: Illinois Route 3]

References