Illinois Route 158

Infobox Illinois state route
article_route = 158
length_mi = 25.81
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=2006]
direction = East-west
starting_terminus =
ending_terminus =
counties = Monroe, St. Clair
cities = Belleville
established = 1926cite web |author=Carlson, Rich |url=http://www.n9jig.com/141-160.html |accessdate=2006-07-02 |date=2005-04-15 |title=Illinois Highways Page: Routes 141 thru 160]
prev_route = 157
next_route = 159
see_also =

Illinois Route 158 is an east-west state road in southwestern Illinois. Its western terminus is at Illinois Route 3 in Columbia and its eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 50, in O'Fallon. This is a distance of convert|25.81|mi|km|2.

Route description

Illinois 158 is an important east-west highway in the southeastern portions of the metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri area. It runs from Columbia through Millstadt, Belleville, and near the Scott Air Force Base. Portions of the route run north-south geographically.

History

SBI Route 158 ran from Columbia to Belleville on the current Illinois 158 routing. In 1957, it was extended north to O'Fallon, and west to the Jefferson Barracks Bridge; in 1958, Illinois 158 replaced Illinois Route 157 on the bridge approached. In 1960, the western end was brought back to Columbia.

Future

The Illinois Department of Transportation has included a large portion of Illinois 158 in their Gateway Connector project; a southeastern beltway that would run from Columbia east to Scott Air Force Base, and north to Troy.cite web |url=http://www.dot.il.gov/gateway/index.html |title=Gateway Connector: Planning for the Future |date=2005 |accessdate=2006-07-02 |author=Illinois Department of Transportation ]

Illinois 158 will be a proposed 4-laned expressway all throughout its proposed route, however, some interchanges will have ramps and some may have traffic lights. This project has drawn many criticisms by local residents of these areas. This is a likely sign of an urban sprawl coming further east into the Metro-East, Illinois area. At least one organization, the Stop 158 group, has formed to block construction of the road and refocus use of taxpayer's dollars on a new Mississippi River bridge south of St. Louis. [cite web |author=Stop 158 |date=2006-07-01 |accessdate=2006-07-02 |title=Stop 158 - Illinois Citizens for Smart Growth |url=http://www.stop158.org]

The Gateway Connector remains unfunded for construction through 2010.

References