Interstate 55 in Illinois

Infobox road
state=IL
route=55
type=I

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alternate_name=Chicago area: Stevenson Expressway
maint=IDOT
length_mi=294.38
length_round=2
length_ref=cite web |url=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/routefinder/table1.cfm |title=FHWA Route Log and Finder List: Table 1 |date=2002-10-31 |accessdate=2007-03-28 |author=Federal Highway Administration]
established=
direction_a=South
terminus_a=
junction=
direction_b=North
terminus_b=
junction=
previous_type=IL
previous_route=54
next_type=IL
next_route=56In the U.S. state of Illinois, Interstate 55 is a major north-south Interstate highway that connects the Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan areas. It runs from the Poplar Street Bridge in East St. Louis north-northeast to U.S. Route 41 (Lake Shore Drive) near downtown Chicago. This is a distance of 294.38 miles (473.75 km) Microsoft MapPoint 2002.] .

History

Interstate 55 was built in sections across Illinois between 1960 and the late 1970s. This expressway largely replaced former Route 66 in Illinois, and some stretches directly overlap the old highway. One can find many signs posted noting the historic route. The earliest stretches were built near Chicago along the Southwest Expressway (later renamed the Stevenson Expressway), with later portions being built downstate.

Future

In northeastern Illinois near Joliet, I-55 is being widened from two to three lanes in each direction between I-80 (exit 250) and Weber Road (exit 263). Preliminary bridge work for this project was completed in 2007, with mainline work to be done in 2008.

Major cities

*East Saint Louis
*Springfield
*Bloomington-Normal
*Joliet
*Chicago

Exit list

References