Illinois Route 394
Encyclopedia
Illinois Route 394 is a four-lane state freeway that travels south from Thornton
at the Interstate 294
/Interstate 94
/Interstate 80
(Tri-State Tollway
/Bishop Ford Freeway
; this route is an extension of the latter freeway) interchange to Illinois Route 1
south of Steger
and Crete
. Before taking the Illinois 394 route, it was known as Illinois 1. Illinois 394 is 14.63 miles (23.54 km) long.
Although not an Interstate highway, Illinois 394 is an Interstate standard highway until its junction with U.S. Highway 30 (Lincoln Highway
) near Chicago Heights
.
In 2006 and 2007, Illinois 394 was reconstructed north of Glenwood–Dyer Road as part of the massive Kingery Expressway
reconstruction effort. The intersection with Interstates 80, 94 and 294 was improved in the following areas:
Thornton, Illinois
Thornton is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,582 at the 2000 census. Thornton is home to the Thornton Quarry, one of the largest quarries in the world.-Geography:Thornton is located at ....
at the Interstate 294
Interstate 294
Interstate 294 is a tolled Interstate Highway in northeastern Illinois, U.S.A.. It forms the southern portion of the Tri-State Tollway in Illinois. I-294 runs from South Holland at Interstates 80 and 94, and Illinois Route 394 to Northbrook at I-94. Interstate 294 is long; are shared with I-80....
/Interstate 94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
/Interstate 80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
(Tri-State Tollway
Tri-State Tollway
The Tri-State Tollway is a U.S. toll road maintained by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority in northeastern Illinois which is considered one of the most heavily traveled highways in the country...
/Bishop Ford Freeway
Bishop Ford Freeway
The Bishop Ford Freeway, formerly known as the Calumet Expressway, is a portion of Interstate 94 in northeastern Illinois, south of downtown Chicago. It runs from Interstate 57 south to the intersection with Interstate 80, Interstate 294 and Illinois Route 394...
; this route is an extension of the latter freeway) interchange to Illinois Route 1
Illinois Route 1
Illinois Route 1 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. Running parallel to the Indiana border, it is also the longest state road, starting on the south side of Chicago as Halsted Street at the intersection with 95th Street, south to a free ferry crossing to Kentucky at Cave-In-Rock on...
south of Steger
Steger, Illinois
The village of Steger lies along the dividing line on the south end of Cook County and north end of Will County in the U.S. state of Illinois...
and Crete
Crete, Illinois
Crete is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,346 at the 2000 census. Originally named Wood's Corner, it was founded in 1836 by Vermonters Dyantha and Willard Wood.-Geography:Crete is located at ....
. Before taking the Illinois 394 route, it was known as Illinois 1. Illinois 394 is 14.63 miles (23.54 km) long.
Although not an Interstate highway, Illinois 394 is an Interstate standard highway until its junction with U.S. Highway 30 (Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
) near Chicago Heights
Chicago Heights, Illinois
Chicago Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 31,373 at the 2005 census. Chicago Heights is nicknamed 'Crossroads of the Nation'.-History:...
.
In 2006 and 2007, Illinois 394 was reconstructed north of Glenwood–Dyer Road as part of the massive Kingery Expressway
Kingery Expressway
The Robert Kingery Expressway, formerly called the Tri-State Highway, is a three-mile-long , eight-lane expressway in northeastern Illinois...
reconstruction effort. The intersection with Interstates 80, 94 and 294 was improved in the following areas:
- Southbound: The ramps were rebuilt, with a gentler left-exit curve for Interstate 94 to travel from the Bishop Ford to the Kingery Expressway. The cloverleafCloverleaf interchangeA cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...
-style ramps to southbound Illinois 394 were replaced with a flyover and the distributor leg of a collector-distributor ramp from eastbound Interstate 80/294. - Northbound: A dangerous ramp to eastbound Interstate 80/94 was replaced with a ramp to a set of collector-distributor lanes, intended for U.S. 6U.S. Route 6U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
and Illinois 83Illinois Route 83Illinois Route 83 is a major north–south state road in northeast Illinois. It stretches from U.S. Highway 30 by Lynwood and Dyer, Indiana north to the Wisconsin border by Antioch at Highway 83. Incidentally, this alignment is concentric with Interstate 294...
(Torrence Avenue). A cloverleaf ramp from eastbound Interstate 80/294 was replaced with a flyover, and the merge area where Illinois 394 terminates was improved. (The Interstate 94 ramp itself has been moved nearly a mile (1.6 km) east to before Torrence Avenue). These improvements were completed in June 2007.