Illinois Route 40
Encyclopedia
Illinois Route 40 is a north–south route in central portion of the U.S. state
of Illinois
. It runs from Interstate 74
in East Peoria
north to Illinois Route 78
at Mt. Carroll
, just south of U.S. Route 52
and Illinois Route 64
. This is a distance of 112.05 miles (180.33 km).
Illinois 40 is known as Knoxville Avenue in the Peoria
area, generally south of Illinois Route 6
. Route 40 crosses over Interstate 74
north of downtown, and then grows complex in the downtown area, as there are three turns in a one-block length. Illinois 40 then emerges onto William Kumpf Boulevard and crosses over the Illinois River
using the Bob Michel Bridge
. On the other side of the river, Illinois 40 is briefly called Washington Street. It then is routed onto an onramp to Interstate 74, where there is an exit to Camp Street before terminating at I-74.
, a four-lane freeway which crosses Illinois 40, was designated Interstate 88
. To prevent confusion, IDOT redesignated Illinois 88 as Illinois 40. Although the new number is also the number of a Federal Highway that passes through Illinois (U.S. Route 40
), a great enough distance exists between them that the possibility of confusing one for the other is negligible.
Prior to 2003, the Illinois 40 exit on I-74 southeast of Peoria was called "Industrial Spur". As part of the Upgrade 74 Project, the exit was renamed by the Illinois Department of Transportation to Riverfront Drive, presumably to give East Peoria's
riverfront exit a better image, and also to reflect the fact that the riverfront is now a commercial destination as opposed to another exit for Caterpillar Inc.
Exactly what was renamed remains obscure, since the onramp has an interchange with Camp Street, terminates at Washington Street, and the only other intersection that Illinois 40 has in East Peoria is with River Road, not Riverfront Drive. The only remaining possibility is that Illinois 40 itself between Washington Street and Interstate 74 is Riverfront Drive. As a result, Illinois 40 has the distinction of being the only onramp explicitly named in Illinois. The name Riverfront Drive is particularly ironic since the road is not the closest road to the river.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It runs from Interstate 74
Interstate 74
Interstate 74 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an intersection with Interstate 80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an intersection with Interstate 75 in Cincinnati, Ohio...
in East Peoria
East Peoria, Illinois
East Peoria is a city in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,402 at the 2010 census. East Peoria is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, located across the Illinois River from downtown Peoria. It is home to many Caterpillar Inc. facilities...
north to Illinois Route 78
Illinois Route 78
Illinois Route 78 is a major north–south highway in western Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 104 northwest of Jacksonville north to Highway 78 at the Wisconsin state line north of Warren...
at Mt. Carroll
Mount Carroll, Illinois
Mount Carroll is a city in Carroll County, Illinois, United States-History:Shimer College was established in Mt. Carroll in 1853, but mounting debts forced a move to Waukegan, Illinois in 1979. The campus now is home to several organizations, most notably the Campbell Center for Historic...
, just south of U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S...
and Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64 is an east–west road in north-central Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Iowa state line, connecting with U.S. Route 52 and Iowa Highway 64 via the Savanna-Sabula Bridge at the Mississippi River west of Savanna...
. This is a distance of 112.05 miles (180.33 km).
Route description
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
area, generally south of Illinois Route 6
Illinois Route 6
Illinois Route 6 is a 4-lane freeway in central Illinois. It begins as a northern extension of Interstate 474 at Interstate 74 west of Peoria, and ends at Illinois Route 29 in Mossville, south of Chillicothe...
. Route 40 crosses over Interstate 74
Interstate 74
Interstate 74 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an intersection with Interstate 80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an intersection with Interstate 75 in Cincinnati, Ohio...
north of downtown, and then grows complex in the downtown area, as there are three turns in a one-block length. Illinois 40 then emerges onto William Kumpf Boulevard and crosses over the Illinois River
Illinois River
The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the State of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . This river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route...
using the Bob Michel Bridge
Bob Michel Bridge
The Bob Michel Bridge carries Illinois Route 40 over the Illinois River just .75 miles up-river from the Cedar Street Bridge. Illinois 40 terminates at an interchange with Interstate 74 just east of the bridge. The bridge serves as a direct surface route from a major commercial center...
. On the other side of the river, Illinois 40 is briefly called Washington Street. It then is routed onto an onramp to Interstate 74, where there is an exit to Camp Street before terminating at I-74.
History
Illinois 40 was previously designated Illinois Route 88. In 1992, Illinois Route 5Illinois Route 5
Illinois Route 5 is a four-lane road that runs from U.S. Route 67 in Rock Island to the interchange of Interstate 80 and the toll-free portion of Interstate 88, a distance of...
, a four-lane freeway which crosses Illinois 40, was designated Interstate 88
Interstate 88 (west)
Interstate 88 is an intrastate Interstate Highway in the state of Illinois. It runs from an interchange with Interstate 80 near Silvis and Moline to an interchange with Interstates 290 and 294 in Hillside, near Chicago...
. To prevent confusion, IDOT redesignated Illinois 88 as Illinois 40. Although the new number is also the number of a Federal Highway that passes through Illinois (U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
), a great enough distance exists between them that the possibility of confusing one for the other is negligible.
Prior to 2003, the Illinois 40 exit on I-74 southeast of Peoria was called "Industrial Spur". As part of the Upgrade 74 Project, the exit was renamed by the Illinois Department of Transportation to Riverfront Drive, presumably to give East Peoria's
East Peoria, Illinois
East Peoria is a city in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,402 at the 2010 census. East Peoria is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, located across the Illinois River from downtown Peoria. It is home to many Caterpillar Inc. facilities...
riverfront exit a better image, and also to reflect the fact that the riverfront is now a commercial destination as opposed to another exit for Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
Exactly what was renamed remains obscure, since the onramp has an interchange with Camp Street, terminates at Washington Street, and the only other intersection that Illinois 40 has in East Peoria is with River Road, not Riverfront Drive. The only remaining possibility is that Illinois 40 itself between Washington Street and Interstate 74 is Riverfront Drive. As a result, Illinois 40 has the distinction of being the only onramp explicitly named in Illinois. The name Riverfront Drive is particularly ironic since the road is not the closest road to the river.