Interstate 474

Interstate 474
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap I-474 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-74
Maintained by IDOT
Length	14.88 mi[1] (23.95 km)
Existed	Late 1970s[2]–present
Major junctions
West end	I-74 / IL 6 in Peoria
	US 24 in Bartonville US 24 in Creve Coeur
East end	I-74 in East Peoria
Location
Counties	Peoria, Tazewell
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Illinois State Highway System Interstate US State Tollways ← IL 394 → I-490

Interstate 474 (I-474) is an Interstate Highway loop route that provides a southwestern bypass around the north central Illinois city of Peoria. I-474's parent interstate is I-74. As the first digit of the interstate's number is even, it follows the established convention of providing a loop around a city. Interstate 474 is 14.88 miles (23.95 km) long. I-474 is the highest numbered route in the state of Illinois.^[1] It is also, excluding the proposed I-274 in North Carolina, the only auxiliary route of I-74.

Route description[]

Shade-Lohmann Bridge from the southeast

Interstate 474 is a modern, Interstate-standard four-lane freeway for its entire length. Prior to 2006, thru truck traffic on I-74 was instructed to use I-474. This is because prior to its 2004-2007 reconstruction, Interstate 74 was significantly below Interstate standard, having numerous 15 mph (24 km/h) onramps and offramps, extremely short merging space for onramps (some less than 500 feet (152 m) in length),^[3] and a 50 mph (80 km/h) speed limit through downtown Peoria.^{[citation needed]}

The Illinois Route 116 access interchange at Maxwell Road has been indicated as the eastern terminus for the Quincy to Peoria expressway now known as the Illinois Route 336 project.^[4]

The western terminus of I-474 is at I-74 exit 87A. The eastern terminus of I-474 is at I-74 exit 99. North of the western terminus, the road continues as Illinois Route 6 with a new series of exit numbers.

History[]

I-474 was constructed through the mid-1970s. The now-named Shade-Lohmann Bridge was erected in 1973. During that year, $30.1 million was allocated for acquisition of right-of-way, grading work and overpass/bridge construction across the whole length of the highway.^[5]

Exit list[]

County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Peoria	​	0.00	0.00		IL 6 north – Chillicothe	Continuation north beyond I-74
				0	I-74 – Peoria, Moline, Rock Island	Western terminus; signed as exits 0A (east) and 0B (west); I-74 exit 87A
	Bellevue	3.78	6.08	3A	To IL 116 – Farmington
	​	5.34	8.59	5	CR R49 (Airport Road)	Serves Peoria International Airport
	Bartonville–Peoria line	7.09	11.41	6	US 24 west (Adams Street) – Bartonville	West end of US 24 overlap; signed as exits 6A (US 24 west) & 6B (Adams Street) westbound
Illinois River		8.83– 9.04	14.21– 14.55	Shade–Lohmann Bridge
Tazewell	Creve Coeur	9.57	15.40	9	US 24 east / IL 29 – East Peoria, Pekin	East end of US 24 overlap
	East Peoria	14.88	23.95	15	I-74 to I-155 south – Peoria, Indianapolis, Lincoln	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; eastern terminus and signed as exit 15 (west); I-74 exit 99
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

References[]

External links[]

Route map:

• Illinois Highway Ends: Interstate 474