Interstate 74 in Illinois

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This article is about the section of Interstate 74 in Illinois. For the entire route, see Interstate 74.
Interstate 74 marker
Interstate 74
Everett McKinley Dirksen Memorial Highway[1]
I-74 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by IDOT
Length220.34 mi[2] (354.60 km)
Major junctions
West end I-74 / US 6 at Moline
Major intersections
East end I-74 at Danville
Location
CountiesRock Island, Henry, Knox, Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, McLean, DeWitt, Piatt, Champaign, Vermilion
Highway system
Illinois State Highway System
← IL 73→ IL 75

Interstate 74 (I-74) in the U.S. state of Illinois is a major northwest–southeast Interstate Highway that runs across the central portion of the state. It runs from the Iowa state line at the Mississippi River near the city of Rock Island and runs southeast to the Indiana state line east of Danville, a distance of 220.34 miles (354.60 km).[2] The highway runs through the major cities of Champaign, Bloomington, Peoria, and Moline.

The highway is officially named after Everett McKinley Dirksen, a Republican Senator and U.S. Congressman from Pekin from 1933 to his death in 1969.[1]

Route description[]

I-74 in Illinois runs parallel with US 6 in the Quad Cities, US 150 from the Quad Cities to Danville, and US 136 east of Danville.

Iowa state line to Bloomington–Normal[]

After crossing the Iowa state line and the Mississippi River via the I-74 Bridge (through arch span), I-74, as well as US 6, enters the city of Moline. At first, the freeway travels southward, meeting River Drive, IL 92 (6th Avenue), 7th Avenue, Avenue of the Cities, and IL 5 (John Deere Road), before reaching I-280. Near the Quad Cities International Airport, I-74 turns eastward along I-280 while US 6 continues south for a short distance. Southeast of Colona, I-280 ends at the I-80 interchange while I-74 turns southward via ramps. This interchange is also where I-80 turns east via ramps. At this point, I-74 runs along IL 110 all the way to Galesburg. Along the way, the freeway comes across IL 81 and IL 17 before meeting US 34. At this point, IL 110 travels west along US 34 while I-74 continues south.[3]

East of Galesburg, I-74 begins to curve southeastward. Along the way, it meets US 150 in Knoxville, local roads near Brimfield, and one near Kickapoo before meeting I-474/IL 6. I-474 serves as a southern bypass of Peoria. Along the way through Peoria, it comes across Sterling Avenue, then US 150, Gale Avenue, University Street, IL 40, IL 29 (concurrency begins), and the Murray Baker Bridge. East of Peoria, the freeway then meets IL 40 (Riverfront Drive), US 24/US 150/IL 29 (end of concurrency)/IL 116, US 150/IL 8, and Pinecrest Drive, before meeting I-474 again. After the I-474 interchange, it then meets the I-155 interchange, as well as Morton Avenue, in Morton. The freeway then meets IL 117 in Goodfield, a local road near Carlock, and US 150 near Yuton. As it approaches Normal, I-74 then meets I-55/US 51 at a trumpet interchange, which then turns south.[3]

Bloomington–Normal to Indiana state line[]

The concurrency then meets US 150 in Bloomington before I-55 branches southwestward at the I-55 BL interchange. After that, US 51 branches southward at US 51 BL. I-74 then travels southeastward at this point. Along the way, it meets two local roads serving Downs and Le Roy respectively, US 136, IL 54, another local road near Mansfield, IL 47, and another local road near Mahomet. As it approaches Champaign, it then comes across I-57, then Prospect Avenue, and then Neil Street. For Urbana, it serves Lincoln Avenue, US 45, and IL 130. After leaving the city of Urbana, it then serves two local roads for St. Joseph and Ogden, IL 49, another local road for Oakwood, and US 150. At this point, I-74 becomes a freeway bypass of Danville. In Tilton, it serves G Street as well as US 150/IL 1. After crossing the Vermillion River, it then meets Bowman Road and Lynch Road. Shortly after the Lynch Road interchange, I-74 crosses the Indiana state line.[3]

History[]

In November 2006 major work was completed on the Upgrade 74 project for the portion of I-74 in the Midwest. This multi-year project, begun in April 2002, saw the complete renovation of I-74 through East Peoria and Peoria. Most notably the interstate was widened to three lanes through the cities, many blind or hairpin exits and entrances to the highway were removed or corrected, and many bridges crossing the highway were replaced. The biggest part of this project was to work on the Murray Baker Bridge, over which I-74 crosses the Illinois River. The bridge was completely closed to traffic while being partially dismantled and reconstructed from April 2 to October 15, 2005. During this time I-74 was disconnected between Peoria and East Peoria.[4] In late March 2013, the biggest road reconstruction project in the Peoria area since the 2002-2006 project- a complete $86.6 million revision of the Morton, Illinois I-74/I-155 interchange system- started its beginning phases (Morton, a hub for the two interstates and the site of facilities for Caterpillar, Pepsi, and Libby's Pumpkin, is a growing Peoria suburb, across the Illinois River, east of East Peoria and Pekin, in Tazewell County). This latest project was scheduled to be finished by mid-2016 and the reconstruction is being scheduled in phases to minimize traffic disruption.[5] In 2020, the Murray Baker Bridge was closed for 7 months for a $42.2 million project. At the end of October, it reopened with new decorative and traffic lights.[6]

I-74 Bridge replacement project[]

Main article: I-74 Bridge § I-74 bridge replacement

The Iowa and Illinois departments of transportation were in the planning stages to build a new bridge to replace the aging I-74 Bridge. The Iowa-bound bridge opened in 1935; the Illinois-bound bridge in 1958.[7] In addition to replacing the twin bridges, the scope of the bi-state coalition's plan includes updating 7 miles (11 km) of I-74 mainline and interchanges from 53rd Street in Davenport to the Avenue of the Cities in Moline.[8]

Parallel bridges cross a river
I-74 begins on the I-74 Bridge over the Mississippi River at Moline

Exit list[]

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
Mississippi River0.000.00 I-74 west / US 6 west – DavenportContinuation into Iowa
I-74 Bridge
Rock IslandMoline0.641.031ARiver DriveEastbound exit and westbound entrance only
0.94–
1.17		1.51–
1.88		1B IL 92 east (6th Avenue)Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only
0.94–
1.17		1.51–
1.88		2
 To IL 92 / 7th Avenue		Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only; eastbound entrance accessible via 19th Street
2.093.363Avenue of the Cities
3.595.784
 IL 5 (John Deere Road) to I-88		Signed as exits 4A (west) and 4B (east)
4.517.265 I-280 west – Des Moines, Rock Island

 US 6 east to US 150 – Quad City Airport		Eastern end of US 6 concurrency; western end of I-280 concurrency; signed as exits 5A (I-280 west) eastbound and 5B (US 6 east) westbound; I-280 east exit 18B
HenryColona Township13.8922.35—

 I-80 / IL 110 (CKC) east to I-88 – Chicago, Des Moines, Davenport

 I-280 ends		Eastern end of I-280 concurrency; western end of IL 110/CKC concurrency
Lynn Township23.9238.5024 IL 81 – Andover, Cambridge
Woodhull31.8951.3232 IL 17 – Woodhull, Alpha
KnoxGalesburg45.5073.2346A
 US 34 west / IL 110 (CKC) west – Monmouth		Eastern end of IL 110/CKC concurrency
46B US 34 east – Kewanee
48.0977.3948East Main Street – Galesburg, East GalesburgWestbound signed as exits 48A (west) and 48B (east)
Knoxville50.8781.8751  – Knoxville
Knox Township53.5486.1654
 US 150 to IL 97 – Lewistown
PeoriaBrimfield Township71.15114.5071
 To IL 78 – Canton, Kewanee
Brimfield74.55119.9875 (Maher Road) – Brimfield,
Kickapoo Township81.78131.6182Kickapoo, Edwards
86.78139.6687A I-474 east – IndianapolisWestern terminus of I-474; I-474 exit 0
87B IL 6 north – ChillicotheSouthern terminus of IL 6; IL 6 exit 0
Peoria88.69142.7388
 Sterling Avenue to US 150 (War Memorial Drive)		Access to US 150 signed eastbound only
89.15143.4789 US 150 (War Memorial Drive)Access from eastbound I-74 to westbound US 150 and from eastbound US 150 to westbound I-74 at exit 88
90.22145.2090Gale Avenue
91.41147.1191University Street
92.41148.7292A IL 40 north (Knoxville Avenue)
92B IL 40 south / Glen Oak Avenue – Downtown Peoria
Glendale AvenueFormer right-in/right-out; replaced by exit 92B
Jefferson AvenueFormer interchange with no eastbound exit; replaced by exit 93
93.17–
93.26		149.94–
150.09		93
 To IL 29 north / Washington Street		Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; serves General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport
IL 29 north (Adams Street) / Jefferson Avenue – Downtown PeoriaWestern end of IL 29 concurrency; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; serves General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport
Illinois River93.36–
93.89		150.25–
151.10		Murray Baker Bridge
TazewellEast Peoria93.21150.0194 IL 40 north / Riverfront Drive – Downtown Peoria via Michel BridgeSouthern terminus of IL 40
95.02152.9295A IL 29 south / US 150 / US 24 / IL 116 (North Main Street)Eastern end of IL 29 concurrency; signed as exit 95 westbound
95.33153.4295B US 150 / IL 8 east (Camp Street)Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
95.52153.7296

 To US 150 / IL 8 east / East Washington Street
97.66157.1798Pinecrest Drive
99.00159.3399 I-474 west – Moline, Rock Island, PekinEastern terminus of I-474; I-474 exit 15
Morton101.02162.58101 I-155 south – LincolnNorthern terminus of I-155
102.06164.25102Morton
WoodfordGoodfield112.01180.26112 IL 117 north – GoodfieldSouthern terminus of IL 117
McLeanCarlock119.83192.85120Carlock
Dry Grove Township124.99201.15125 US 150 (Mitsubishi Motorway)
Normal Township127.10204.55127
 I-55 north / US 51 north to I-39 north – Chicago, Rockford		Western end of I-55/US 51 concurrency; I-55 south exit 163
Bloomington130.46209.96160 US 150 / IL 9 (Market Street) – PekinExit number follows I-55
133.34214.59134A I-55 south – St. Louis, SpringfieldEastern end of I-55 concurrency; I-55 north exit 157A
133.62215.04134B I-55 BL north (Veterans Parkway) – Airport
Bloomington Township135.20217.58135
 US 51 south (Main Street) / US 51 Bus. north – Decatur, Bloomington		Eastern end of US 51 concurrency
Downs142.21228.86142Downs
Le Roy149.00239.79149Le Roy
Empire Township151.79244.28152 US 136 – Rantoul, Heyworth
DeWittFarmer City158.74255.47159 IL 54 – Farmer City, Gibson City
PiattBlue Ridge Township165.86266.93166Mansfield
ChampaignMahomet171.51276.02172 IL 47 – Gibson City, Mahomet
173.40279.06174Prairieview Road
Champaign178.65287.51179
 I-57 to I-72 west – Memphis, Chicago, Decatur		Signed as exits 179A (south) & 179B (north); exit 237 on I-57
180.27290.12181Prospect Avenue
181.02291.32182Neil Street
Urbana182.30293.38183Lincoln Avenue
183.58295.44184 US 45 (Cunningham Avenue) – Rantoul
185.05297.81185 IL 130 (University Avenue)
St. Joseph191.90308.83192St. Joseph
Ogden196.41316.09197
 To IL 49 south – Royal, Ogden
VermilionOakwood Township199.42320.94200 IL 49 – Fithian, Rankin
205.97331.48206Potomac, Oakwood
Danville Township209.57337.27210 US 150 (M.L. King Drive)
Danville213.23343.16214G Street
213.95344.32215A US 150 east / IL 1 south (Georgetown Road)Cloverleaf interchange
215B US 150 west / IL 1 north (Gilbert Street)
215.48346.78216Bowman Avenue, Perrysville Road
Illinois–Indiana line219.33–
219.66		352.98–
353.51		220Lynch RoadEastbound entrance extends into Indiana
I-74 east – IndianapolisContinuation into Indiana
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Closed/former
  •       Concurrency terminus
  •       Incomplete access

References[]

  1. ^ a b State of Illinois (n.d.). "605 ILCS 15 / Dirksen Memorial Highway Act". Illinois Compiled Statutes. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Staff (October 31, 2002). "Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways as of October 31, 2002". Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved September 29, 2006.
  3. ^ a b c Google (December 4, 2021). "Overview map of I-74 (IL)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  4. ^ Staff (January 4, 2007). "Upgrade 74". Illinois Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on November 16, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2006.
  5. ^ Buedel, Matt. "$86.6 million road project begins Monday near Morton". Journal Star. Peoria, IL. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  6. ^ "Murray Baker is open, leaders say it's shining a spotlight on Peoria". CIProud.com. November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  7. ^ Dispatch/Argus staff (2005). "Mississippi Bridge Timeline". The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus. Progress 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  8. ^ Staff. "I-74 Corridor Overview". Iowa Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 25, 2011.

External links[]

Route map:

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Interstate 74
Previous state:
Iowa 		Illinois Next state:
Indiana
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