Northern Terminus of Interstate 55 on the Stevenson Expressway in Chicago

This past April while returning to Chicago I used the north terminus of Interstate 55 on the Stevenson Expressway to reach US 41 on Lake Shore Drive.

I-55 is one of the major north/south Interstates spanning 964.25 miles from I-10 in LaPlace, LA north to US 41 in Chicago, IL. I-55 within Cook County is a free limited access facility known as the Stevenson Expressway. While I-55 is a north/south Interstate within the Chicago Area it essentially is a east/west route that largely serves as the functional replacement of US Route 66. I-55 on the Stevenson Expressway opened to traffic as the Southwest Expressway between the DuPage County Line east to the Dan Ryan Expressway in (I-90/I-94) in Chicago in 1964. At least by 1970 the route of I-55 had been extended to Lake Shore Drive and had been renamed the Stevenson Expressway as evidenced from this Chicago Area Expressway Map.

1970 Chicago Expressway Map

My approach to I-55 in Chicago began on I-90/94 west on the Dan Ryan Expressway heading northward into downtown Chicago.

I-55 northbound traffic is directed to take Exit 53C. Exit 53C signage advises traffic can access 22nd Street and US 41 on Lake Shore Drive.

I-55 northbound on the Stevenson Expressway heads directly east (weird to think of in geographic terms) towards Lake Michigan. Before Lake Shore Drive there is access via Exit 293D to Martin L. King Drive.

I-55 north on the Stevenson Expressway terminates at US 41 on Lake Shore Drive.

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US Route 199

I was planning on driving US Route 199 for the third time this weekend. However "external factors" have pushed my visit to US Route 199 back for the time being. While I can't do a driving log for US Route 199 at the moment I can still write about it's history.

This blog will be slightly different from the usual flair for Gribblenation. Generally I have a stockpile of my own road photos from which to draw from. In the case of US Route 199 I was far more focused on hiking photos during my first two visits in 2014 and 2016 than the actual highway. At some point I will add a series of modern driving log photos but for the time being I will draw from numerous other sources to illustrate US Route 199.

Part 1; the History of US Route 199

Present US Route 199 is a 80.05 mile highway which connects US Route 101 in Crescent City of Del Norte, California northeast to Interstate 5 in Grants Pass of Josephine County, Oregon. US Route 199 is one of the original US Routes and …

Trans-Sierra Highways; California State Route 108 over Sonora Pass

In the fall of 2016 and late summer of 2020 I took a series of drives over mountain passes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Both traps culminated by way of crossing over the Sierra Nevada Mountains westbound by way of the 9,624 foot Sonora Pass on California State Route 108.
California State Route 108 ("CA 108") is a 99 mile east/west State Highway which originates at US Route 395 in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. CA 108 crosses the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains by way of the 9,624 foot Sonora Pass and terminates at CA 99 co-signed with CA 132 in downtown Modesto. CA 108 has a 21 mile unconstructed segment which would extend it to Interstate 5 near Crow's Landing if completed.
Part 1; the history of Sonora Pass and California State Route 108Much of the early history of Sonora Pass is described by way of two informational plaques at the actual Pass. The first documented crossing of Sonora Pass was in October of 1841 by way of a course slightly due nor…

The Tioga Pass Road

Last Summer the Tioga Pass Road over the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Yosemite National Park opened late due to the heavy snow pack from the previous winter. Approaching the start of July the Park Service finally had cleared the road to Tioga Pass. That being the case I headed up shortly after the 4th of July holiday during a lull in the tourist season.

The Tioga Pass Road runs from the Big Oak Flat Road at Crane Flat east to US Route 395 ("US 395"). The Tioga Pass Road is largely within the boundary of Yosemite National Park but is maintained by Caltrans as California State Route 120 ("CA 120") east of the Tioga Pass entry station to US 395. The National Park Service maintained portion of the Tioga Pass Road serve as a implied connection between the two segments of CA 120. The Tioga Pass Road is the highway mountain pass in California reaching Tioga Pass at 9,945 feet above sea level.

Part 1; the history of the Tioga Pass Road

Tioga Pass first obtained notewort…

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