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.

Comments

markthomson said…

Hello I am so delighted I located your blog, I really located you by mistake, while I was watching on google for something else, Anyways I am here now and could just like to say thank for a tremendous post and a all round entertaining website. Please do keep up the great work. hug point state park

8:13 AM

Morgan Territory Road

Morgan Territory Road is an approximately 14.7-mile-long roadway mostly located in the Diablo Range of Contra Costa County, California. The roadway is named after settler Jerimah Morgan who established a ranch in the Diablo Range in 1857. Morgan Territory Road was one of several facilities constructed during the Gold Rush era to serve the ranch holdings. The East Bay Regional Park District would acquire 930 acres of Morgan Territory in 1975 in an effort to establish a preserve east of Mount Diablo. The preserve has since been expanded to 5,324 acres. The preserve functionally stunts the development along roadway allowing it to remain surprisingly primitive in a major urban area. Part 1; the history of Morgan Territory Road During the period of early period of American Statehood much of the Diablo Range of Contra Costa County was sparsely developed. Jerimah Morgan acquired 2,000 acres of land east of Mount Diablo in 1856 and established a ranch in 1857. Morgan Territory Road is

Interstate 210 the Foothill Freeway

The combined Interstate 210/California State Route 210 corridor of the Foothill Freeway is approximately 85.31-miles. The Interstate 210/California State Route 210 corridor begins at Interstate 5 at the northern outskirts of Los Angeles and travels east to Interstate 10 in Redlands of San Bernardino County. Interstate 210 is presently signed on the 44.9-mile segment of the Foothill Freeway between Interstate 5 and California State Route 57. California State Route 210 makes up the remaining 40.41 miles of the Foothill Freeway east to Interstate 10. Interstate 210 is still classified by the Federal Highway Administration as existing on what is now signed as California State Route 57 from San Dimas south to Interstate 10. The focus of this blog will mostly be on the history of Interstate 210 segment of the Foothill Freeway. Part 1; the history of Interstate 210 and California State Route 210 Interstate 210 (I-210) was approved as a chargeable Interstate during September of

Old Sonoma Road

Old Sonoma Road is an approximately five-mile highway located in the Mayacamas Mountains of western Napa County. The roadway is part of the original stage road which connected Napa Valley west to Mission San Francisco Solano as part of El Camino Real. Much of Old Sonoma Road was bypassed by the start of the twentieth century by way of Sonoma Highway. A portion of Old Sonoma Road over the 1896 Carneros Creek Bridge (pictured as the blog cover) was adopted as part of Legislative Route Number 8 upon voter approval of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act. The 1896 Carneros Creek Bridge served as a segment of California State Route 37 and California State Route 12 from 1934 through 1954. Part 1; the history of Old Sonoma Road Old Sonoma Road has origins tied to the formation of Mission San Francisco Solano and the Spanish iteration of El Camino Real. Mission San Francisco Solano was founded as the last and most northern Spanish Mission of Alta California on July 4, 1823. The new M

Gribblenation

Search This Blog