U.S. Route 6 in Illinois

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U.S. Route 6
Grand Army of the Republic Highway
Length:	172 miles (277 km)
Formed:	1932[1]
Direction:	East-west
From:	Interstate 74 at the Iowa state line in Moline
To:	Interstates 80/94 at the Indiana state line in Lansing
Major cities:	Geneseo, Ottawa, Joliet
System:	United States Numbered Highways
< ILL 5 IL ILL 6 >

This article is about U.S. Route 6 in the state of Illinois. For the main article on U.S. 6, see U.S. Route 6

In the state of Illinois, U.S. Route 6 is an east-west arterial surface road that runs from the city of Moline in the Quad Cities area to Lansing at the Indiana state line. This is a distance of approximately 172 miles (277 km).

Contents 1 Route description 1.1 Quad Cities to LaSalle-Peru 1.2 LaSalle-Peru to Joliet 1.3 Joliet to Indiana 2 History 3 References

[edit] Route description

In Illinois, U.S. Route 6 can be split into the following sections:

[edit] Quad Cities to LaSalle-Peru

U.S. Route 6 crosses the I-74 Bridge from Bettendorf, Iowa south into Moline, multiplexed with Interstate 74. It remains with Interstate 74 for 5 miles (8 km) until the intersection with Interstate 280 south of the Rock River. U.S. 6 then turns east at the Quad Cities International Airport. It intersects Interstate 80 as it leaves the Quad Cities area, and closely parallels I-80 for the rest of its length in Illinois.

From the Quad Cities, U.S. 6 travels east through the city of Geneseo. At Sheffield, U.S. 6 multiplexes with U.S. Route 34 through to Princeton. After an interchange with Interstate 180, U.S. 6 runs with Illinois Route 89 to Spring Valley. In the LaSalle-Peru area, U.S. 6 intersects with Illinois Route 251, U.S. Route 51 and Interstate 39.

[edit] LaSalle-Peru to Joliet

U.S. 6 then runs past Ottawa, intersecting with the multiplexed Illinois Routes 23/71 before joining with Illinois 71 for 4 miles (6 km). Further east, U.S. 6 runs through Marseilles and Seneca, where Illinois Route 170 terminates. It then runs through Morris and multiplexes with Illinois Route 47 for a slight northward jog. At Channahon, U.S. 6 has an interchange with Interstate 55.

[edit] Joliet to Indiana

In the Joliet area, U.S. 6 parallels the Des Plaines River and passes beneath the cantilever bridge carrying Interstate 80 over the Des Plaines River. At this point it is called Railroad Street, but it turns onto McDonough Street with U.S. Route 52 as it crosses the river. It then turns north, multiplexing with Illinois Route 53 (Chicago Street) and then east with U.S. Route 30 (Cass Street). Two blocks north of leaving U.S. 30, U.S. 6 intersects the southern terminus of Illinois Route 171 and turns east onto Maple Road. In New Lenox it becomes the Southwest Highway.

U.S. 6 turns off the Southwest Highway west of Orland Hills and becomes 159th Street, a major east-west arterial through the southern suburbs of Chicago. In South Holland, U.S. 6 joins with Illinois Route 83 south to the Interstates 80/94 (Kingery Highway), and then follows the Kingery east into Indiana.

On this routing, U.S. 6 never enters the city limits of Chicago. Unlike nearby U.S. 30, U.S. 6 has never entered the city limits.

[edit] History

U.S. 6 first was shown on maps in 1932, mainly on its current routing except for a more southerly routing from Princeton to Spring Valley through De Pue and at the Illinois/Indiana line. In 1934 it was changed to its current routing from Princeton to Spring Valley. In 1966, the eastern border in Illinois was moved onto the Kingery Highway.^[1]

Prior to the formation of US 6, the road west of Princeton was U.S. Route 32. US 32 remained for several more years until the part east of Princeton became an extension of U.S. Route 34.

[edit] References