Illinois Route 100

Illinois Route 100 (abbreviated IL-100) is a 157 mile (251 km) highway in the southwest Illinois. It generally parallels the Illinois River. Starting in downtown Alton, it trends northward to Buckheart Township near Canton. It makes up much of the Illinois River Road, a U.S. National Scenic Byway. Illinois 100 is 159.09 miles (256.03 km) long.^[2]

Route description

The southern end in Alton is at US 67 where Broadway, Landmarks, and Piasa Streets come together. It follows the east bank of the Mississippi River and Illinois River through Grafton until Hardin, where it crosses the Joe Page Bridge across the Illinois River. A portion of the Great River Road was on a old railroad alignment, which you can see parts of it just north of Alton. During periods of high water, this highway is susceptible to flooding.

North of Hardin, the highway follows the west bank of the Illinois River until the bridge near Florence. From that point on, IL 100 follows mostly farmland on much higher ground until Beardstown, where it will cross the river a third and final time. It will again follow the west bank of the Illinois River until US 136. After meeting with US 24 in Duncan Mills, IL 100 and US 24 is cosigned until Lewistown. North of Lewistown, IL 100 heads in a north-east alignment until its northern terminus with IL 78 near Dunfermline.

Illinois River Road

Illinois Route 100 overlaps the Illinois River Road from Grafton to Detroit.

History

IL 100 originally went from Godfrey from the intersection at Godfrey Road and Homer M. Adams Parkway (IL 111/US 67) to Grafton on the current IL 3. In 1987, IL 3, 143, and 100 alignments were changed to their current routes in the River Bend (Illinois) area when the Homer M. Adams Parkway Extension was opened.

Major intersections

External links

• Illinois Highway Ends: Illinois Route 100
• National Scenic Byways

References