U.S. Route 51 in Illinois

U.S. Route 51 marker

U.S. Route 51
Route information
Maintained by IDOT
Length: 415.95 mi[1] (669.41 km)
Length may include both directions of route where it is routed along one-way streets.
Major junctions
South end: US 51 / US 60 / US 62 near Wickliffe, KY
 

I-57 near Cairo
I-64 near Richview
I-70 at Vandalia
I-72 at Decatur
I-39 / I-55 / I-74 at Bloomington/Normal
I-80 at La Salle
I-88 at Rochelle
I-90 at Rockford

I-39 / I-90 at South Beloit
North end: US 51 at the Wisconsin state line in South Beloit
Highway system
Illinois State Highway System
← IL 50US 52 →

U.S. Route 51 (US 51) in the U.S. state of Illinois, is a main north–south artery that runs from the Ohio River north to the Wisconsin border, a distance of 415.95 miles (669.41 km).[1]

Route description

U.S. Route 51 enters Illinois from Kentucky at the town of Cairo. The route heads northbound to a village near Cairo called Mounds, and begins to overlap I-57, following it for 24 miles (39 km) to Dongola, before splitting and heading north. The route remains two lanes from Dongola to Assumption with the exception of a 10-mile (16 km) section between Centralia and I-64.

Past Assumption, US 51 becomes an expressway to Decatur. In Decatur, US 51 follows I-72 to bypass town. US 51 leaves I-72 after eight miles (13 km), and heads north to Bloomington–Normal as an expressway. At Bloomington–Normal, US 51 follows I-74 for a mile, then I-55 for seven miles (11 km), before following I-39 for 140 miles (230 km).

US 51 follows I-39, intersecting I-80 and I-88 along the way. The highway also follows US 20 south of Rockford (while still following I-39). I-39/US 51 joins I-90, making US 51 of the only toll roads in Illinois that is a U.S. Highway. US 51 exits I-39/I-90 just a mile south of the Wisconsin state line. US 51 follows Illinois Route 75 (IL 75) west to the intersection of IL 251, then turns north through South Beloit to enter Wisconsin.

History

US 51 was established in Illinois in the 1920s. Over the years, it became a heavily traveled road, often experiencing many accidents, particularly in the northern half of the state. The road gained the reputation "Killer 51". As a result of these impacts, Illinois pushed for a new four lane highway along the corridor. One was proposed in the 1960s and 1970s as part of a proposed supplemental freeway system, but only the area between Rockford and Decatur was prioritized.[2]

In the 1980s and early 1990s, US 51 was built to Interstate Highway standards between Rockford and Bloomington–Normal on a new alignment. This new road became Interstate 39, and US 51 was re-routed onto the new highway. Additionally, north of Rockford, it was re-routed onto the existing Interstate 90 tollway segment between South Beloit and Cherry Valley. Most of the old alignment became Illinois Route 251.

South of Bloomington–Normal to Decatur, US 51 remained largely on the original alignment and was expanded to an expressway. Further continuation of the expressway occurred in the 2000s, when the highway was upgraded south from Decatur to Assumption.

Future

Plans are underway to continue the US 51 expressway south of Assumption to Centralia.[3] An environmental impact statement is currently being prepared. However, construction funding remains elusive.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[4]kmExitDestinationsNotes
AlexanderCairo0.00.0 US 51 south / US 60 east / US 62 east – WickliffeUS 51/US 60/US 62 continue into Kentucky
0.20.32 US 60 west / US 62 west – CharlestonNorthern end of US 60/US 62 concurrency
4.57.2 IL 37 north – Mound CitySouthern terminus of IL 37
5.38.51 I-57 south / IL 3 north – Olive Branch, MemphisSouthern end of I-57 concurrency; southern terminus of IL 3
Pulaski​11.418.38Mounds Road
​21.434.418Ullin Road
UnionDongola28.245.424Dongola Road
28.846.325 I-57 north – ChicagoNorthern end of I-57 concurrency; northbound exit and southbound entrance
Anna36.057.9 IL 146 – Jonesboro, Vienna
JacksonCarbondale55.088.5 IL 13 – Murphysboro, Marion
De Soto61.398.7 IL 149 – Murphysboro, Hurst
PerryDu Quoin72.4116.5 IL 14 east – ChristopherWestern terminus of IL 14
75.5121.5 IL 152 west – PyattsEastern terminus of IL 152
Sunfield80.4129.4 IL 154 – Red Bud, Sesser
WashingtonAshley98.0157.7 IL 15 west – East St. LouisWestern end of IL 15 concurrency
100.9162.4 IL 15 east – Mount VernonEastern end of IL 15 concurrency
Richview105.7170.1 I-64 – St. Louis, LouisvilleExit 61 on I-64
Irvington109.6176.4 IL 177 west – BellevilleWestern terminus of IL 177
MarionCentralia116.2187.0 IL 161 – New Baden, Kell
Sandoval122.7197.5 US 50 west – CarlyleWestern end of US 50 concurrency
123.0197.9 US 50 east – SalemEastern end of US 50 concurrency
FayetteVandalia146.9236.4 US 40 east / IL 185 east – Bluff CityEastern end of US 40/IL 185 concurrency
148.5239.0 US 40 west / IL 185 west – Taylor Springs, Mulberry GroveWestern end of US 40/IL 185 concurrency
148.7239.3 I-70 – St. Louis, IndianapolisExit 63 on I-70
ChristianPana178.1286.6 IL 16 westWestern end of IL 16 concurrency
178.6287.4 IL 29 northSouthern terminus of IL 29
​180.2290.0 IL 16 eastEastern end of IL 16 concurrency
Macon​207.3333.6
US 51 Bus. north
​211.2339.9 IL 48
Harristown214.7345.5133 I-72 west / US 36 – Springfield, TuscolaSouthern end of I-72 concurrency; signed as exits 133A (east) and 133B (south)
Decatur219.2352.8138 IL 121 – Decatur, Lincoln
222.2357.6141
I-72 east / US 51 Bus. south – Champaign, Urbana, Decatur		Northern end of I-72 concurrency
DeWittClinton237.9382.9
US 51 Bus. north – Clinton
239.5385.4 IL 54
240.0386.2 IL 10
242.0389.5
US 51 Bus. south – Clinton
McLeanHeyworth251.9405.4 US 136 – McLean, Rantoul
​260.5419.2135
I-74 east / US 51 Bus. north (Main Street) – Indianapolis, Bloomington		Southern end of I-74 concurrency
​262.2422.0157A I-55 south – St. LouisSouthern end of I-55 concurrency
Bloomington262.4422.3157B I-55 Bus. north (Veterans Parkway)Signed as exit 134B (north) southbound
265.5427.3160 US 150 / IL 9 (Market Street) – Pekin
​269.1433.1163 I-74 west – PeoriaNorthern end of I-74 concurrency
​270.3435.0164 I-39 north / I-55 north – ChicagoNorthern end of I-55 concurrency; southern end of I-39 concurrency; southern terminus of I-39
​272.1437.92
US 51 Bus. south – Bloomington, Normal
Hudson275.2442.95Hudson
​278.3447.98 IL 251 (Lake Bloomington Road)
WoodfordEl Paso284.9458.514 US 24 – El Paso, Peoria
Woodford292.9471.422 IL 116 – Peoria, Pontiac
Minonk297.5478.827Minonk
MarshallWenona305.6491.835 IL 17 – Lacon, Wenona
LaSalleLostant312.2502.441 IL 18 – Henry, Streator
Tonica319.2513.748Tonica
​322.3518.751 IL 71 – Hennepin, Oglesby
​323.0519.852 IL 251 – Peru, LaSalle
Oglesby324.4522.154Oglesby
Illinois River326.5525.5Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge
La Salle327.3526.757 US 6 – LaSalle, Peru, Ottawa
​329.6530.459 I-80 – LaSalle, Peru, Chicago, Des MoinesSigned as exits 59A (east) and 59B (west)
Troy Grove336.8542.066 US 52 – Troy Grove
Mendota342.7551.572 US 34 – Mendota, Earlville
LeePaw Paw353.1568.382Paw Paw
​357.9576.087 US 30 – Sterling, Rock Falls, Aurora
Steward363.9585.693Steward
OgleRochelle368.0592.297 I-88 / IL 110 (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway) – Moline, Rock Island, ChicagoSigned as exits 97A (east) and 97B (west)
370.1595.699 IL 38 – DeKalb, Rochelle
​375.1603.7104 IL 64 – Sycamore, Oregon
Monroe Center381.6614.1111 IL 72 – Genoa, Byron
Winnebago​386.1621.4115Baxter Road
Rockford390.2628.0 US 20 west – Freeport, RockfordSouthern end of US 20 concurrency, I-39/US 51 southbound exits US 20 via exit 97
Cherry Valley392.7632.0122A US 20 east – BelvidereNorthern end of US 20 concurrency
392.7632.0122BHarrison Avenue
393.4633.117 I-90 east (Jane Addams Memorial Tollway) – ChicagoSouthern end of I-90 concurrency; I-39/US 51 uses I-90's exit numbers from here north
Rockford395.1635.915
US 20 Bus. (State Street)		Last free exit northbound
398.4641.212Riverside BoulevardToll on northbound exit and southbound entrance
Machesney Park401.9646.89 IL 173 (West Lane Road)Toll on northbound exit and southbound entrance
Rockton407.3655.5South Beloit Toll Plaza
South Beloit408.1656.83Rockton Road (CR 9)Last free exit southbound
414.0666.31 I-39 north / I-90 west / IL 75 east – South Beloit, MadisonNorthern end of I-39/I-90 concurrency; eastern end of IL 75 concurrency
415.6668.8 IL 75 west / IL 251 south – Freeport, RockfordWestern end of IL 75 concurrency; northern terminus of IL 251
415.95669.41 US 51 north – BeloitContinuation into Wisconsin
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. 1 2 Illinois Technology Transfer Center (2007). "T2 GIS Data". Illinois Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Illinois Supplemental Freeway system proposal" (PDF). Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  3. ↑ "US 51 Environmental Impact Statement". Illinois Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  4. ↑ Google (March 19, 2017). "Overview Map of US 51" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
U.S. Route 51
Previous state:
Kentucky		 Illinois Next state:
Wisconsin
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