Archive for the ‘Highways’ Category
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
$40M settles Joliet Road closure dispute :: The SouthtownStar :: News
SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE
A company that produces construction materials will pay $40 million to the Illinois Department of Transportation after a 12-year legal dispute about a section of Joliet Road in McCook.
Vulcan Materials Co. does not admit liability in the settlement, which was reached after three weeks of negotiation, IDOT said Tuesday.
The one-mile stretch of Joliet Road from 55th Street to East Avenue was closed in May 1998 because the road was substantially damaged and unsafe for vehicular traffic. The one-mile stretch runs through the middle of two Vulcan open pit quarry mines, one to the north and one to the south.
IDOT experts concluded the roadway was destabilized from years of mining by Vulcan and any attempts to repair and reopen Joliet Road would require frequent and expensive maintenance, including lane closures, IDOT said. Vulcan at the time would not agree to state-requested mining setbacks and land contributions necessary to implement repair options.
The lawsuit was filed by the state in 2001. Vulcan has ceased mining activities in the two quarries and has announced plans to fill and develop the north quarry.
Tags: IDOT, Illinois Department of Transportaiton, Joliet Road, McCook, Route 66, Vulcan Materials
Posted in Highways, History, Illinois, News, Scenic Byways, US | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
Quoting from a press release and announcement through the PRNewswire:
Vulcan Materials Company today announced the settlement of a lawsuit filed against the Company by the State of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). IDOT will receive a total of $40 million in full and final settlement of the lawsuit.
Under terms of the settlement, IDOT will receive $20 million within 10 days. The remaining $20 million will be paid as Vulcan receives funds from its insurers, with the full amount to be paid no later than nine months from the date of the settlement. While Vulcan believes that the settlement is covered by insurance policies and is taking appropriate actions to facilitate recovery from its insurers, the ultimate amount and timing of such recoveries cannot be predicted with certainty.
More information about how this section of Joliet Road is important to Route 66 is available in two recent blog post on this website, click here or here to see those earlier blog posts.
Tags: IDOT, Illinois Department of Transportation, Joliet Road, McCook, Route 66, Vulcan Materials
Posted in Highways, History, Illinois, News, Scenic Byways, US | No Comments »
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Douglas Park Flower Hall on Route 66 (Ogden Avenue) in Chicago
Back in 2003-04, a series of five articles titled
Driving Route 66 in Chicagoland was published in the
Federation News, the quarterly publication of the
National Historic Route 66 Federation The series began in
Autumn 2003 and took readers from Ogden and Jackson in Chicago down Jackson Boulevard to Halsted Street.
In the Winter 2004 issue, we continued down Jackson through Chicago’s Loop to Lake Shore Drive. Spring 2004 saw us driving west on Adams Street from Michigan Avenue to Halsted Street in Chicago’s Greektown neighborhood. In the Summer of 2004, we continued on Adams Street to Ogden Avenue. Finally, in Autumn 2004 we took a trip down Ogden Avenue through Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood and the suburbs Cicero and Berwyn.
All five of these Driving Tour articles are now available online on this website for viewing or printing. They are in Adobe .pdf format and they are scanned as originally published in the Federation News. They are a part of my ongoing archive of articles that have appeared in the Federation News since 2002.
Some changes have inevitably occurred along Route 66 since these articles were originally published, and I try to describe those changes on the archive page. However, the general info and directions in the articles remain as useful today as when originally published.
I of course would love it if everyone would like the more detailed information available in my book, Exploring Route 66 in Chicagoland, available on this website for purchase. Please buy the book! But for those of you that would like a free overview of the Route 66 driving corridor in Chicago, please use this free resource for yourselves.
Tags: Adams Street, Berwyn, Chicago, Cicero, Driving Tour, Exploring Route 66 in Chicagoland, Federation News, Greektown, Jackson Boulevard, Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Ave, National Historic Route 66 Federation, North Lawndale, Ogden Avenue, Route 66
Posted in Chicago, Highways, History, Illinois, Route 66 Federation News, Tours, US | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
Als #1 Italian Beef, 601 W. Adams (Westbound Route 66), Chicago
A famous Chicago eatery now has a new location on Adams Street (westbound Route 66). Al’s #1 Italian Beef invented the beef sandwich back in 1938 in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood. Their sandwich started as a way to stretch scarce beef during the Great Depression, slicing it thinly and serving it with au jus gravy and a choice of hot or sweet peppers on a large roll. Their business began as delivery only, catering to the needs of workers at nearby hospitals and businesses. For years, their only location remained in Little Italy at 1079 W. Taylor Street. The menu expanded over time to include Italian and Polish Sausage, Chicago-style hot dogs, and their famous hand-cut French fries. New ownership began franchising Al’s in 1999, and the restaurant at Adams and Jefferson Streets is one of their newest.
Als #1 Italian Beef at night
The building now occupied by Al’s Italian Beef on Adams Street was previously the location of restaurants named Angelo’s and West Loop Cafe. It is located near Union Station and an easy walk from
Sears Willis Tower. The new Adams location features a fanciful giant soft drink cup over the entrance. I believe the largest drink on the menu comes in a somewhat smaller cup
For more information on Al’s Italian Beef, check out their website at www.alsbeef.com
Tags: Adams Street, Als Italian Beef, Chicago, Jefferson Street, Route 66, Union Station, West Loop, Willis Tower
Posted in Chicago, Eateries, Highways, News, US | No Comments »
Monday, May 10th, 2010
International Tailoring Company Building, circa 2003 when the clock tower was still sheathed in ugly corrugated metal.
The International Tailoring Building at 847 W. Jackson Boulevard (eastbound Route 66) in Chicago has been on the National Register of Historic Places since June 2008. It is currently undergoing an interior renovation as Tailor Lofts, to be used as off-campus student apartments for the University of Illinois-Chicago. More importantly for Route 66 travelers, the beautiful exterior restoration has brought the building back to its original look. For years, a four-story clock tower was sheathed in ugly corrugated metal.
The gleaming enameled terra cotta now shines again, and the four clock faces show the current time in all directions just as they did when the building first opened in 1916.
The restored International Tailoring Building as it looks today.
The second decade of the 20th century was a volatile time in the Chicago garment industry. Most large clothing companies farmed piecework out to sweatshops that employed immigrants for low pay in deplorable conditions. In the aftermath of several worker strikes, companies like International Tailoring decided to build large modern factories and to hire the workers directly, thus putting the sweatshops out of business. This building is a legacy of that period in Chicago history.
The building was built in 1916 from designs by the architectural firm of Mundie & Jensen, formerly Jenney, Mundie & Jensen. This firm was established originally by William LeBaron Jenney, the architect and engineer responsible for building the Home Insurance Building in 1885, the world’s first skyscraper to use steel beams in its structural skeleton. The firm also designed the downtown building used for a Sears Store at the southeast corner of Van Buren and State (currently Robert Morris University), and the Union League Club at 65 W. Jackson.
Ron Warnick posted about the International Tailoring Building on Route 66 News when the building was first placed on the National Register in 2008. There is also a Wikipedia entry concerning the building. It is great to see a grand old building on Route 66 lovingly restored and revived for a great new purpose.
Tags: Chicago, Garment industry strikes, International Tailoring Building, Jackson Boulevard, Jenney Mundie & Jensen, National Register of Historic Places, Ron Warnick, Route 66, Route 66 News, sweatshops, Tailor Lofts, UIC-Chicago
Posted in Architecture, Chicago, Events, Highways, Illinois, US | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
Many of our Walking Tours meet next to the Lions at the Art Institute of Chicago
I have conducted walking tours in Chicago since 2005, mainly focusing on the history and architecture to be seen along the Route 66 corridor in Chicago’s Loop. Although these Route 66 walking tours have become my specialty, I have conducted all sorts of custom tours as requested as well. Some recent custom tours have included:
- A walking tour that traveled from the Tribune Tower to Millennium Park highlighting the Burnham Plan of Chicago
- An architecture tour of Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Chicago’s Loop
- A driving tour of vintage Chicago movie theaters and studios, from the location of the old Essanay Studios, to the Biograph and Chicago Theaters.
All of the tours, whether focusing on Route 66 or a custom topic or theme, generally include some discussion of Chicago’s history, transportation, culture, and architecture.
A brochure describing my tour offerings is available by clicking here
The cost for a 2-hour walking tour is usually $15 per person. However, in light of the ongoing economic woes, I have decided to offer a special price for a limited time. For parties of four or more, you will be able to take a walk on Chicago’s Route 66 for just 66% of the normal price–that is just $10 per person!
Anyone who would like to take advantage of this special price can contact me via email:
dave@windycityroadwarrior.com
or by telephone at 312-432-1284. All tours are by appointment, so write or call to get your kicks on Chicago’s 66 for 66%!
Posted in Chicago, Events, Highways, Tours, US, Wanderings | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Snuffy's 24 Hour Grill, a McCook institution since 1964, a 2010 inductee into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame
Following up on yesterday’s blog post about the pending lawsuit
IDOT v. Vulcan Materials, I have resurrected the two articles I wrote back in 2006 about the damaged portion of the Mother Road in McCook and some related historical information.
The McCook Sante Fe Depot of 1925 handled westbound passenger traffic as a flag stop until Amtrak took over U.S. rail service in 1971. The tracks now handle freight traffic only. From History and Progress: Village of McCook.
Over the last several years on this website I have been assembling an
archive of my articles previously published in the
Route 66 Federation News, the quarterly publication of the
National Historic Route 66 Federation. For the Spring 2006 issue, I wrote an article titled “
Of Romance and Finance; Of Marriage and McCook.”
Click here to read some background on the article and to download or view a .pdf of the article as originally published.
From the 1938 USDA Aerial Photography Project, along the now-closed section there were two quarries south of 66/Joliet Road: Consumers Company to the northeast, and Dolese & Shephard to the southwest. North of the road most of the property is Stinson Airport, with a plant for Standard Lime and Refractories in the northeast section.
I wrote another article around the same period that appeared in the Spring 2006 issue of
The 66 News, the quarterly journal of
The Route 66 Association of Illinois. This article was title “
A Look at McCook.” I have placed this article on a
blog page along with color versions of all of the photos (black and white in the published version).
Click here to read “
A Look at McCook.”
Posted in Highways, History, US | 2 Comments »
Monday, April 26th, 2010
In May 1998, a one-mile section of Historic Route 66 (Joliet Road) in McCook, Illlinois was closed due to pavement faults.
Looking northeast from just east of East Avenue, the barricades and chain-link fence close off the damaged section of the Mother Road
The Illinois Department of Transportation alleged in a lawsuit filed in 2001 that quarrying activities of Vulcan Materials on either side of the road damaged the state right-of-way. Vulcan has consistently denied any liability for damage. After nearly nine years, the case is now scheduled to be heard in court starting May 10th. (Full disclosure: I have been retained by lawyers for IDOT to provide expert testimony on the history of Route 66 and the specific history of this section of Joliet Road through McCook).
From the Township Maps of Cook County, published by the County Department of Highways, 1974. 66/Joliet Road runs diagonally across the center, from top left to lower right. The Santa Fe railroad is shown below Joliet Road, and southwest of 55th Street three of the quarries later owned by Vulcan Materials are also noted.
Since the closure of Joliet Road, traffic has been detoured onto a two-mile detour following 55th Street and East Avenue. I wrote an article concerning the road closure for the Spring 2006 issue of the
Federation News, the quarterly publication of the
National Historic Route 66 Federation. Here is an excerpt from that article:
In the Autumn 2002 issue of the Federation News, then-Mayor of McCook Patrick Gorski wrote, “In May of 1998 a one mile stretch of Historic Route 66 was closed due to damage to the roadway…the road basically split in half and was actually moving, therefore causing certain sections of the roadway to sink, causing areas to crack, and concrete jersey walls to explode from the pressure of the movement…Limestone in the area was mined right up to about fifteen feet on the north and south sides of the Historic Highway 66 corridor. This type of mining, and excavating, along with other acts committed by the quarry operators, caused the roadway to be damaged.”
A Chicago Tribune article from January 26, 2001 stated, “Vulcan blames Mother Nature: The company says the rock cracks and slippages that ultimately ruined the roadway extend 400 feet down, much farther than Vulcan has ever mined.” According again to former Mayor Gorski, “On September 21, 2001, the People of the State of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Transportation, filed suit in the Circuit Court of Cook County, seeking injunctive relief and damages against the local quarry involved in the mining and excavation of the area surrounding the Historic Route 66 corridor.”
Closed section of Route 66 in McCook
The lawsuit should determine whether or not Vulcan Materials is legally liable for damage to the IDOT right-of-way; however, it may have little bearing on the question of whether the road can ever be safely reopened.
Posted in Highways, History, Illinois, US | 2 Comments »
Sunday, April 25th, 2010
The Jackson Boulevard (eastbound Route 66) viaduct over the Union Station Railroad tracks in Chicago re-opened to traffic last week. It had been closed since June 2009. The old failing structure was demolished and completely replaced.
I posted up about the closure last year. The viaduct is located between Canal Street and the Jackson Bridge over the Chicago River. The closure had required detours, but did give pedestrians a rare 10-month chance to walk in the middle of the bridge without getting run over by traffic.
There are now no detours along Historic 66 in Cook County that I am aware of. In fact, portions of the highway alignment are being used for traffic detoured off the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290). Major repair work is in progress on the Congress Parkway bridges over the river as well as along the entire length of the expressway. Commuters have been advised to find alternate routes, and Jackson Boulevard, Ogden Avenue, and Adams Street have all been marked as I-290 detours.
Old Route 66 come to the rescue again!
Posted in Chicago, Highways, Illinois, Interstates, US | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
The Route 66 Association of Illinois has announced its 2010 inductees into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame. I have served several years on the Hall of Fame committee, (but not currently), so I know that the work of the committee is interesting and rewarding when deserving recipients are honored thanks to your efforts. It can also be contentious and difficult.
So, with this insider knowledge of how difficult and also rewarding the process can be, I have to applaud the current Hall of Fame committee for a strong and well-deserving group of inductees. The committee did a great service to the Illinois Association, the Hall of Fame, and to helping to preserve and protect the Route 66 historic legacy.
The details of the inductees are well documented on the Illinois Route 66 Association website. 817 Hillsboro in Edwardsville, known for years as Halley’s Cash and Carry Market; Lewis A. Barrick, founder Barrick Transfer & Beverage Co. in Lincoln, IL; the Deck Family of Girard and their Deck’s Drug Store and Museum; Snuffy’s Grill in McCook; and the Ambassador award to Bob Waldmire–all excellent choices.
Route 66 was always most importantly a vehicle for spreading commerce along the corridor through which it passed. If the highway failed to so spread commerce, it would not have been worth the cost in taxpayer money spent to finance the hard road’s construction. All of the Hall of Fame inductees are examples of the success of Route 66 in spreading commerce, from the business owners, to the bricks and mortar of businesses, to places still going strong (such as Snuffy’s), and to an artist who literally made his living on the road.
A hearty round of applause for the Illinois Hall of Fame committee! Job well done!
Posted in Awards, Highways, Illinois, US | No Comments »
