Iowa Roadtrip
Iowa: it's that state next to Illinois
Back in December 2002, my roadtrip compadre Margot and I went on a little roadtrip out to the Quad Cities area. After touring Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock Island, and Moline, we took US 67 north until its end at US 52 near Sabula, IA, and then crossed into Illinois and went more north on IL 84 to US 20. Then we took US 20 back to the Chicago area. Nothing really special, and no big events occurred on the trip either. But here are some pictures anyway. The picture above is of I-74 West in Iowa.
 The
end of the (former) East-West Tollway at US 30 near Rock Falls. I-88
continues as an IDOT freeway to the Quad Cities. |
 After
the tollway ends, the I-88 shields get smaller. |
 Back
in December '02, the road was quite rough in this area. But it has
since been repaired, and is quite smooth. |
 An
I-88 scene. |
 The
exit for US 30, which goes to Clinton, IA. |
 You
don't know how long 51 miles is until you've driven I-88 in Northwest
Illinois. |
 Margot
was quite taken with this stick, so she just had to photograph it. |
 IL
92 exit. |
 IL
92 joins I-88 to the Quad Cities. |
 I-80
to I-74 Peoria. Almost there! |
 IL
2 used to run here before I-88 came along. Interesting how they
actualy put "Former IL 2" into the BGS. I wouldn't have thought IDOT
would do that. |
 The
first indication that I-88 is about to end: only IL 5 and IL 92 are on the
left BGS. |
 This
is a weird interchange, but not terribly complicated. |
 A
rare instance of IDOT placing a shield at the exit. I don't know why
this one exists-- it's kind of redundant. |
 IL
5 takes over where I-88 left off. IL 5 used to be all of I-88, but
they added I-88 in order to raise the speed limit on the freeway/tollway to
65 mph. That was because of a ridiculous law that said you have to
have 55 mph on all non-interstate freeways. It has since been de-lawed. |
 Proof
that I-88 actually does end. |
 IL
5 is the John Deere Expy, which is a non-interstate standard expressway. |
 Illinois
usually doesn't use this style of sign that indicates an ending lane.
I've seen it nowhere else (although I haven't been everywhere). |
 IL
5 later turns into a surface street and ends at US 67 in Rock Island. |
 An
old US 67 shield. No directional banner. |
 US
67 splits its northbound and southbound lanes here. |
 A
huge and barren US 67 NB in Rock Island. |
 US
67 goes over a toll bridge into Davenport, Iowa. |
 Now
in Iowa with its trademark narrow directional arrows. |
 More
US 61 and US 67. |
 Now
in the northern parts of Davenport, at US 6. |