U.S. Route 36 in Illinois

In the U.S. state of Illinois, U.S. Route 36 (US 36) is an east–west highway that runs across the central portion of the state. It runs east from Missouri over the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River with Interstate 72. The eastern terminus of U.S. 36 in Illinois is located near the unincorporated area of Raven near the Illinois-Indiana state line. This is a distance of 216.47 miles (348.37 km).[1]

U.S. Route 36 marker
U.S. Route 36
Map
US 36 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by IDOT
Length216.47 mi[1] (348.37 km)
Major junctions
West end
I-72 / US 36 / Route 110 (CKC) in Hull
Major intersections
East end US 36 in Chrisman
Location
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountiesPike, Scott, Morgan, Sangamon, Macon, Piatt, Moultrie, Douglas, Edgar
Highway system
IL 35 IL 37

Route description

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U.S. 36 parallels the old Wabash Railroad from the Mississippi River at Hannibal, MO east to Decatur, IL. Norfolk Southern Railway operates on this route today.

U.S. 36 is overlapped with Interstate 72 for more than half its routing in Illinois, 133 miles (214 km). At Decatur, I-72 separates from it and travels around the city to the north, while US 36 enters the city and passes through downtown on the four-lane Eldorado Street. Just beyond 19th Street, US 36 turns to the southeast on a four-lane divided alignment paralleling a railroad, exiting Decatur on the southeast side. The road crosses Lake Decatur and narrows to two lanes before turning due east. After turning east, U.S. 36 runs largely in a straight line, mostly through open country, until it exits the state.

History

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1997 picture of the old Mark Twain Memorial Bridge; three years before its closure

Initially, US 36 followed part of IL 106, IL 36, IL 3, IL 10, and IL 121 (which is newly built back then). A couple of portions were under construction.[2] In 1935, these state routes were either truncated or removed due to confusion (like IL 36) and redundancy.[3] In 1936, US 36 moved from the Wabash Bridge (now used by railroad) to the old Mark Twain Memorial Bridge.

From 1942 to 1971, US 54 ran concurrently with US 36 from New Hartford to the east side of Springfield, where US 54 diverged for Chicago. [4][5]

Until around 1977, no significant changes to US 36 were made.[6] Then, Interstate 72 (and another part of the freeway that would later become I-72) extended from Monticello to Jacksonville. As a result, US 36 moved to a part of I-72 from Decatur to Jacksonville.[7] By 1979, the freeway then extended west near Riggston.[8] By 1988, it extended west to IL 100.[9] At this point, the Valley City Eagle Bridges were completed. However, by 1992, the twin spans, as well as the freeway west to IL 336, opened.[10] By 1996, the Interstate 72 designation extends west using the new US 36 freeway and ends abruptly as soon as US 36 leaves the freeway. Also, Interstate 172 acquired the whole of the IL 336 freeway portion.[11] In 2000, I-72 extended west to connect to Hannibal, Missouri, after a new Mark Twain Memorial Bridge opened. As a result, US 36 moved northward to get onto the new bridge. After that, the old bridge was demolished.[12][13]

Major intersections

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CountyLocationmi[14]kmExitDestinationsNotes
Mississippi River0.00.0 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I-72 west / US 36 west / Route 110 (CKC) west – Hannibal
Continuation into Missouri
Mark Twain Memorial Bridge; Missouri–Illinois state line
PikeLevee Township1.21.91  IL 106 – Hull
4.26.84 
 
 
 
 
I-172 north / IL 110 (CKC) east – Quincy
Left exit from both directions; I-172 exit 0.
Kinderhook Township10.216.410  
 
IL 96 to IL 106 – Payson, Hull
Barry20.132.320 
 
To IL 106 – Barry
New Salem Township31.250.231Pittsfield, New Salem
Griggsville Township35.056.335 
 
US 54 west – Pittsfield
 
 
IL 107 north – Griggsville
Eastern terminus of US 54; southern terminus of IL 107
ScottBloomfield Precinct45.873.746  IL 100 – Bluffs, DetroitDetroit signed westbound only
Winchester No. 2 Precinct51.983.552 
 
To IL 106 – Winchester
MorganLynnville Precinct60.597.460 
 
  I-72 BL east / US 67 – Alton, Beardstown, Jacksonville
Signed as exits 60A (south) and 60B (north)
South Jacksonville64.1103.264  IL 267 – Alton, Jacksonville
Pisgah Precinct68.5110.268 
 
 
 
I-72 BL west to IL 104 – Jacksonville
Alexander Precinct75.6121.776Ashland, Alexander
SangamonIsland GroveNew Berlin
township line
81.9131.882New Berlin
Springfield91.2146.891Wabash Avenue
93.8151.093  IL 4 (Veterans Parkway) – Chatham
95.6153.996MacArthur Blvd
97.0156.192
97
 
 
 
 
I-55 south / I-55 BL north (6th Street) – Springfield, St. Louis
West end of I-55 overlap; signed as exit 97 (south). Signed as exit 92A (north) westbound. I-72 westbound exits I-55 via exit 92B.
99.5160.194Stevenson Drive, East Lake Drive
101.5163.396  IL 29 (South Grand Avenue) – TaylorvilleSigned as exits 96A (south) and 96B (north)
102.6165.198
103
 
 
I-55 north – Chicago
 
 
IL 97 west (Clear Lake Avenue)
East end of I-55 overlap; I-72 eastbound exits I-55 via exit 98A, I-72 westbound exits itself via exit 103A. IL 97 signed as exit 98B eastbound. Northbound I-55 signed as exit 103B westbound.
Clear Lake Township103.4166.4104Camp Butler
107.6173.2108Riverton, DawsonDawson signed eastbound only
Mechanicsburg Township113.7183.0114Buffalo, Mechanicsburg, DawsonDawson signed westbound only
Illiopolis Township121.8196.0122Mt. Auburn, Illiopolis
MaconNiantic Township127.0204.4128Niantic
Decatur132.9213.9133 
 
  I-72 east / US 51 – Champaign, Urbana, Vandalia, Bloomington
Eastern end of I-72 concurrency
136.8220.2  IL 48 (Fairview Ave)
138.4222.7 
 
US 51 Bus. (Main St, Franklin St)
One-way pair
139.6224.7 
 
  IL 105 north / IL 121 (22nd St)
Western end of IL 121 concurrency
142.7229.7 
 
IL 121 south (Mount Zion Rd)
Eastern end of IL 121 concurrency
MoultriePiatt
county line
La Place151.6244.0  IL 32 – La Place, Lovington
DouglasTuscola174.3280.5  US 45 – Champaign, Mattoon
175.8282.9  I-57 – Effingham, ChampaignI-57 exit 212
Camargo180.5290.5 
 
IL 130 south – Charleston
Western end of IL 130 concurrency
181.3291.8 
 
IL 130 north – Urbana
Eastern end of IL 130
Edgar193.0310.6  IL 49 – Kankakee, Casey
Chrisman207.0333.1   US 150 / IL 1 – Chrisman, Paris
216.47348.37 
 
US 36 east – Rockville
Indiana state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^ a b Illinois Technology Transfer Center (2006). "T2 GIS Data". Retrieved November 8, 2007.
  2. ^ Illinois Secretary of State; H.M. Gousha (1928). Illinois Official Auto Road Map (Map). [c. 1:950,000 and c. 1:1,110,000]. Springfield: Illinois Secretary of State. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Illinois Digital Archives.
  3. ^ Illinois Secretary of State; H.M. Gousha (1935). Official Road Map Illinois (Map). [c. 1:950,000 and c. 1:1,110,000]. Springfield: Illinois Secretary of State. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Illinois Digital Archives.
  4. ^ Illinois Secretary of State; Rand McNally (1942). Illinois Road Map (Map). c. 1:918,720. Springfield: Illinois Secretary of State. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Illinois Digital Archives.
  5. ^ U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee (June 21, 1971). "U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee Agenda Showing Action Taken by the Executive Committee" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  6. ^ Illinois Department of Transportation (1975). Illinois Highway Map (Map). [1:772,500]. Springfield: Illinois Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Illinois Digital Archives.
  7. ^ Illinois Department of Transportation (1977). Illinois Highway Map (Map). [1:772,500]. Springfield: Illinois Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Illinois Digital Archives.
  8. ^ Illinois Department of Transportation (1979). Illinois Highway Map (Map). [1:772,500]. Springfield: Illinois Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Illinois Digital Archives.
  9. ^ Illinois Department of Transportation (1987). Illinois Highway Map (Map) (1987–1988 ed.). [1:762,500]. Springfield: Illinois Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Illinois Digital Archives.
  10. ^ Illinois Department of Transportation (1991). Illinois Highway Map (Map) (1991–1992 ed.). [1:762,500]. Springfield: Illinois Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Illinois Digital Archives.
  11. ^ Illinois Department of Transportation (1995). Illinois Highway Map (Map) (1995–1996 ed.). [1:762,500]. Springfield: Illinois Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Illinois Digital Archives.
  12. ^ Illinois Department of Transportation (2001). Illinois Highway Map (Map) (2001–2002 ed.). [1:762,500]. Springfield: Illinois Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 14, 2020 – via Illinois Digital Archives.
  13. ^ "Mark Twain Bridge". Bridgehunter.com. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  14. ^ "Overview Map of US 36" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
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  U.S. Route 36
Previous state:
Missouri
Illinois Next state:
Indiana