Report on the 120 Bypass (Part 2 of 5)

Today we are going to look at Scenario Two which is to widen existing IL-120 to four lanes and not build a bypass.

NOTE: Please read part one for an explanation of the terms I am using in this post.

Now we get to the interesting stuff Scenario 2: Widen existing IL 120 to 4 lanes and don't build the bypass.

One caveat on these scenarios, is that they have been adjusted to take in the planned road improvements over the next 22 years, so for example Peterson's eventual widening to 4 lanes is taken into account. So using the same bullet points and spots we looked at in the earlier posts we see the following I am going to bold my observations on the changes.

• Look at the number for 120 at 83, 17,700 in 2008 but in 2030 the number is 33,900 indicating that the stretch of road is as full as it can be right now. So in 22 years the entire 4 lane 120 is as congested as a 4 lane road can be!
  
• Interstate 94 has 113,000 ADT in 2008. The new number is 163,200 in 2030. Very little change between the scenario 1 and 2! Huge numbers however from 2008.
  
• Peterson Road has 9,400 ADT between 60 and Alleghany in 2008. With the widening the road is heavily congested at 21,800 ADT in 2030. Scenario 2 reduces the traffic here by 4,000 ADT so thats a positive, but the road is still at or about the congested numbers.
  
• 60 has 14,200 just past Fremont Center in 2008. Now the traffic flows onto Peterson and not down 60 so the ADT is reduced to 8,900. I am not sure I beleive this by the by.
  
• Fairfield has 10,500 at Gilmer in 2008. The number here is 15,000 (serious congestion) in 2030. The number drops in scenario 2 to 13,200.
  
• Washington has 15,800 at 83 in 2008. The number in scenario 1 is 19,100 in 2030. In scenario 2 its now 17,100, still very serious congestion.
  

We start to see some improvements in traffic flow, but the 4 lane 120 quickly fills up to congested levels and if you look at Rollins, Washington, Peterson and Grand the numbers and the congestion grow noticably. I would guess straining the roads to the limit. This scenario barely works in my opinion in 2030, intuitively I would guess it is a mess in 2032.