Illinois Route 97
Illinois Route 97 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 IL 97 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byIDOT | ||||
| Length | 104.43 mi[1](168.06 km) | |||
| Existed | 1937[2]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |    I-55/I-72/US 36inSpringfield | |||
  US 136/IL 78inHavana US 24/IL 78inLewistown | ||||
| North end |  US 150inKnoxville | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Illinois | |||
| Counties | Sangamon,Menard,Mason,Fulton,Knox | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Illinois Route 97(IL 97) is a north–south state highway in the central and western portions of the U.S. state ofIllinois.It extends from I-55 Business (Business Loop I-55) inSpringfieldnorthwest toU.S. Highway 150(US 150) nearGalesburg.It crosses over theIllinois Riveron a bridge west ofHavana.This is a distance of 102.23 miles (164.52 km).[1]
Route description
[edit]
IL 97 starts off inSpringfieldon East Clear Lake Avenue. It heads west, forming aconcurrencywithIL 125.IL 97 splits off and north shortly after, enteringMenard County.
In Menard County, along a concurrency withIL 123inNew Salem,it passesLincoln's New Salem State Historic SitenearPetersburg,the home ofAbraham Lincolnin the 1830s. It afterwards passes throughMason County.The road entersFulton Countyimmediately after crossing a bridge concurrent withUS 136andIL 78.
It then passes both theEmiquon National Wildlife RefugeandDickson MoundsState Memorial. Afterwards, it drops the concurrency with IL 78 and US 136 but picks upUS 24.During and after it gains concurrency withIL 100,it heads north throughout hills. It entersKnox Countyafter a brief concurrency withIL 9.It continues north through hills until its northern terminus atUS 150nearGalesburg.[3]
History
[edit]IL 97 is the site of a pioneering work ofhighway beautification,the planting in 1934 of what was once a line of 'red haw'hawthornsand other Illinois native trees along the tourist route from west of Springfield to New Salem. The work, done by theCivilian Conservation Corpsand the Illinois Federation of Garden Clubs, is commemorated by a marker installation atTallula Junction,the southern intersection of Illinois Route 97 and Illinois Route 123.[4]
Major junctions
[edit]| County | Location | mi[5] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sangamon | Springfield | 0.0 | 0.0 | I-55/I-72/US 36–Chicago,Decatur | No control city for southbound I-55/westbound I-72; US 36 is not signed |
| 0.5 | 0.80 |  IL 29 | |||
| 2.2 | 3.5 |  I-55 BL | |||
| 3.6 | 5.8 | Walnut Street | Grade separation eastbound; at-grade intersection westbound | ||
| 5.8 | 9.3 |  IL 4–Chatham,Mason City | |||
| Menard | | 20.1 | 32.3 |  IL 123/ CR 4 | South end of IL 123 overlap; calledTallula Junction;has IL-97 historical marker |
| Petersburg | 25.1 | 40.4 | IL 123 | North end of IL 123 overlap | |
| Mason | Havana | 49.3 | 79.3 | US 136 | South end of US 136 overlap |
| 49.8 | 80.1 | IL 78 | South end of IL 78 overlap | ||
| Fulton | | 50.8 | 81.8 | US 136/IL 78 | North end of US 136 overlap |
| | 57.5 | 92.5 | US 24/IL 78 | South end of US 24 overlap; north end of IL 78 overlap | |
| Lewistown | 61.0 | 98.2 |  US 24/IL 100/ CR 14 | South end of IL 100 overlap; north end of US 24 overlap | |
| 62.5 | 100.6 | IL 100 | North end of IL 100 overlap | ||
| | 73.9 | 118.9 |  IL 9/ CR 16 | South end of IL 9 overlap | |
| | 75.9 | 122.1 | IL 9 | North end of IL 9 overlap | |
| Rapatee | 86.1 | 138.6 |  IL 116 | ||
| Knox | Knoxville | 101.9 | 164.0 |   US 150toI-74 | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
[edit]- ^abIllinois Technology Transfer Center (2006)."T2 GIS Data".Retrieved2007-11-08.
- ^Carlson, Rich.Illinois Highways Page: Routes 81 thru 100.Last updated March 15, 2005. Retrieved April 20, 2006.
- ^Delorme Illinois Atlas & Gazetteer
- ^Furry, William (May 7, 2020)."Saving historic trees on Route 97".Illinois Times.Springfield, Ill.RetrievedJune 1,2020.
- ^Google(October 4, 2014)."Overview of IL 97"(Map).Google Maps.Google.RetrievedOctober 4,2014.
External links
[edit]
Media related toIllinois Route 97at Wikimedia Commons
