According to simplyyellowpages, US 45 is a US Highway in the US state of Illinois. The road forms a long north-south statewide link from the Kentucky border at Paducah through the sparsely populated eastern part of the state to the densely populated Chicago metropolitan area . At Antioch, the road crosses the border into Wisconsin. The route is 690 miles long, and is the longest numbered road in Illinois.

Travel directions

Southern Illinois

At the village of Brookport, US 45 in Kentucky crosses the Ohio River from Paducah and enters the state of Illinois. The road then curves to the west and at Metropolis it connects with Interstate 24. US 45 then heads north on the west side of I-24, reaching the large village of Vienna after 25 miles. US 45 then proceeds northeast and intersects I-24 for the last time. One then passes through a forested area, one of the few forested areas in the state, the Shawnee National Forest. The road runs for 30 miles to Harrisburg and is a one-lane main road in each direction. Due to the lack of larger towns in the region, the road is fairly quiet. The road then continues north through a flat and barren farmland, much like much of Illinois. At the hamlet of Mill Shoals the connection with Interstate 64. follows. US 45 then begins a 110-kilometer route to Effingham in the north, periodically jumping a few miles west in the grid pattern. At the village of Flora there is an intersection with US 50. This part of Illinois is also flat, with some shallow river valleys. One then reaches the town of Effingham, a regional town and hub in southern Illinois. The first one crosses US 40, which runs parallel to Interstate 70. From Effingham, US 45 begins a route north, paralleling Interstate 57 toward Chicago.

Central Illinois

US 45 at Ashkum.

Also north of Effingham the landscape consists of barren plains with agriculture. US 45 runs mostly west, but sometimes east of I-57. The largest town on the way to Champaign is Mattoon. A little further north at Tuscola you cross the US 36. Here too, US 45 consists of one lane in each direction, because the adjacent and also quiet I-57 handles through traffic. One then reaches Champaign, one of the larger cities outside Chicago in Illinois with 75,000 inhabitants. It is a twin city with the approximately 40,000 inhabitants Urbana. Here one crosses US 150, which runs parallel to Interstate 74. From Urbana to Rantoul the road has 2×2 lanes and the US 136 crosses in the small town of Rantoul. Also north of Champaign, the endless agricultural and flat landscape continues and US 45 runs almost everywhere within sight of I-57. About 55 kilometers north at Gilman you cross the US 24. The road then heads to Kankakee, the last regional town before the Chicago metropolitan area. In Kankakee you cross the US 52. US 45 therefore crosses I-57 for the last time and begins the 50 kilometers to the Chicago metropolitan area.

Chicago

You reach the metropolitan area of ​​Chicago at the suburb of Frankfort, where you cross the US 30. US 45 has 2×2 lanes from here and is called 96th Avenue, later La Grange Road. In Tinley Park it connects with Interstate 80. A little further north in the suburb of Orland Park you cross the US 6. You then pass through a nature reserve and at Hickory Hills the US 12 and US 20 from the south of Chicago merge, creating a triple numbering. At Justice there is a connection with Interstate 294. Shortly thereafter, one crosses the Des Plaines River, after which it connects with Interstate 55.

A little further on, in the suburb of La Grange, you cross the US 34. This suburban area of ​​Chicago is quite old and consists of smaller homes built close together. One then reaches the suburb of Bellwood and at the junction with Interstate 290 La Grange Road becomes Mannheim Road. Not far after, US 20 exits toward Elgin and Rockford. US 12 and US 45 then continue together past O’Hare Airport. There will be a connection with Interstate 190. Shortly after, US 45 goes under Interstate 90. One then enters the suburb of Des Plaines, a regional subcenter. One crosses the US 14and US 12 turns northwest here. US 45 then continues only through the affluent northern suburbs. The road will then be called Milwaukee Avenue and will run parallel to [[[Interstate 94 in Illinois|Interstate 94]] towards Milwaukee. In Vernon Hills, US 45 jumps west for a bit and then continues on Lake Avenue. The border with Wisconsin then follows at Antioch. US 45 in Wisconsin then continues toward Milwaukee.

History

According to itypejob, US 45 was created in 1926, and at the time had its northern end in Des Plaines, a suburb of Chicago. US 45 ended here at US 12. In 1935 the route was extended north to Michigan. US 45 was a major north-south route, although it served relatively few major cities, other than the major city of Chicago (the suburbs, in fact), US 45 does not serve any other major cities. An Interstate Highway has been built along a large part of US 45, namely Interstate 57, which was built between 1958 and 1971, so that US 45 has only local importance for most of the route.

Traffic intensities

Every day, 4,200 vehicles cross the Ohio River, after which the intensities drop to 2,400 vehicles parallel to I-24. The road then becomes even quieter with 1,500 vehicles heading towards Harrisburg. Up to Effingham the intensities are around 2,000 to 3,000 vehicles, in some villages and double numbering slightly higher. About 3,000 vehicles per day drive parallel to I-57, and 20,000 vehicles in Champlain. 9,000 vehicles drive up to Rantoul, before dropping to just 900 vehicles per day. From Kankakee, the road is busier with 6,400 vehicles per day. In the south of the Chicago metropolitan area, the intensity is already rising to 45,000 for I-80 and also 45,000 for I-294. As many as 78,000 vehicles drive between I-294 and I-55. further north it is a bit quieter with 25,000 vehicles, and 47. 000 vehicles passing O’Hare Airport. North of Des Plaines, intensities remain around 35,000 vehicles, tapering toward Wisconsin, to 5,900 vehicles before the border.