and IL 53/US 6

IL 113 WB in Braidwood, looking west from IL 53 across the railroad tracks. IL 53 is the original alignment of US 66, while IL 129 is a more modern alignment that heads into I-55 north of Braidwood.


North into Wilmington, where US 66 WB/IL 53 SB features the Gemini Giant. Whatever he is, he's at Baltimore St. (IL 53/US 66) and East St.


NB/formerly EB through the Army Ammunition Plant south of Joliet, where all traffic is (presumably) temporarily on old US 66 WB. I was worried that with the rough shape of the old NB/EB lanes, that they would be abandoned and all traffic left on two lanes, but besides the fact that there is enough traffic to still warrant 4 lanes on old US 66, I can see yellow stripes in the first photo suggesting that all traffic was first on that side while this SB/WB side was reconstructed, and that eventually both sides will be shiny and open to traffic once more.


Peeling old signs with deprecated wording, IL 53 NB and former US 66 EB with US 52 WB for an unorthodox triplex, and then in the reverse direction. Modern signs would abbreviate Indiana and omit the hyphen after Moline.


This time, a same-direction concurrency, with US 6 and former 66 EB following IL 53 NB on Chicago St. After the railroad, they turn on Washington St., and then IL 53 continues straight while US 6 heads east on US 30.


The corresponding other direction on under the same railroad.


IL 53 SB turns from Chicago St. onto Ottawa St. by way of Jackson St. in Joliet. 53 comes back to Chicago St. with US 6 in short order, but Chicago St. has been trimmed down to a two-lane road and blocked at Jefferson St. to discourage traffic from using it and thus encourage downtown pedestrians. The last photo is courtesy Doug Kerr.


While IL 53 SB is on Chicago St. (north of Jackson St. at this point), the NB side is on Scott St., and earns two railroad crossings that the SB side doesn't have. This slanty one is the more interesting of the two, and then IL 53/US 66 turns left to cross the same line again.


The Ruby Street Bridge across the Des Plaines River, taking IL 53 and former US 66 north out of downtown Joliet. US 66 crosses the river again well to the northeast in Lyons on Joliet Rd. US 66 EB is heading west here, briefly.


Back south (US 66 WB, heading east though) across the bridge.


SB entering Joliet, where IL 53 takes old US 66 past the Rich & Creamy ice cream stop with the Blues Brothers dancing on top. The Joliet Road Meet stopped there, so I got a closeup of a fire hydrant and a new sign that blindly follows old wording. Instead of US Rte 66, stay on IL 53 and you'll get to that speedway on the other side of the city. See the Joliet Non-Roads page linked below for the actual ice cream place (no, I wasn't going to miss that photo).


WB in Romeoville, courtesy Doug Kerr. I hope this sign is town-erected and not indicative of a new direction in signing, because the shields (as otherwise seen on this page) are supposed to look vaguely like the originals - less rounded, and with fonts not introduced after 1990.

Onto US 6 alone
Continue west on old US 66 to Livingston County
Continue east on old US 66 to Joliet Road
Continue north of Romeoville on IL 53
Back to IL 53 main page

Onto I-80
Onto US 30
Joliet Non-Roads
Back to Illinois Roads
Back to Roads