Illinois Route 255
Encyclopedia
Illinois Route 255, also referred to as the Alton Bypass (although it does not yet completely bypass Alton
), is a northwesterly extension of Interstate 255
in southwestern Illinois
. Illinois 255 starts at I-270
in Pontoon Beach
and currently ends at Seminary Road northeast of Alton
(at a distance of 16.46 miles (26.49 km)).
metropolitan area. When the highway is completed, it will extend approximately 21 mi (34 km)—from Interstate 270 near Edwardsville
to U.S. Highway 67
in Godfrey
. As of August 2008, its northwestern terminus was located at Seminary Road in northeast Alton following the opening that month of a new 2.6 mi (4.2 km) segment that extended the highway from its former terminus at Fosterburg Road. The highway passes just to the west of the St. Louis Regional Airport
.
Although Illinois 255 is designed to federal interstate-highway standards, it is being built by the Illinois Department of Transportation using state-provided funds.
over the Clark Bridge
through the city-center of Alton, and to two congested local routes (Illinois Routes 3
and 111
) that roughly parallel the Illinois 255 corridor. Although it was part of the much larger Corridor 413 plan, the local politicians focused mostly on the segment from Interstate 270 to what was then Illinois Route 267 north of the Godfrey "Y" intersection. At that time, the Berm Highway, the Beltline extension, and the Madison Avenue connector were not built and both Illinois Routes 3 and 111 were over capacity between Alton and Interstate 270. In 1975, a six-month detour related with the closing of the Old Clark Bridge exposed the need for the Alton Bypass along with the other three routes. However, until 1985, the Alton Bypass was a low priority, as other local road projects in the area were considered more important.
The first 6.5 mi (10 km) segment of Illinois 255, from Interstate 270 to Illinois 143
, was completed in October 1998 at the cost of $40 million (excluding land acquisition).
The second segment (a 7.2 mi (12 km) extension from IL-143 in Roxana to Fosterburg Road) was opened on October 20, 2006, approximately one year behind schedule, owing to the 2005 collapse of the Wisconsin-based construction company that held the contracts for that portion of the roadway. The second segment was completed at a cost of approximately $78.1 million.
The penultimate segment of Illinois 255 from Fosterburg Road to Seminary Road in rural northeast Alton opened on August 22, 2008. Construction costs for this portion of the roadway totaled $25.1 million.
and 111
. Funding for the remaining segment of the bypass, estimated at a cost of $46 million, is included in IDOT's current Multi-Year Highway Improvement Program for FY 2009-2014. At present, $9.1 million is included for the current fiscal year to pay for engineering, land acquisition, utility
work, and construction of a new bridge over IL-111. The best-case scenario anticipates completion of the entire Alton Bypass in 2012.
Upon completion, the IL-255 route may or may not be redesignated as an Interstate Route. If the corridor were to be signed as an extension of the current I-255 bypass, all exits north of I-270
would have to be renumbered. As a standalone spur route, IL-255 numbered as I-255 would violate the AASHO scheme for interstate numbering that requires an odd-number first digit (although as part of the larger I-255 bypass the route is not technically a spur even though it extends past the segment of I-55
that it bypasses). The entire corridor from Godfrey, IL to Mehlville, MO (comprising both I-255 and IL-255) could also carry secondary signage as U.S. 67 Bypass, since it would be a true bypass of US-67 (that passes through the St. Louis urban agglomeration) actually connecting with US-67 at both endpoints.
Construction of a new expressway route for US-67 between Jacksonville
and Alton is planned to follow the corridor through White Hall, Carrollton, and Jerseyville. It will end in Godfrey near the Illinois 255 extension.
, and economic development organization to communities north of St. Louis.
{| class=wikitable
!County
!Location
!Mile
!width='50px'|#
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=12|Madison
|Pontoon Beach
|0.0
|30
| – Memphis
, Kansas City
, Indianapolis
|Southern terminus. I-255 continues south.
|-
|rowspan=2|Poag
|1
|2
|Gateway Commerce Center Drive East
|
|-
|
|3
|New Poag Road
|
|-
|South Roxana
|
|5
|Madison Avenue
|
|-
|Roxana
|6.5
|6
|
|
|-
|Wood River
|
|8
|
|Control cities change in the southbound direction.
|-
|Bethalto
|
|10
|
|SPUI interchange
|-
|Fosterburg
|13.7
|13
|Fosterburg Road
|
|-
|Alton
|16.46
|16
|Seminary Road
|Current northern terminus
|-
Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
), is a northwesterly extension of Interstate 255
Interstate 255
Interstate 255 is a bypass route of Interstate 55 near St. Louis, Missouri and with Interstate 270, it forms a loop around the city. Even though St. Louis is in Missouri, a majority of the route runs through Illinois. It shares its southern terminus with 270 at the junction with Interstate 55, 270...
in southwestern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Illinois 255 starts at I-270
Interstate 270 (Illinois-Missouri)
Interstate 270 makes up a large portion of the outer belt freeway in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area. The counterclockwise terminus of I-270 is at the junction with Interstate 55 in Mehlville, Missouri; the clockwise terminus of the freeway is at the junction with I-55 and I-70 north of...
in Pontoon Beach
Pontoon Beach, Illinois
Pontoon Beach is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pontoon Beach is located at ....
and currently ends at Seminary Road northeast of Alton
Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
(at a distance of 16.46 miles (26.49 km)).
Route description
Illinois 255 is a four-lane, limited-access freeway for its entire length. It serves as an important circumferential artery for the northeastern portion of the St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
metropolitan area. When the highway is completed, it will extend approximately 21 mi (34 km)—from Interstate 270 near Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Illinois
Edwardsville is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,293. It is the county seat of Madison County and is the third oldest city in the State of Illinois. The city was named in honor of Ninian Edwards, then Governor of the Illinois...
to U.S. Highway 67
U.S. Route 67
U.S. Route 67 is a 1,560 mile long north–south U.S. highway in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas, where it continues south as Mexican Federal Highway 16 upon crossing the Rio Grande. The northern...
in Godfrey
Godfrey, Illinois
Godfrey is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18000 at the 2010 census. Godfrey is located within the Greater St...
. As of August 2008, its northwestern terminus was located at Seminary Road in northeast Alton following the opening that month of a new 2.6 mi (4.2 km) segment that extended the highway from its former terminus at Fosterburg Road. The highway passes just to the west of the St. Louis Regional Airport
St. Louis Regional Airport
St. Louis Regional Airport is a public airport located four miles east of the central business district of Alton, a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States...
.
Although Illinois 255 is designed to federal interstate-highway standards, it is being built by the Illinois Department of Transportation using state-provided funds.
History
Described as "The Road to Prosperity" by business leaders and government officials who initially proposed it in the late 1970s, Illinois 255 was part of a region-wide effort to create a high-speed alternative to U.S. Route 67U.S. Route 67
U.S. Route 67 is a 1,560 mile long north–south U.S. highway in the Central United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the United States-Mexico border in Presidio, Texas, where it continues south as Mexican Federal Highway 16 upon crossing the Rio Grande. The northern...
over the Clark Bridge
Clark Bridge
The Clark Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge across the Mississippi River between West Alton, Missouri and Alton, Illinois. Named after explorer William Clark like the bridge it replaced, the cable-stayed bridge opened in 1994. It carries U.S. Route 67 across the river...
through the city-center of Alton, and to two congested local routes (Illinois Routes 3
Illinois Route 3
Illinois Route 3 is a major north–south arterial state highway in southwestern Illinois. It has its southern terminus at Cairo Junction at the intersection of Interstate 57 and U.S. Route 51, and its northern terminus in Grafton at Illinois Route 100...
and 111
Illinois Route 111
Illinois Route 111 is a north–south state road in southwestern Illinois. It runs from Short Street in Centreville to Illinois Route 104 in Waverly. This is a distance of .- Route description :...
) that roughly parallel the Illinois 255 corridor. Although it was part of the much larger Corridor 413 plan, the local politicians focused mostly on the segment from Interstate 270 to what was then Illinois Route 267 north of the Godfrey "Y" intersection. At that time, the Berm Highway, the Beltline extension, and the Madison Avenue connector were not built and both Illinois Routes 3 and 111 were over capacity between Alton and Interstate 270. In 1975, a six-month detour related with the closing of the Old Clark Bridge exposed the need for the Alton Bypass along with the other three routes. However, until 1985, the Alton Bypass was a low priority, as other local road projects in the area were considered more important.
The first 6.5 mi (10 km) segment of Illinois 255, from Interstate 270 to Illinois 143
Illinois Route 143
Illinois Route 143 is an east–west state highway in southwestern Illinois. Its western terminus is at U.S. Route 67 in Alton. Its eastern terminus at Illinois Route 127 at a rural intersection west of Tamalco...
, was completed in October 1998 at the cost of $40 million (excluding land acquisition).
The second segment (a 7.2 mi (12 km) extension from IL-143 in Roxana to Fosterburg Road) was opened on October 20, 2006, approximately one year behind schedule, owing to the 2005 collapse of the Wisconsin-based construction company that held the contracts for that portion of the roadway. The second segment was completed at a cost of approximately $78.1 million.
The penultimate segment of Illinois 255 from Fosterburg Road to Seminary Road in rural northeast Alton opened on August 22, 2008. Construction costs for this portion of the roadway totaled $25.1 million.
Future
The final segment to be constructed will run 4.3 mi (7 km) from Seminary Road to U.S. 67 north of Godfrey near its junction with Illinois Routes 267Illinois Route 267
Illinois Route 267 is a north–south highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 67 and Illinois Route 111 in Godfrey north to Illinois Route 104 and Business Interstate 72 in Jacksonville. This is a distance of 59 miles...
and 111
Illinois Route 111
Illinois Route 111 is a north–south state road in southwestern Illinois. It runs from Short Street in Centreville to Illinois Route 104 in Waverly. This is a distance of .- Route description :...
. Funding for the remaining segment of the bypass, estimated at a cost of $46 million, is included in IDOT's current Multi-Year Highway Improvement Program for FY 2009-2014. At present, $9.1 million is included for the current fiscal year to pay for engineering, land acquisition, utility
work, and construction of a new bridge over IL-111. The best-case scenario anticipates completion of the entire Alton Bypass in 2012.
Upon completion, the IL-255 route may or may not be redesignated as an Interstate Route. If the corridor were to be signed as an extension of the current I-255 bypass, all exits north of I-270
Interstate 270 (Illinois-Missouri)
Interstate 270 makes up a large portion of the outer belt freeway in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area. The counterclockwise terminus of I-270 is at the junction with Interstate 55 in Mehlville, Missouri; the clockwise terminus of the freeway is at the junction with I-55 and I-70 north of...
would have to be renumbered. As a standalone spur route, IL-255 numbered as I-255 would violate the AASHO scheme for interstate numbering that requires an odd-number first digit (although as part of the larger I-255 bypass the route is not technically a spur even though it extends past the segment of I-55
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
that it bypasses). The entire corridor from Godfrey, IL to Mehlville, MO (comprising both I-255 and IL-255) could also carry secondary signage as U.S. 67 Bypass, since it would be a true bypass of US-67 (that passes through the St. Louis urban agglomeration) actually connecting with US-67 at both endpoints.
Construction of a new expressway route for US-67 between Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,940 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County....
and Alton is planned to follow the corridor through White Hall, Carrollton, and Jerseyville. It will end in Godfrey near the Illinois 255 extension.
Interchanges
Information on future interchanges comes from the appendix (http://www.growthassociation.com/content.cfm?id=208 to a corridor study done by The River Bend Growth Association (http://www.growthassociation.com), the Chamber of CommerceChamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, and economic development organization to communities north of St. Louis.
{| class=wikitable
!County
!Location
!Mile
!width='50px'|#
Exit number
An exit number is a number assigned to a road junction, usually an exit from a freeway. It is usually marked on the same sign as the destinations of the exit, as well as a sign in the gore....
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=12|Madison
Madison County, Illinois
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 269,282, which is an increase of 4.0% from 258,941 in 2000. The county seat is Edwardsville, home to...
|Pontoon Beach
Pontoon Beach, Illinois
Pontoon Beach is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pontoon Beach is located at ....
|0.0
|30
| – Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
|Southern terminus. I-255 continues south.
|-
|rowspan=2|Poag
|1
|2
|Gateway Commerce Center Drive East
|
|-
|
|3
|New Poag Road
|
|-
|South Roxana
South Roxana, Illinois
South Roxana is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,888 at the 2000 census.-Geography:South Roxana is located at ....
|
|5
|Madison Avenue
|
|-
|Roxana
Roxana, Illinois
Roxana is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,547 at the 2000 census. A majority of the land in Roxana is taken up by the Wood River Conoco-Phillips oil refinery; the refinery was built and originally owned by Shell Oil...
|6.5
|6
|
|
|-
|Wood River
Wood River, Illinois
Wood River is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,296 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wood River is located at ....
|
|8
|
|Control cities change in the southbound direction.
|-
|Bethalto
Bethalto, Illinois
Bethalto is a village located in Madison County, Illinois, USA. Bethalto, like the rest of Madison County, is part of the Illinois Metro-East portion of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area...
|
|10
|
|SPUI interchange
Single-point urban interchange
A single-point urban interchange , also called a single-point interchange or single-point diamond interchange , is a type of highway interchange...
|-
|Fosterburg
|13.7
|13
|Fosterburg Road
|
|-
|Alton
Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
|16.46
|16
|Seminary Road
|Current northern terminus
|-