Illinois Route 9

Infobox road
route = 9
state = IL
length_mi = 218.31
length_round = 2
length_ref = cite web |author=Illinois Technology Transfer Center |url=http://www.dot.state.il.us/gist2/select.html |title=T2 GIS Data |accessdate=2007-11-08 |date=2007]
direction = East-west
terminus_b =
direction_b = East
terminus_a =
direction_a = West
established = 1918 [Carlson, Rick. [http://www.n9jig.com/1-20.html Illinois Highways Page: Routes 1 thru 20] . Last updated March 15, 2006. Retrieved March 28, 2006.]
previous_route = 8
previous_type = IL
next_route = 10
next_type = IL
cities = La Harpe, Bushnell, Canton, Pekin, Bloomington, Gibson City, Paxton, Hoopeston
counties = Vermilion, Ford, McLean, Tazewell, Peoria, Fulton, McDonough, Hancock

Illinois Route 9 is a cross-state, east-west rural state highway in central Illinois. It runs from the Fort Madison Toll Bridge over the Mississippi River to Iowa in Niota east to State Road 26 at the Indiana border. This is a distance of convert|218.31|mi|km|2.

Route description

Illinois 9 is a major arterial route in rural central Illinois. It is a parallel highway to Illinois 116 to the north and U.S. Route 136 to its south.

The road starts at the Indiana border near Cheneyville at Indiana 26 and Indiana 352 and runs as the main highway west, intersecting with Interstate 57 at Paxton; Interstate 55 and Interstate 74 at Bloomington; Interstate 155 at Tremont; and crossing the Illinois River on the John T. McNaughton Bridge at Pekin. It is a two lane highway for most of its length.

History

Illinois 9 was established in 1918 as one of the original 46 SBI routes. The routing of Illinois 9 has had 2 major changes since its establishment.

The original western terminus was in Hamilton, IL at the old Keokuk Rail Bridge completed in 1916 and then preceded East through Carthage and Macomb (county seats of Hancock and McDonough counties), 9 miles east of Macomb, southwest of New Philadelphia, the route turned north to Bushnell and then proceeded east along the current Illinois 9 alignment to Canton and Pekin.

* US-136, Hamilton to New Philadelphia,
* IL-41, New Philadelphia to Bushnell and
* IL-9, Bushnell to IN Line.

This current route moved north to terminate in Niota at the Fort Madison Toll Bridge (Santa Fe) bridge after its completion in July 1928. The route parallels the Santa Fe railroad and Mississippi River to Dallas City then turns slightly southeast to LaHarpe Illinois. From LaHarpe the route parallels the TP&W right-of way to Bushnell.

From 1935 to 1937, Illinois 9 ran a different route from Pekin to Bloomington, that original route is now posted as:

* IL-29, Pekin to N. Pekin,
* IL-98, N. Pekin to Morton,
* US-150, Morton to Bloomington.

Major Junctions

Future

* Portions of Illinois 9 are being considered for the Illinois 336 project

External links

* [http://illi-indi.com/il_EndsPage.php?id=1009&section=1 Illinois Highway Ends: Illinois Route 9]

References