Illinois Route 50
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by IDOT | ||||
| Length: | 66.49 mi[1] (107.01 km) | |||
| Existed: | 1924[2] – present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: |
  US 45 / US 52 in Kankakee | |||
 I-57 in Bradley US 30 in Matteson US 6 in Oak Forest I-294 in Alsip  US 12 / US 20 in Oak Lawn I-55 in Chicago    I-290 / IL 110 (CKC) in Chicago I-94 in Chicago US 14 in Chicago | ||||
| North end: |
 US 41 in Skokie | |||
| Location | ||||
| Counties: | Kankakee, Will, Cook | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Illinois Route 50 (IL 50) is a north–south state road in northeastern Illinois. It runs from the junction with U.S. Route 45 (US 45) in West Kankakee north to U.S. Route 41 in Skokie. This is a distance of 66.49 miles (107.01 km).[1] In Chicago and the suburbs it's known as Cicero Avenue. Before this, Cicero Avenue was previously known as 48th Avenue, owing to its City of Chicago address of 4800 West.[3]
Route description
IL 50 begins in Kankakee at an intersection with Southeast Avenue (US 45/U.S. Route 52 in Illinois) and heads north as Schuyler Avenue. The four-lane road crosses the Kankakee River and then turns east onto East River Street before turning north onto a one-way pair of Harrison Avenue northbound and Indiana Avenue southbound. While on this one-way pair, IL 50 crosses two railroads, then turns east onto Fair Street and crosses a third. After crossing the railroads, the roadway curves in a northerly direction and becomes Hobbie Avenue before it enters Bradley.[4]
In Bradley, the road is known as Kinzie Avenue, and it continues due north, meeting a diamond interchange with Interstate 57 (I-57), then leaving the city. North of the city, IL 50 begins to parallel a railroad. It bends to the northeast, crosses the southern branch of Rock Creek, and passes through Manteno. Northeast of Manteno, the highway leaves Kankakee County and crosses into Will County. Still paralleling the railroad and I-57, IL 50 passes through Peotone and heads toward Monee. In Monee, the route dips to the north and crosses the railroad, then crosses into University Park. Here the route is known as Governors Highway. It curves north before leaving the city and Will County, crossing into urban Cook County.[4]
Upon crossing into Cook County, IL 50 enters Richton Park. From here northward the road is known as Cicero Avenue. It passes straight through Richton Park and into Matteson. In Matteson, IL 50 meets Lincoln Highway (US 30). The route then continues due north through the remainder of Matteson, through the Southern Green Belt Forest Preserve, and into Country Club Hills. Continuing north through Country Club Hills, IL 50 crosses under I-80, then under I-57, without access to either highway. Just north of I-57, IL 50 curves slightly to the northwest, leaves Country Club Hills, and enters Oak Forest. The route continues northward in Oak Forest, intersecting 159th Street (US 6). North of the US 6 intersection, the highway crosses into Midlothian, where it intersects IL 83 south at 149th Street.[4]
IL 50 and IL 83 head north and enter Crestwood. In the northern part of this city, IL 83 splits off to the northwest at an intersection with Cal Sag Road, while IL 50 continues heading north and crosses the Little Calumet River into Alsip. Here, the highway shares an interchange with I-294 (Tri-State Tollway), then continues due north into Oak Lawn. In Oak Lawn, IL 50 meets US 12 and US 20 at 95th Street, then continues north and leaves the city. Around 79th street, It begins to parallel Illinois Route 171 and Illinois Route 43 to the west. It parallels Illinois 171 until its terminus at Illinois Route 72 and Illinois Route 43 for the duration of the route. It forms the border between Burbank and Chicago. Continuing north, the highway enters Chicago entirely and serves the Chicago Midway International Airport, then meets I-55 (Stevenson Expressway) at a diamond interchange.[4]
North of the interchange with I-55, IL 50 crosses the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal, leaving Chicago and entering Cicero. The route has a short trip through this city, and re-enters Chicago a short distance to the north, meeting I-290 (Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway) just north of the boundary. Heading north through the western portion of the city, the highway intersects IL 64 and IL 19 before crossing under I-90 (Kennedy Expressway) without access. Continuing north, IL 50 meets I-94 (Edens Expressway) at an interchange in which IL 50 has no access to I-94, and only traffic travelling eastbound on I-94 can access IL 50 southbound. The route then crosses the north branch of the Chicago River and intersects US 14 at Peterson Avenue. North of this intersection, the highway leaves Chicago and passes through Lincolnwood. It then continues north to its northern terminus at Lincoln Avenue (US 41) in Skokie.[4]
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee | Kankakee | US 45 / US 52 (Southeast Avenue, Schyler Avenue) | Southern terminus | |||||
 IL 17 (Court Street) | ||||||||
| Bourbonnais | I-57 | |||||||
| Will |
No major junctions | |||||||
| Cook | Matteson |  US 30 / Lincoln Highway | ||||||
| Oak Forest | US 6 (159th Street) | |||||||
| Midlothian |  IL 83 south (147th Street, Sibley Boulevard) | South end of IL 83 concurrency | ||||||
| Alsip | IL 83 north (127th Street) | North end of IL 83 concurrency | ||||||
| I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) | Southbound entrance on 127th Avenue | |||||||
| Oak Lawn | US 12 / US 20 (95th Street) | |||||||
| Chicago |  Chicago Midway International Airport | Interchange | ||||||
| I-55 (Stevenson Expressway) | ||||||||
| I-290 / IL 110 (CKC) (Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway) | No eastbound entrance | |||||||
 IL 64 (North Avenue) | ||||||||
 IL 19 (Irving Park Road) | ||||||||
| I-94 (Edens Expressway) | Southbound entrance only | |||||||
| US 14 (Caldwell Avenue, Peterson Avenue, Ronald Reagan Highway) | ||||||||
| Skokie | US 41 (Skokie Boulevard, Lincoln Avenue) | Northern terminus | ||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- 1 2 Staff (2006). "T2 GIS Data". Illinois Technology Transfer Center. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
- ↑ Carlson, Rick. (March 15, 2006). "Routes 41 thru 60". Illinois State Highways Page. Retrieved March 23, 2006.
- ↑ Talbot's Industry and Work Map (Map). c. 1:25,000. Cartography by E. H. Talbot. E. H. Talbot. c. 1904. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Google (December 31, 2013). "Illinois Route 50" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Illinois Route 50. |