U.S. Route 67 (US 67) is a component of the United States Numbered Highway System that connects Presidio, Texas, to Sabula, Iowa. In Illinois, it serves the western region of the state known as Forgottonia, named for the lack of regional transportation and infrastructure projects. The highway begins its path through the state by crossing the Clark Bridge over the Mississippi River from Missouri at Alton and heads northward through Jerseyville and Jacksonville before it crosses the Illinois River at Beardstown. The northern half of the route serves Macomb and Monmouth before it enters the Quad Cities. It leaves the state at Rock Island by crossing the Rock Island Centennial Bridge over the Mississippi River into Davenport, Iowa.
The roads that would become US 67 were once a part of the Burlington Way and Alton–Jacksonville Air Line auto trails from the 1910s through the end of the 1920s. In 1918, Illinois voters approved a 48-route state highway system. Among the new routes was Route 3, which connected Morrison and Chester by way of the Quad Cities, Monmouth, Beardstown, Jacksonville, Alton, and East St. Louis. US 67 was created in 1926, but it did not extend into Illinois until 1931. That year, US 67 signs were applied to Route 3 from Alton to Rock Island. In 1952, the highway was rerouted between Medora and Murrayville; an alternate route was applied to the former routing until 1964, when the alternate was renumbered Illinois Route 267 (IL 267). Since the 1980s, a group called Corridor 67 has taken up the cause of advocating the widening of US 67 to a four-lane highway for the majority of its length. Widening the highway has been a popular project among politicians stumping in western Illinois. Although some piecemeal projects have taken place, a large percentage of the highway has not seen any upgrades despite there being other projects.
Route description US 67 enters Illinois at Alton on the Clark Bridge over the Mississippi River. Upon landing, the highway has a T intersection with IL 143; US 67 turns to the northwest to follow the river upstream. The roadway and adjacent railway separate Alton's downtown area from its riverfront. It turns north, roughly perpendicular to the river and intersects IL 100. As the highway curves out of Alton and into Godfrey, it passes beneath IL 3 and IL 111, but there is no direct connection between the two roadways. A short while later, IL 111 joins US 67 and the two routes run together for several miles. IL 111 splits away and joins IL 267 while US 67 continues northward and takes over the four-lane roadway as IL 255 ends. It runs generally to the northwest on a divided highway until Delhi, where it reduces down to two lanes. It passes through the heart of Jerseyville and intersects both IL 109 and IL 16. It continues north-northwest through flat, rolling farmland until it reaches Carrollton.
In Carrollton, US 67 meets IL 108 at the northeastern corner of the block on which the Greene County Courthouse sits. It then continues north and passes through Belltown and White Hall, in the latter of which, IL 106 splits off at a Y intersection and US 67 curves to the northeast. It then goes through Roodhouse and Manchester. A connection to Murrayville, aptly named Murrayville Road, provides a reminder of the former alignment of IL 267. The road then curves to the north and heads toward Jacksonville. There, three interchanges provide connections to differing parts of the city as US 67 does not enter the city limits. The first, with I-72 and US 36, connect South Jacksonville and eastern Jacksonville as well as Quincy and the state capital Springfield. The second, with Morton Avenue, a former alignment of US 36 and current Interstate business loop, provides access to central Jacksonville. The last, with IL 104, connects to northern and central Jacksonville. Past Jacksonville, US 67 is joined by IL 104.
US 67 and IL 104 head to the west-northwest though Chapin and Bethel. Shortly thereafter, the four-lane highway reduces down to two lanes once again. The highways are then joined by IL 100 right before IL 104 splits away to the west. US 67 and IL 100 head north, roughly parallel to the Illinois River until they reach Beardstown. There, they intersect IL 125 and then turn to the northwest to cross the river. On the other side, IL 100 splits off to the northeast, IL 103 heads west, and US 67 continues to the northwest through eastern Forgottonia. It meets US 24 in Rushville and IL 101 east of Littleton. It goes through Industry and connects with US 136 east of Macomb. These two routes head west into Macomb and split in the downtown area near Macomb station. From there, US 67 heads north past the campus of Western Illinois University and then becomes a four-lane highway before crossing the La Moine River. Farther north, it meets the present end of IL 336, at which the Chicago–Kansas City Expressway, signed IL 110, joins US 67.
Still heading north, US 67 and IL 110 intersect IL 9 at Good Hope. They pass the small town of Swan Creek to the west and curve around Roseville. There, a business route passes through the downtown area; both the mainline and business route intersect IL 116. As the highway approaches Monmouth, the two routes are joined by US 34 from the west. The three routes head north along the western edge of Monmouth and they meet IL 164, which also joins. Carrying four routes, the highway curves to the east to run along the northern limits. There, US 67 splits away from the other three routes. Now on its own, US 67 heads north on a two-lane road. At the Warren–Mercer county line, there is a Y intersection with IL 135. The two routes head east along the county line until US 67 curves north and IL 135 splits off to the east toward Alexis. At Viola, it meets IL 17. The highway passes Matherville to the east and through Preemption on its way toward the Quad Cities.
South of Oak Grove, it meets IL 94, which is signed as a shortcut to Muscatine, Iowa, via IL 192. As it enters Milan, US 67 meets the Milan Beltway, a short expressway that connects to John Deere Road in Moline. It later passes beneath I-280, but there are no connecting ramps. Access to the Interstate is provided by Airport Road. After briefly entering downtown Milan, the road turns to the northwest and crosses the Hennepin Canal and two channels of the Rock River separated by Vandruff Island. On the other side of the river is Rock Island and the western end of IL 5. It travels north through the city on 11th Street. At 5th Avenue, US 67 becomes a one-way couplet with 4th Avenue while continuing on 11th Street provides a connection to IL 92. The one-way streets continue through downtown Rock Island, but US 67 turns north-northwest onto 15th Street. At the foot of the Rock Island Centennial Bridge, IL 92 passes beneath the highway. There is no direct access to IL 92 from northbound US 67 or from westbound IL 92 to southbound US 67. The roadway crosses the Mississippi River into Davenport, Iowa.
History US 67 is an original U.S. Highway that was designated in 1926, though its northern end was at U.S. Route 61 at Fredericktown, Missouri. The road that would become US 67 was first improved as an auto trail called The Burlington Way, later the Mississippi Valley Highway. In 1918, Illinois voters approved a bond package that created a 48-route highway system. Most of the Mississippi Valley Highway became Route 3. US 67 replaced Route 3 north of Alton in 1926.
Auto trails
Prior to the numbered highway system in Illinois, the state was served by auto trails that were individually maintained by associations made up of people who solicited donations from people who lived along the routes. The northern half of the route that would become US 67 was served by the Burlington Way, which was renamed the Mississippi Valley Highway in 1919. The Burlington Way had two branches in Illinois — one from Springfield to Gulfport, where it crossed into Iowa at Burlington, and one from Peoria to the Quad Cities. The two branches met near Monmouth. From Virginia to Alton, it followed the Great White Way and from Alton to East St. Louis, it followed the Alton Way. In later years, the Alton–Jacksonville Air Line also connected Jacksonville and Alton, but farther to the east.
State bond routes
In 1918, Illinois voters were given the opportunity to vote on a $60 million bond package (equivalent to $ in ) for the creation of a 48-route state highway system. Route 3 was planned from Morrison to Chester by way of the Quad Cities, Monmouth, Beardstown, Jacksonville, Alton, and East St. Louis. Early returns saw the measure pass 3-to-1 in favor in the Chicago area and nearly 6-to-1 in favor outside of Chicago. Officials said that surveying work could begin immediately and work on of paved highways could be finished in five or six years. Residents of Woodson got together with members of the Mississippi Valley Highway association in late 1920 to petition the state to have Route 3 pass through their community rather than to the west. By 1924, work on the initial system was nearly complete. Another $100 million bond package (equivalent to $ in ) was floated to voters that November and passed by a large majority. The last sections of Route 3 to be paved were near Virginia in Cass County and between Ashland and Alexander in Morgan County.
U.S. Highway origins The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO, now AASHTO) communicated to the director of the Illinois Department of Public Works and Buildings in early 1930 that they were going to extend US 67 north from Fredericktown to Davenport by way of Alton and most of Route 3 north of East St. Louis. The extended highway was to be slightly straighter than Route 3. Between Jacksonville and Virginia, Route 78 was a shorter route. The same could be said for Route 85 from Alexis to Rock Island. However, these short cuts were not paved upon US 67's designation, so Temporary US 67 signage was erected along Route 3 in those areas.
Not long after it was designated, people began to call for changes to the routing between Alton and Jerseyville. There were numerous accidents caused by the hills and curves along Route 3. It was suggested that the highway be rerouted through Godfrey and Delhi. The Jerseyville city council adopted a resolution proclaiming this in 1935 and sent a copy to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It would not be until 1940 when the Delhi road was paved and US 67 shifted onto it. The new road was immediately successful as it was drawing heavy truck traffic by the end of 1940.
Flooding and ice floes on the Rock River in March 1937 wrought havoc on the two crossings at Vandruff Island between Milan and Rock Island. Men were standing at the feet of the closed bridges with poles trying to force chunks of ice underneath. Traffic was rerouted over the US 150 high bridge in Moline while the bridges were closed. The bridges were reopened after the waters receded and the ice could pass beneath them. On March 23, damage from the flood and ice became evident when the southern pier on the southern bridge began to fail. The bridge did not give way, but it did lean noticeably. The local highway supervisor noted that the pier rested on bedrock, so simply jacking up the bridge back into position would make it suitable for vehicular traffic. The bridge reopened at 7:30 pm on April 3, but closed an hour later when it began to sag once again. It reopened a few days later after the bridges beams were underpinned. A $1.5-million project (equivalent to $ in ) to replace the four bridges that connected Rock Island and Milan was completed in November 1949.