MONTANA to ILLINOIS
Sep. 2-5 2010
PART 9






From I-380 near Shueyville, IA, this is Coralville Lake, a reservoir formed from the Iowa River. The bridge visible here is at a dam that forms this lake. It's a likely bet that the bridge carried US 218 before US 218 was moved to I-380 here.






Crossing the Cedar River on 231st Street in western Muscatine County. There seems to be an abandoned road bridge in the foreground - which I assume is the span marked as the McKeown Bridge on the USGS map. Behind that, there appears to be a pier for a bridge that no longer exists at all.




Ah yes! Muscatine! What would this photo shoot be without it? This scene is in the city of Muscatine, IA. Not Bactine, not Ovaltine, but Muscatine. We're on IA 92 or Biz US 61, where these routes bop from Grandview Avenue onto Mississippi Drive.




Continuing on Mississippi Drive. So glad I found this!




More fun on Mississippi Drive!




Heading into Muscatine's beautiful downtown on Mississippi Drive. The bridge in the background is the Norbert F. Beckey Bridge.




Biz US 61 and IA 92 jog left onto Mulberry Avenue.




Muscatine is the city that keeps on giving! As Biz US 61 and IA 92 continue on 2nd Street, the street goes under some sort of mill.




Crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois on the Norbert F. Beckey Bridge. IA 92 becomes IL 92. The bridge opened in 1972.




Upstream on the Mississippi. In the distance is a lock and dam.




Downstream on the Mississippi. Bye, Muscatine!




Entering the unincorporated village of Preemption, IL, probably on US 67. This must be George W. Bush's favorite town, since he liked abusing the doctrine of "preemption" to run roughshod over the Tenth Amendment.




The prairies were really in a giving mood on this trip, as far as fine old rail overpasses were concerned. This is on IL 8 near Yates City, IL.




IL 8/78 uses Main Street in Elmwood, IL. Elwmood was heavily damaged by a tornado months earlier. That's why you see the ruined gas station sign and the building covered with scaffolding.




More tornado damage in Elmwood.




I-74 in Peoria, IL.




It's...Peoria! Peoria is the hometown of celebs ranging from Richard Pryor to Dan Fogelberg.




Another photo of Peoria from I-74. Peoria actually looks much more majestic in person. I have a very similar photo of this from 1987, but I've never been able to fully capture the experience (as hard as I've tried).




I-74 in downtown Peoria struts its stuff.




Still on I-74 in Peoria, we're about to cross the Murray Baker Bridge over the Illinois River. It opened in 1958. It's actually not up to current Interstate standards, because it lacks shoulders.




A view of the Illinois River from the aforementioned bridge. If your monitor is still bright enough, you can see the Bob Michel Bridge, which carries IL 40 and opened in 1993. Bob Michel was a congressman who gave the Republican response to one of Bill Clinton's State of the Union addresses. Michel's speech was known for his inability to keep his head in range of the camera.




I-74 in East Peoria.




I-74 in East Peoria again. Of main interest here is the unusually steep overpass up ahead that carries Fondulac Drive. Also of note is the slightly raised roadway on the left, which is a ramp from Camp Street.

That's all!!! Finally!!!

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