Interstate 190 (Illinois)

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Interstate 190 Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System
Length:	3.07 mi (4.94 km)
Formed:	1978
West end:	O'Hare International Airport
East end:	Interstate 90 in Chicago

Interstate 190 (abbreviated I-190) is an intrastate interstate highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. I-190 runs for three miles (5 km) west from I-90 to O'Hare International Airport. Interstate 190 is the westernmost leg of the Kennedy Expressway.

Contents 1 Route description 2 History 3 Interchanges 4 Notes 5 External links 6 References

[edit] Route description

Interstate 190 has two lanes in either direction between Interstate 90 and Interstate 294, and three lanes west of I-294. The freeway portion of I-190 consists largely of cloverleaf interchanges.

Each road crossing I-190 is accessible via exit ramps. Not all interchanges are accessible in the same way from both directions, however. For example, the exit to southbound U.S. 12/45 traveling eastbound on I-190 requires exiting at Bessie Coleman Drive. Westbound, direct access is provided.

There is no specific sign indicating Interstate 190's western terminus at O'Hare. Interstate-standard freeway ends roughly at the ramps to the upper (Departure) and lower (Arrival) loops. The freeway then resumes shortly after both loops merge to cross an emergency fire lane.

The eastern terminus, Interstate 90, is considered to be the origin point of the highway. Both exit numbers and mileage markers on roadside light fixtures ascend traveling westbound.

[edit] History

The highway that is now Interstate 190 was signed Illinois Route 194 from 1960 to 1970. In 1971, it was changed to Illinois Route 594. and was changed to Interstate 190 around 1978 after the rest of Illinois 194 was changed to Interstate 90 in the mid to late 1970's.^[1]

O'Hare Airport originally opened in 1942, and was expanded to its current size in 1962.

[edit] Interchanges

The table below lists all exits on the Interstate (emphasized destinations are not explicitly specified on the road sign):

County	Location	Mile	#	Destinations	Notes
Cook	Chicago	2.5	N/A	Bessie Coleman Drive	Designated exit to International Terminal 5.
		1.75	2A-B	U.S. 12/45 Mannheim Road — Schiller Park, Rosemont	Formerly full cloverleaf interchange; branches to SB Mannheim Road from I-190 west were split off onto Bessie Coleman Drive in the early 1990s for safety purposes.
		1.00	1C-D	I-294 — Indiana	Eastbound access to I-294 SB only; eastbound access to I-294 NB is via I-90.
		0.8	1A-B	River Road — Rosemont	Full cloverleaf interchange
		0.0	None	I-90 — Chicago Loop	Eastbound onramp, westbound offramp.

[edit] Notes

• There are no extension projects for this route in progress, nor are any anticipated. Interstate 190's current western terminus is completely surrounded by airport terminal buildings.
• As of late 2005, the intersection with Mannheim Road is being reconstructed to remove unsafe conditions and bring the route closer to Interstate standards. In the late 1990s, the Illinois Department of Transportation restriped Interstate 190 at Interstate 294. This action increased the number of lanes west of I-294 from two to three. In the process, the speed limit was reduced from 45 to 35, and yield signs were erected at the ends of the ramp from northbound Mannheim Road to westbound I-190 — the busiest ramp at that Intersection. This created a hazardous condition, often leading to high-speed crashes should drivers waiting on the ramp become impatient or underestimate the speed of westbound traffic. Often, an IDOT Minuteman (rapid response vehicle) would be stationed on the ramp waiting to tow away vehicles that would be involved in a crash during rush hour.

The improvements are designed to widen bridges and create significantly more merging space so that collision hazards are mitigated. In addition, the Mannheim Road bridge over Interstate 190 had outlived its useful life.

• While Interstate 190, as the eastern access to O'Hare is not planning to be extended, the Elgin O'Hare Expressway is planned to be the new western access to O'Hare.

[edit] External links

• Kurumi's Highway Page: Interstate 190

[edit] References

	edit Auxiliary routes of Interstate 90
I-190	Illinois - Massachusetts - New York - South Dakota
I-290	Illinois - Massachusetts - New York
I-390	New York
I-490	New York - Ohio
I-590	New York
I-690	New York
I-790	New York
I-890	New York
I-990	New York
past/ future	I-290: Ohio

Browse numbered routes
< ILL 185	IL		ILL 192 >