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Interstate 155 Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System
Length:	32.13 mi[1] (51.71 km)
Formed:	December 15, 1989 – I-55 to Hartsburg[2] October 29, 1992 – Full opening[3]
South end:	I-55 in Lincoln
North end:	I-74 in Morton
Illinois state highway system < IL 154 IL 155 >

Interstate 155 (abbreviated I-155) is a north-south spur of Interstate 55 that provides an interstate connection for the Illinois cities of Peoria and Lincoln. The northern terminus for the interstate is just east of Peoria, at Interstate 74 exit 101 in Morton. The southern terminus, which is northwest of Lincoln, is located on I-55 at exit 127. The interstate is 32.13 miles (51.71 km) long.^[1]

I-155 was created to replace Illinois Route 121 (abbreviated IL 121). Prompted by safety concerns at a major intersection near Morton, state transportation officials replaced the entire route with a limited-access freeway. The interstate was built in several segments from 1970 to 1992, a period of time that included a ten-year delay due to a lawsuit over right-of-way. I-155 fully opened to traffic on October 29, 1992.^[2][3]

Interstate 155 at the Mackinaw River.

Surrounded for most of its length by prime farmland used for farming soybeans and corn, Interstate 155 is a four-lane freeway through rural central Illinois. I-155 also serves numerous small farm towns in addition to Morton, Peoria and Lincoln. The largest city directly served by I-155 is Tremont; however, it mainly carries traffic traveling to and from the cities of Peoria and Springfield.^[4]

I-155 was built on the right-of-way of former IL 121. In the early 1960s, the department of transportation opened IL 98, an east-west two-lane highway running west from downtown Morton to Pekin. Within a few years, the intersection of IL 98 and IL 121 would be known as the "Killer Corner", as traffic volumes increased between Springfield and Peoria on IL 121. Between when IL 98 was opened and when the corner was closed in 1989 for construction of a full interchange, 15 people were killed as a result of automobile accidents at the corner.^[3] Led by key supporters U.S. Representative Robert Michel, former Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) transportation engineer Jack Harland and pro-expressway organization "Route 121 by '91" chairman Jim Unland, IDOT initiated plans to widen IL 121 to a four-lane expressway.^[4]

Near Hopedale, a short portion of IL 121 was reconstructed in the early 1970s to replace a bridge over the Mackinaw River. In addition, the interchange with I-55 was built, but barricaded to traffic. However, in 1976 an injunction won by Peoria attorney Timothy Swain Sr. halted further construction on the highway for ten years. ^[2][4]

The lawsuit was filed by Swain regarding the amount of right-of-way the expressway would consume on his 440 acre (178 hectare) farm near Delavan. A U.S. District Court judge sided with IDOT on building the road, but the U.S. Seventh District Court of Appeals overturned the decision, forcing IDOT to rewrite its environmental impact statement regarding the Swain farm. In 1986 IDOT struck a deal with Swain, agreeing to reroute the road and take only 40 acres (16 hectares) of land, ending the lawsuit and resuming construction activities.^[4] A portion of the road from I-55 to Hartsburg opened on December 15, 1989, about 7 miles (11 km) in length.^[2] The expressway was opened in full on October 29, 1992, at a ceremony attended by Governor Jim Edgar.^[3] The total cost of construction for I-155 was US$130 million.^[2] Of this, $10 million was provided by federal funding.^[4]

Illinois initially applied for the new freeway to be designated Interstate 37, but on December 7, 1990, the request was deferred by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), pending approval by the Federal Highway Administration to add the freeway into the Interstate System. In addition, AASHTO suggested using a 3-digit number when the application was resubmitted.^[5] The state then submitted another application to AASTHO for the freeway to be named Interstate 155, and on June 9, 1991, this was approved, subject to completion of the route.^[6]

County	Location	Mile	#[7]	Destinations	Notes
Southern terminus of I-155
Logan	Lincoln	0.0	0A-B	I-55 – Lincoln, St. Louis, Chicago
	Hartsburg		6	Hartsburg
	Emden		10	US 136 – McLean, Heyworth
Tazewell	Rural Tazewell County		15	IL 122 West – Delavan	Eastbound IL 122 joins with I-155 northbound.
			19	IL 122 East – Hopedale, Bloomington	Westbound IL 122 joins with I-155 southbound.
		Bridge over the Mackinaw River[8]
			22	Townline Rd – South Pekin
	Tremont		25	IL 9 – Tremont, Mackinaw, Pekin
	Morton		28	Broadway Road
			29	Main St	Southbound entrance, northbound exit.
			30	Queenwood Rd	Southbound exit, northbound entrance.
			31	IL 98 – Birchwood Street[9]
		32.13		I-74 — Peoria, Bloomington[9]
Northern terminus of I-155

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