Tolls south through Beloit / Rockford? Plus other question about travel (Chicago: how much, gated)

[chirpy]

Hi all,

Am moving from SE Wisconsin to SE Missouri. I've driven this once before some years ago but can't recall details.

The bulk of the trip is in Illinois. Looks like my best route may be through Beloit / Rockford - so I can avoid the extreme driving of Chicago. I know there are tolls through the Rockford route, but after 3 hours of surfing the Illinois toll info online, I'm really confused. Driving a very small suv (2 axels, no trailer) - can you tell me where and how many tolls I'll be hitting - and maybe how much they'll cost me?

This is the route I am working on through google so far.

http://tinyurl.com/yf7qnmt (broken link)
Second part of the question - I remember thinking a large portion of this trip seemed nearly desolate once I got south of Rockford. Seemed a little spooky driving alone - with exits being so far apart - little traffic - and nothing much along the sides of the highway. Is there a better route south than this - that avoids Chicago's traffic mayhem - but maybe isn't quite as desolate? Or maybe I'm just being silly about it being desolate and remembering it wrong? (I hate traveling alone - maybe it is me being nervous over nothing. Once I get south of St. Louis I felt totally comfortable - it's just this segment that bugged me.)

Suggestions welcome.

[Drover]

Very little of your route is on the tollway -- only the portion between South Beloit and Rockford which is about a 15-mile segment. Once I-39 splits off of I-90 southeast of Rockford, your route toll-free the rest of the way. You'll have to pay one toll, and I believe it's $1.00 unless you have an I-Pass or EZ-Pass, then it's 50 cents.

Second, yeah, there's no magical "desolation-free" route you can take. The Midwest is largely rural and there's just no escaping that. I have never found there to be a lack of services like gas stations and restaurants along the interstates through Illinois. If you want real desolation, try the Plains and interior West states. Out there you have to watch your gas gauge carefully, in conjunction with paying close attention to signs telling you where the next station is; whereas through most of the Midwest, even the rural parts, there's almost always a gas station just a few miles down the highway.

[sandwalk]

Drover pretty much nailed it!

[Maintainschaos]

The exits really aren't that far apart; they come pretty regularly (in about 2-5 mile or so intervals) once you get around Bloomington through Springfield and St. Louis. Illinois is not nearly as desolate as a lot of other states, and unless you aren't paying attention, all services that you'd need are readily available. The most desolate part of your trip will likely be once you get South of St. Louis in Missouri. Like Drover said, the toll from S. Beloit through Rockford should only cost you $1.00. Remember that the lanes to pay the tolls with cash are towards the outside of the tollway, so I'd try not to be in the far left lane if possible.

[SJaye]

There is definitely the $1.00/.50 toll 3 miles past the WI/IL border. I believe that there is also an exit toll when I-90 and I-39 split off (I-39 exits the tollway), but I think it is fairly small (15 cents).

The main problem with I-39 is how mundane it is. I would not worry about lack of services/ other cars on the road, there are still a lot of people who travel this route. It is just one of the most boring stretches of roads I have ever driven -- flat, monotonous, dull! If you have a lot of extra time (and I mean A LOT) on this trip, and want a more interesting route, you can take IL-2 from Rockford to Dixon, hop on the Reagan Tollway across the Iowa border and follow the "Avenue of the Saints" (US 61) to Saint Louis. This route is contains a lot of natural scenery (for Midwest standards) as opposed to cities and towns, but if you really hate being bored, it may be better.

[chirpy]

Thanks for replying.

I've had a wonderful private message - and that person gave me some very workable ideas. One of which is to hop off of I-39 around I-80 - and get over to IL Route 29. Then take 29 down to Springfield. It ends up reducing miles by 35 - but slightly increasing drive time only from 9 hours 15 mins to 9 hours 50 minutes. I can live with driving slightly longer on a more interesting stretch of highway like that. That PM had quite a few other suggestions that I'm still checking out - all very helpful. Thanks very much to that member! (Will PM tonight or tomorrow when I've had a chance to really figure out my questions.)

SJaye - that route sounds really lovely - and quite tempting. It ends up being about 12 hours - but I really would like to try that one day. I'll have to make the trip again in the future - so it is good to have more options. Thank you for understanding what I meant about that stretch of road. While there are exits - some of them seemed to have nothing there at the actual exits - & reminded me of the scene from North By Northwest where Cary Grant was waiting for a bus in the middle of flat farm country (if you've seen the film). I am a country girl - and I like rural places - but something about that stretch unnerves me. Thanks for the details about the tolls, too. I'll be prepared for that better now.

MaintainsChaos - thanks for mentioning staying in the proper lanes. When they say "cars" in this lane, does that include a small 2-axle/no trailer suv? Or am I relegated to "other" lanes? The farthest right takes the dollar bills and makes change via an attendant, right? I feel like such a dope at those toll things - never know if I'm in the right place.

[Maintainschaos]

A regular SUV can go in the car lane. And yes, they make change via an attendant unless it says "no attendant on duty." Hope that helps.

[chirpy]

That does help. Thank you.

[sleepymiles]

Originally Posted by chirpy

Thanks for replying.

I've had a wonderful private message - and that person gave me some very workable ideas. One of which is to hop off of I-39 around I-80 - and get over to IL Route 29. Then take 29 down to Springfield. It ends up reducing miles by 35 - but slightly increasing drive time only from 9 hours 15 mins to 9 hours 50 minutes. I can live with driving slightly longer on a more interesting stretch of highway like that. That PM had quite a few other suggestions that I'm still checking out - all very helpful. Thanks very much to that member! (Will PM tonight or tomorrow when I've had a chance to really figure out my questions.)

I can second that recommendation - it is an interesting stretch of road (at least I think it is - I suppose it depends on what you find interesting) however be advised that this runs along the river and it does tend to flood this time of the year. It is rare that it gets all the way up to 29 but I would double check to be on the safe side.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by chirpy

Hi all,

Am moving from SE Wisconsin to SE Missouri. I've driven this once before some years ago but can't recall details.

The bulk of the trip is in Illinois. Looks like my best route may be through Beloit / Rockford - so I can avoid the extreme driving of Chicago. I know there are tolls through the Rockford route, but after 3 hours of surfing the Illinois toll info online, I'm really confused. Driving a very small suv (2 axels, no trailer) - can you tell me where and how many tolls I'll be hitting - and maybe how much they'll cost me?

This is the route I am working on through google so far.

Germantown, WI 53022 to Wappapello, MO 63966 - Google Maps (http://tinyurl.com/yf7qnmt - broken link)
Second part of the question - I remember thinking a large portion of this trip seemed nearly desolate once I got south of Rockford. Seemed a little spooky driving alone - with exits being so far apart - little traffic - and nothing much along the sides of the highway. Is there a better route south than this - that avoids Chicago's traffic mayhem - but maybe isn't quite as desolate? Or maybe I'm just being silly about it being desolate and remembering it wrong? (I hate traveling alone - maybe it is me being nervous over nothing. Once I get south of St. Louis I felt totally comfortable - it's just this segment that bugged me.)

Suggestions welcome.

Nothing against a more scenic route. If you need to make up some time, when you get to Peoria, take I-74 east to I-155 south and then I-55 south. Really I-39 is no less sparse in services than I-94 in Wisconsin from Portage to Tomah. Only difference is the Northwoods scenery vs. the corn-belt prairie scenery (or lack there of- depending on your tastes). You will run into some 12-15 mile gaps between services, but geez, it's not like I-80 in far western Nebraska.