Иллинойс штатының 22-ші бағдарламалық жолы

State highway in northeastern Illinois, US

Illinois Route 22, also known as Half Day Road for part of its length, is an east–west state highway in northeastern Illinois. It runs from U. S. Route 14 (Northwest Highway) in Fox River Grove to U. S. Route 41 (Skokie Highway) in Highland Park. It travels a distance of 19.7 mile (32 km) Throughout its length, it shifts between two and four lanes as it passes through a frequently changing setting of scenic forestry and smaller populations, as well as busy intersections and larger developments. It originally started as a massive loop around the Chicago area, however it has retained its current, much shorter route ever since 1937. During the 1990s, it became the subject of much concern for local residents regarding expansion which slowed capacity expansion. By the late 2000s, the delays have come and gone and it has emerged as a state route that has been built to deal with heavy traffic.

Until the early 2000s and despite heavy traffic, Illinois 22 generally remained a two lane road. The only sections that were four lanes were the intersections of Illinois 83, Buffalo Grove Road, Milwaukee Avenue, Interstate 94, Illinois 43, and U. S. 41. The lengthy two lane gaps in between those intersections, as well as the rest of Illinois 22 were heavily discussed for expansion starting in the early 1990s. These discussions included plans that called for additional lanes on its entire length from U. S. 14 to U. S. 41, including widening a section from U. S. 12 to Milwaukee Avenue to six lanes. Also mentioned was a bypass around the narrow, downtown area of Lake Zurich. It became apparent that a major hold up with these projects was the citizens and local officials of Lincolnshire. Going back to 1971, the section of road from Illinois 83 to Interstate 94 had been known to be opposed for widening by the residents of Lincolnshire. The dispute continued even after funding was secured for the project. This continued until 2002 when an agreement was finally reached between Lincolnshire and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) that led the way for expansion to proceed. Notice was also given around then that plans to widen Illinois 22 west of U. S. 12, through North Barrington and Lake Barrington had been dropped. In December 2003, the $12.5 million of roadwork which consisted of approximately 1.5 miles of widened concrete lanes from west of Interstate 94 to east of Milwaukee Avenue was officially over and the lanes were opened to traffic. In 1994, the Lake Zurich Village Board approved a bypass around its narrow downtown. This project followed a similar time frame as the Lincolnshire work, however, it was met with a much less intense opposition. The entire process of planning through securing funding was complete by 2003 when state budget cutbacks delayed construction by a year. Construction was completed by 2006, and on October 20, 2006, Illinois 22 was rerouted from Main Street onto the four lane $27 million bypass around Lake Zurich. Several homes and business were removed for the new roadway, which now featured a grade separation at the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway. After years of delay, the entire project was complete, with four concrete lanes from west of U. S. 12 to east of Quentin Road. This included intersection expansions along the way, highlighted by the five lane approaches with dual left turn lanes in both directions at Quentin Road. Long Grove got on board in May 2005 and approved any widening between its eastern city limits and Illinois 83. Roadwork began in the fall on the two year project, and in September 2007 it was finished; complete with four concrete lanes and a center grassy median. Again, intersection expansions were also made, this time adding dual left turn lanes to both east–west approaches at Illinois 83 and Buffalo Grove Road. Beginning in 2008, a bridge replacement and expansion project got underway on Illinois 22 at the interchange with Interstate 94. This was necessary for the tollway which travels underneath to be widened to eight lanes. The old bridge, which was five lanes wide, was rebuilt with one that is eight lanes and includes full length dual left turn lanes in both directions. The bulk of the work was completed by December 2009, however both sets of dual left turn lanes were not in operation until the following spring. In August 2009, construction began on an intersection expansion project at Milwaukee Avenue in Lincolnshire. Its outdated design was a gap in the stretch of recently completed roadwork in the surrounding area. The improvements on Illinois 22 have widened the east–west approaches at this major intersection to five lanes, with the new additions being dual left turn lanes as well as right turn lanes. The new lanes were opened for the first time on October 15, 2010. In 2011, a 2.1 mile, $13.2 million project in Bannockburn and Highland Park got underway. It extended from east of I 94 to west of US 41, with the exception of the small section that was previously worked on in 2005. IL 22 was reconstructed and widened to four lanes. The new lanes were initially opened by the end of 2012, with landscaping and finishing work carrying into 2013.

Most of Illinois 22 has been expanded to four lanes, but there are several gaps remaining. As of 2002, plans for the section west of U. S. 12 have been put on hold indefinitely. This project, which is now supported by Long Grove, has suffered similarly mentioned delays, but is also closely related to yet another long delayed project; the Illinois Route 53 extension. If the extension, which is a limited access expressway and currently terminates three miles south at Lake Cook Road, The project has been long delayed over the decades so it appears that this section of Illinois 22 may get widened as part of a separate project.