Crossing over into Illinois, I-55, near the I-270/I-70 split, is referred to as the Paul Simon Freeway. This is in reference to the local politician Paul Martin Simon. Further north, between the St. Louis area and Springfield, IL, I-55 is named The Vince Demuzio Expressway in reference to Illinois state politician Vince Demuzio. I-55 parallels the historical Route 66 from East St. Louis to Chicago, passing near Springfield and Bloomington/Normal.
When the freeway was being planned during the 1960s, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner made an effort to have the road redirected near the larger city of Peoria instead of the more straightforward route through the Bloomington-Normal area. This ultimately failed plan was ridiculed in the press as the "Kerner Curve". The function of an Interstate highway connection between Springfield and Peoria was later filled by Interstate 155, which connects nearby Lincoln and Morton and forms a triangle between the three population centers in Central Illinois.
In the Chicago area, the expressway is referred to as the Adlai E. Stevenson Expressway in honor of one of Illinois' favorite sons. The general public typically refers to this freeway as either I-55 or "The Stevenson"; the terms are used interchangeably, but "The Stevenson" tends to be more popular in Chicago proper while I-55 is more commonly used in the suburbs.
Interstate 55 Illinois Descriptions - I55.mobi
