Fox Valley Freeway
Encyclopedia
The Fox Valley Freeway was a limited-access highway that was proposed in the 1960s as a bypass to Chicago
. The highway would have joined with Interstate 55
near Plainfield, Illinois
, continuing northwest and north along and west of the Fox River Valley
(hence the name).
Like many proposed highways, this one brought a lot of opposition. In 1969, a group of concerned citizens from the Barrington area formed the Defenders of the Fox in response to the proposed Fox Valley Freeway. The group's mission was to protect and improve the environment in the ecosystem of the Fox River, its tributaries and watershed, and its first goal was to fight the freeway.
The idea of a western loop around the Chicago suburbs never totally died. In the 1990s, there were still a few legislators that pressed for more study of the Fox Valley Freeway as cities continue growing in the region.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The highway would have joined with Interstate 55
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
near Plainfield, Illinois
Plainfield, Illinois
Plainfield is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2007 special census, the population is 37,334.The Village includes land in Plainfield and Wheatland townships. Part of Plainfield is located in Kendall County...
, continuing northwest and north along and west of the Fox River Valley
Fox River (Illinois River tributary)
The Fox River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States. There are two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.-Wisconsin:The Fox River rises near...
(hence the name).
Like many proposed highways, this one brought a lot of opposition. In 1969, a group of concerned citizens from the Barrington area formed the Defenders of the Fox in response to the proposed Fox Valley Freeway. The group's mission was to protect and improve the environment in the ecosystem of the Fox River, its tributaries and watershed, and its first goal was to fight the freeway.
The idea of a western loop around the Chicago suburbs never totally died. In the 1990s, there were still a few legislators that pressed for more study of the Fox Valley Freeway as cities continue growing in the region.