Illinois Route 162 is an east–west highway in southwestern Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. It runs from Illinois Route 203

Illinois Route 203

Illinois Route 203 is a north–south state road in southwestern Illinois. It runs from just south of I-55, I-70, and U.S. 40 around Gateway International Raceway at Collinsville Road in Fairmont City, north to I-270 near Pontoon Beach. This is a distance of . Illinois 203 is a former segment...

 in Granite City

Granite City, Illinois

Granite City is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States, part of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. At the 2010 census, the population was 29,849, making it the third largest city in the Metro-East and Southern Illinois, behind Alton and Belleville...

 east to U.S. Route 40

U.S. Route 40

U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...

 near Troy

Troy, Illinois

Troy is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,524 at the 2000 census.Troy is part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area...

. This is a distance of 16.36 miles (26.33 km).

Route description

Illinois 162 has 2-lanes except around the Granite City Steel area and briefly at I-55/70. It is a main east–west artery between 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...

 on the south, and Interstate 270

Interstate 270 (Illinois-Missouri)

Interstate 270 makes up a large portion of the outer belt freeway in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area. The counterclockwise terminus of I-270 is at the junction with Interstate 55 in Mehlville, Missouri; the clockwise terminus of the freeway is at the junction with I-55 and I-70 north of...

 on the north.

The Illinois Department of Transportation

Illinois Department of Transportation

The Illinois Department of Transportation is a state agency in charge of state-maintained public roadways of the U.S. state of Illinois. In addition, IDOT provides funding for rail, public transit and airport projects and administers fuel tax and federal funding to local juridictions in the...

 is doing major work on 162 at the interchange with Interstate 55/70 in Troy. The bridge that carries 162 over 55/70 has been the site of several accidents since it was built. The current project is expected to complete by Summer 2012

History

SBI Route 162 originally ran from Spring Valley

Spring Valley, Illinois

Spring Valley is a city situated on the Illinois River in Bureau County, Illinois. The population was 5,398 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

 to LaMoille. In 1938, this was changed to Illinois Route 89

Illinois Route 89

Illinois Route 89 is a rural, north–south state highway in central Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 34 in La Moille to Illinois Route 116 in Metamora. Routes 26 and 89 are the main north–south roads between Interstate 39/U.S. Route 51 and Illinois Route 29...

. In 1954, Illinois 162 was used on the Glen Carbon

Glen Carbon, Illinois

Glen Carbon is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States, 23 km northeast of St. Louis. The population was 12,934 at the 2010 census.-History:...

to Granite City portion of the current road. In 1965, it was extended east to Troy on what was Bypass U.S. 40.