DO YOU LIVE ON A 



= FREEWAY? 



Do YOU live near a freeway 

 or does your farm adjoin a free- 

 way? Freeways, or limited access 

 roads, are the latest development 

 in Illinois high-speed highways. 

 Route No. 66, which runs from Chi- 

 cago through Springfield to St. Louis, is 

 perhaps the best known in the state. 

 Farmers should know some of the facts 

 about this type of road. 



The Freeway Act authorizing these 

 roads was passed by the Illinois legis- 

 lature in 1943. During this period of 

 the war, the federal government urged 

 the states to pass legislation authorizing 

 limited access highways. These high- 

 ways or freeways speeded the transpor- 

 tation of war supplies. At the time the 

 Illinois law was passed, the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association wrote several 

 protective measures for farmers and 

 land owners into the act. 



Any law of this kind allowing for a 

 new road naturally affects many farmers 

 because right-of-way has to be acquired. 

 However, in the case of freeways, not 

 only has it been necessary to take farm 

 lands for right-of-way, but also the 

 farmer's access to the road is prescribed 

 by law. 



The main provisions of the act fol- 

 low: 



1. Freeway Defined. A freeway is a 

 public highway or street especially de- 

 signed for through traffic and to, from 

 or over which no persons have rights 

 or easements, of access, crossing, light, 

 air or view. 



2. Establishment of Freeways. The 

 Department of Public Works and Build- 

 ings, the county board of any county, 

 or the corporate authorities of any city, 

 village or incorporated town may be 

 the freeway "authority". When the 



safety and convenience of highway 

 traffic will be promoted in the public 

 interest, the freeway authority has the 

 power to make a freeway of any high- 

 way under its jurisdiction. 



3. Access by Abutting Owners. When 

 an existing highway has been made a 

 freeway, no owner or person having 

 an interest in abutting land, that is, 

 land bordering on the road, may con- 

 struct a new means of access to the 

 highway except upon written consent of 

 the authority governing the freeway. 



The freeway authority has full power 

 to deny or to specify and enforce the 

 terms and conditions under which new 

 means of access may be given. The 

 freeway authority is also authorized to 

 acquire private property and property 

 rights in connection with these high- 

 ways. 



4. Acquisition of Land. When a 

 proposed highway is designated as a 

 freeway, the freeway authority has the 

 right to purchase of condemn all prop- 

 erty rights necessary for the construe- 

 By CHARLES S. MAYFIELD, Director 



lAA Department of Road Improvemant 



tion and maintenance of the highway. 

 This includes any rights or easements 

 of access and crossing vested in the 

 property not taken as part of the high- 

 way, but which is abutting. 



5. Severing of Tract. Whenever 

 property held under one ownership is 

 cut across by a freeway, the freeway 

 authority may grant a limited or re- 

 stricted easement permitting crossing of 

 the freeway at a designated location, 

 under specific terms and conditions, to 

 be used only to cross the road from 

 one tract to the other. If the owner of 

 these two tracts should sell one of 

 them, the freeway authority may revoke 

 the right to cross. 



6. Local Service Drives. When traffic 

 conditions justify, the freeway author- 

 ity may construct drives adjacent to the 

 highway or designate existing streets or 



(Please turn to page 22) 



10 



F 



IFTEENTH in our series of picturesque 

 and historic Illinois scenes is the covered 

 bridge a few miles north of Princeton in 

 Bureau county. Many covered bridges 

 were built about the time of the Civil 



War. This is one of the few remaining in 



Illinois. 



This bridge was built in 1863 at a total cost 

 of $3,148.57. The supporting timbers are 

 heavy oak beams. It is said that the roofs were 

 built over the bridges in the old days to protect 

 the flooring and supporting timbers from the 

 weather. 



Record :::rzz: 



Front 

 Cover 



In 1938, the Bureau County Historical Soci- 

 ety placed a bronze plaque on the bridge which 

 says in part: "For three-quarters of a century 

 this bridge, defying storms and floods, has car- 

 ried the traveler across Bureau Creek. It well 

 represents the unyielding character of those 

 who erected it. In tribute to the building com- . 

 mittee and to the other citizens of Bureau 

 county who, with foresight and faith planned 

 and builded well, this memorial tablet is today 

 dedicated." 



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■ L A. A. RECORD 



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