Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway
Posted on 06/08/2004 7:44:25 PM PDT by Land_of_Lincoln_John
June 8, 2004 (Springfield) — A stretch of Interstate 88, which passes near Ronald Reagan's birthplace and his boyhood home, was renamed Tuesday in honor of the late president.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued an executive order declaring part of I-88 the "Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway."
The east-west interstate runs along the southern edge of Dixon, where Reagan grew up, and 10 miles north of Tampico, where the nation's 40th president was born in 1911 in a four-room apartment over the general store.
"Now, when people drive on I-88, they'll remember Ronald Reagan and everything he did for our country," Blagojevich said.
The order applies to the part of the highway managed by the Department of Transportation, roughly from Sterling, in north-central Illinois, west to the Quad Cities. Blagojevich asked the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority to give the same designation to the portion of I-88 it controls.
Tollway officials support the governor's initiative and plan to hold a special meeting soon to take their own action, spokeswoman Joelle McGinnes said.
Reagan died Saturday at 93 after nearly a decade with Alzheimer's disease.
His body is to be flown Wednesday to Washington to lie in state in the Capitol, and a state funeral is planned Friday. He will be buried later Friday at the Reagan Library in California.
In Illinois, a memorial service is planned for 10 a.m. Thursday at Dixon's First Christian Church, where Reagan taught Sunday school, followed by a processional march to his restored boyhood home.
Another tribute is planned for 1 p.m. Saturday at Eureka College, where Reagan graduated in 1932 and where he returned a half-century later to give a major speech outlining his vision for nuclear arms reduction. On Sunday, a 2:30 p.m. service is planned in Tampico, where Reagan's birthplace has been restored as a museum.
The executive order renaming the western stretch of I-88 takes effect immediately, and calls on the Transportation Department to put up signs noting the memorial.
Blagojevich also declared Friday to be a state day of remembrance and ordered that all state facilities fly their flags at half-staff until July 4.
Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway
That's not a toll highway, is it?
Great news. Thanks for the post.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin governor Jim "Craps" Doyle (D-casino) vetoed a bill that would have renamed part of US Hwy 14 in honor of President Reagan.
Part of it is a toll. I just drove it last week while visiting my daughter at Ft. Riley, KS. There are plenty of signs pointing out the various Reagan Historical sites. I was tempted to stop, but after 700 miles of driving in one day, decided not to.
It is...but maybe the new name will work as an incentive to get phase out the tolls...
Cool!! If it's nice this weekend, I just may put the top down and cruise out that way........Dixon, IL is a lovely river town!!!
Woo hoo - let's all party. In the big picture of life what will this really do? Sorry, I can't get too excited about this earth-shattering event.
You don't honor Reagan by naming a school or court house after him
You don't honor Reagan by putting him on the dime or $10 bill
You don't honor Reagan by putting him on Mt Rushmore
The one true way to honor Reagan is to accomplish the one thing he couldn't get done, pass the Balanced Budget Ammendment and shrink the damn government.
I propose Hwy 1 on the California Coast. It would drive a number of libs in the area over the edge.
Did AG Lautenschlager give a toast?
LOL! You should have put (D-Bingo game) since Doyle won votes paying mentally retarded folks bingo money.
Maybe so, but it sure sticks in the craw of the lefties to see Reagan's name plastered everywhere.
Agreed.
If we name enough things after Reagan, perhaps the whacked out far left will boycott them all and will just have to go far away.
Click the Pic J
AMEN!
Brother!
We've had a "Ronald Reagan Parkway" for a number of years here in Gwinnett Co., GA.
Sounds like the Gov. is naming the western, non-toll end of I-88 (roughly Quad Cities to Dixon) after Reagan, but doesn't have the personal authority to rename the eastern (Dixon to Chicago) toll portion. Thus he's asking the toll authority to rename that.
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