Alternate Route 66, Wilmington to Joliet (Additional Documentation)
Also known as: Illinois Route 53
Why it's listed
Running 15.9 miles between Wilmington and Joliet in Will County, Illinois, this stretch of roadway served as Alternate Route 66 and is now Illinois Route 53. The original two-lane road was built in 1926. It was rebuilt in 1945 as a divided four-lane highway with a grass median and 24-foot-wide, 10-inch-thick concrete pavement, in response to heavy traffic from wartime ordnance plants. The corridor includes seven contributing structures: the roadbed, a circa 1950 steel bridge, a Union Pacific overpass, and four concrete box culverts. Four later bridges do not contribute. The road matters for two reasons. It formed part of the Route 66 corridor that moved goods and travelers between Chicago and points south and west, and it shows mid-twentieth-century highway engineering, including a soil survey, gravel and stone subbase, and grade-separated railroad crossings. Its significance period ends in 1956, when Interstate 55 drew traffic away.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the road was an important link in the Route 66 corridor from 1926 to about 1970, carrying freight, travelers and defense-plant commuters. It also reflects highway engineering, from 1920s two-lane construction to the 1945 limited-access, divided four-lane design with thick concrete pavement and a stabilized subbase.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 06000381, listed May 5, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | IL 53 bet. Wilmington and Joliet, Joliet |
|---|---|
| County | Will County |
| Listed | May 5, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000381 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1926-1956 |
| Architectural style | OTHER: Limited Access Four-Lane Highway; Limited Access Two-Lane Highway |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as roadbed (Illinois Route 53); the only alterations noted are a macadam overlay and some later bridges. |
| Acreage | 275 |
| Coordinates | 41.39835, -88.10831 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 06000381.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.