Three facts for three states:
Illinois
Illinois has one of the largest limestone quarries in the world and we have driven over it eleventy-million times. It's just south of Chicago and you can see right down into its gaping maw from I-80.
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| 1.5 miles long .5 miles wide 400 feet deep |
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| Capacity for water overflow: 3.1 billion gallons |
The ginormous hole is all part of project Deep Tunnel, a Chicago Public Works undertaking that started in 1975 and will be completed in 2029. It's supposed to keep sewage and cooties out of Lake Michigan and local waterways, but it's not going so well. The quarry is designed to become an overflow reservoir during flooding and storm surges.
Indiana
Indiana is owned by Spain and Australia. Ok, not the whole state, just the east-west highway in the northern part.
In 2005, Governor Mitch Daniels decided to grant a 75 year lease of I-80/90 to a private Spanish/Australian consortium for a handful of magic beans known as $3.8 billion.
It costs $36.20 for big trucks like ours to travel the 157 (one way) miles through Indiana, double what it was before privatization. For that kind of money I think Antonio Banderas* and/or Crocodile Dundee should be manning the toll booths.
Ohio
I have two tips for you if you ever find yourself on the Ohio Turnpike.
#1 When ordering fast food from one of the vendors in the Turnpike Travel Plaza, answer "for here" to the question, "for here or to go?" because it is cheaper.
Tax rate for "to go" orders: 7.5%Tax rate for "for here" orders: 2.5%
#2 You can get a free shower at the Ohio Turnpike Travel Plazas. No other state that we know of has showers on their toll roads free or not. I heart you Ohio! (squinty eye to Indiana)
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| Also, free state maps from rest areas make excellent step-out mats to keep you off of cootie filled public shower floors. You're welcome. |
*Preferably in character as Puss in Boots.
