Turn by turn

Turn by turn Illinois Westbound Gardner
Ordered from Eastbound to WestboundChange
Westbound Gardner

Random point of interest

Howard Park

Howard Park

Detail

Westbound Gardner

Printing this description can take a lot of time, so you might want to consider buying commercially available alternatives such as the 8 map set and the EZ66 guide to take along on your trip.

Map courtesy of Stefan Joppich – Legend

Continued from Wilmington.

At the exit 269 on I-55, a choice of alignments is available:

pre 1940 post 1940

Godley

Continue on IL-53.

Braceville

Continue on IL-53.

Cross the Mazon River.

Gardner

Riviera Restaurant

Behind the Riviera Restaurant is a street car diner.

Continue on IL-53.

Follow IL-53 as it turns left, away from the railroad.

At the Intersection with Washington St.:

1926-1929 post 1929

For a short while Route 66 ran through the center of Gardner.
Recommended.

Right (=west) on Washington St.

Left (=south) on Center St. -do not cross the railroad tracks-.

Gardner jailhouse a block away.

Next right on Depot St.

Right on Jefferson St.

Next left on Jackson St. -do not cross the railroad tracks-.

Righ on Parker St. (IL-53).

Already in 1929 Gardner was bypassed.

Continue on IL-53.

Continue straight on IL-53 at the intersection with Main St..

Right on Parker St. (IL-53).

Continue west on IL-53 (Parker St.).

Cross the railroad tracks.

Next sharp left at the intersection with the frontage road, onto the frontage road (do not follow IL-53 as it’ll lead you to the Interstate).

Godley

Continue on IL-129

Braceville

Continue on IL-129

At the intersection with Main St., we leave the alignment and cross over to the older alignemnt due to 2 demolished bridges 1.3 miles ahead. If you are up to driving overgrown streets that will dead-end, continue to the demolished bridgehead

Demolished bridge

Left on Main St.

Cross the railroad tracks

Right on Il-53.

Cross the Mazon River.

Sharp right onto Carbon Hill Rd. as IL-53 starts to veer away from the railroad on entering Gardner itself.

You can actually head back on the other side onto Il-129 till a roadblock preventing you from reaching the other side of the bridges that got torn down.

Left on on IL-129 to rejoin the alignment.

Continue south on IL-129.

Continue straight on at the interection with Main St. / IL-53.

Continue straigth onto the frontage road (keep right) avoiding IL-53 and Parker St.

Continue southwest on IL-53.

use the frontage road southeast of I-55, also known as US-66