ISA » Transportation » Roads and Bridges

Illinois roads and bridges are slowing soybean transportation. Many roads were built in the 1960s and 1970s and will need significant repairs and/or replacement soon.

Rural roads -- the backbone of Illinois soybean transportation -- make up 71 percent of Illinois road miles. In 2010, semi-trucks and large machinery traveled more than 10 million miles on Illinois roads, accounting for roughly 10 percent of the state's traffic.¹

Illinois has 26,300 bridges with an average age of 42 years.² According to the Federal Highway Administration, and the Illinois Department of Transportation, nearly 3,000 Illinois bridges are structurally deficient and another 1,763 are functionally obsolete,³ meaning more than 18 percent of all Illinois bridges need repair. In fact, almost 300 bridges throughout Illinois are posted for weight restrictions due to poor bridge sufficiency ratings.⁴ As a result, many of the state's roads and bridges can no longer accommodate farm machinery or semi-trucks, forcing farmers to take longer routes to reach their local elevators.

Let's Take a Stand

Without well-maintained roads and bridges, Illinois soybeans have a hard time getting to their intended destinations after leaving the field. The needed improvements won’t be made without support from Illinois soybean producers. Check out the "What You Can Do" page for roadway resources and information on how to make your voice heard.

¹2010 Illinois Travel Statistics Report, Illinois Department of Transportation
²Figure 16, Page 41, of "Illinois Infrastructure Assessment and Economic Impact Relative to Grain Movements, Biofuels, Livestock and Further Food Processing." March 2011
³Page 42 of "Illinois Infrastructure Assessment and Economic Impact Relative to Grain Movements, Biofuels, Livestock and Further Food Processing." March 2011
⁴Appendix A-2 of "Illinois Infrastructure Assessment and Economic Impact Relative to Grain Movements, Biofuels, Livestock and Further Food Processing." March 2011