Unique Stone Quarry

[Steve Frazier]

I was out in Illinois last weekend and was driving on I80 when I swore I drove through a stone quarry, I saw rock cuts on both sides. Tonight I Googled I80 and put it on satellite and sure enough, I80 runs through a stone quarry. I've never seen anything like this before.

A question for you guys who are out that way, do they stop traffic to do the shots? How long has that quarry been there, before I80 was built?

 

[qball]

stever, that is the vulcan quarry in thorton.
wayyyy bigger than it looks.
and no, they don't stop traffic when they shoot.
you should'a called me, i could'a got you a tour.

 

[Steve Frazier]

I was on a mission. I'm lucky I noticed it, I was pretty busy looking at the interchange signs. I happened to glance over the Jersey Barrier and notice the quarry and barely had time to do a double take and see it was on both sides. In a blink it was behind me.

I'd guess from the size of the quarry it's been there for quite some time? Was I80 built through it instead of them digging under the highway? In NY, all the quarries that were anywhere near metropolitan areas have long since closed, there's quite a number of them here in the rural areas and the stone is barged down to NYC from here.

 

[992G]

Steve,
That is Hanson Material Service's Thorton Quarry Yard 41 not Vulcan Materials. You only see part of the quarry when you drive over it there on the tollway, there is much more to see actually. Been there numerous times it is big. The quarry has been there forever, seen some pic's in the office which had horses in them. This quarry is a big supplier for South Suburbs and NW Indiana. The pic I have for my avatar is at that quarry close to the highwall there by I80.

 

[King of Obsolete]

once again, i'm learning something new from the computer. the computer makes the world a smaller place.

thansk
KoO
Published Author

 

[Steve Frazier]

I spent about an hour looking at the satellite image, you're right, this place is huge!! I see a number of tunnels going under local streets and at least one going under I80 in addition to the overpass. Looks like a real busy place, there are 3 trailers on the scales, one pulling out loaded, two loaded approaching the scales, one being loaded and 3 waiting to be loaded. I also spotted a large number of train gondola cars to be loaded and what must be an asphalt plant. There's also a huge loader that's been scrapped parked in one area.

Any guess how high the walls are along 80?

I didn't see any concrete trucks, no concrete plant there?

 

[jimmyjack]

been through(on I 80) there when i was younger riding shotgun with my uncle in his tractor trailer ..... almost forgot about it till you brought it up

 

[992G]

Yeah Steve it is very big. More than three tunnels going under I80, lots of loaders, 988H's and some Komatsu's up loading trucks. In the pit, 992G's, W800's a LeTourneau Wheel loader, Hitachi Shovel, Komatsu and Cat 100 ton trucks. Rail Car service with thier own Locomotive, no concrete plant anymore. Used to have a ton of mixer trucks back in the day, but no more. High walls up against I-80 are at least 250 ft if not more. Do not know with the economy with the way it is if they still run 24 hr's or not?

 

[qball]

Yeah Steve it is very big. More than three tunnels going under I80, lots of loaders, 988H's and some Komatsu's up loading trucks. In the pit, 992G's, W800's a LeTourneau Wheel loader, Hitachi Shovel, Komatsu and Cat 100 ton trucks. Rail Car service with thier own Locomotive, no concrete plant anymore. Used to have a ton of mixer trucks back in the day, but no more. High walls up against I-80 are at least 250 ft if not more. Do not know with the economy with the way it is if they still run 24 hr's or not?

i think the le tourneau is gone. my buddy bonji ran one of the cranes that loaded it out.
and it was my brain fart. it used to be material service, not vulcan.

 

[daugherty102]

when i first started going in there about 10 yrs. or so ago they had 2 latorneaus and a bunch of old hough payloaders that were all painted the traditional material service red and yellow. i don't think they run 24/7 like they used to in the summer but none of the drivers have been in there for a year or so cause of the slow down. and last i was in the both latorneaus were gone replaced with at least 1 W900 komatsu. awesome place to tour if u ever get the chance.

 

[qball]

steve, this is the vulcan quarry in mc cook il. i work along side it. this part is pretty much done, but they are mining from the other side of I55 and conveyoring the stone to this plant.
just to the left of the plant in these pics is the remnants of the gm-emd locomotive plant.

 

[scholzee]

Here is one along the 90 near Buffalo,N.Y.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=42.951334,-78.660843&spn=0.010947,0.02738&t=h&z=16

 

[GeoffD]

Looks like Buffalo Crushed Stone.

 

[JTL]

I was out in Illinois last weekend and was driving on I80 when I swore I drove through a stone quarry, I saw rock cuts on both sides. Tonight I Googled I80 and put it on satellite and sure enough, I80 runs through a stone quarry. I've never seen anything like this before.

A question for you guys who are out that way, do they stop traffic to do the shots? How long has that quarry been there, before I80 was built?

My dad sent me a few pics from that quarry a few years ago when he was stopped in a traffic jam over looking the pit. Quite impressive! If I could find them, I'd scan and load em up!
He spent almost 2 hours stuck above the pit. He called me and was telling me everything. Would have been cool to be there!
Jason

 

[Steve Frazier]

To have an interstate highway run through and over a working quarry like that is .pretty amazing to me, I thought I was seeing things. I was looking at the shelving that supports the road, it doesn't seem like there's a lot there but it has worked for a lot of years. I would guess the bridges must have been designed to take more vibration than a standard bridge would to compensate for the rock shots. There must have been a lot of negotiating going on to make this work, made for some very interesting pondering on my part.