HWY 127

 Hwy 127 is now open all the way from Old Highway 13 to 146. The closure of the road at Alto Pass allowed IDOT to remove both the crumbling overpass leading to Bald Knob and finish the repairs on 127 from wen part of the roadway collapsed following a lot of rain. that stretch has been a one lane road for almost three years now so glad to see it back to normal with a wider roadbed and, hopefully, more secure support to prevent the collapse from happening again.

Hwy 127 Fix

IDOT is working on the lighting situation at the collapsed section of the Hwy 127 just south of Alto Pass. Apparently the lights have a problem changing at a frequency that keeps traffic moving smoothly.

Hwy 127

Highway 127 is closed just south of Alto Pass. Drivers getting detoured over to 51 going north from Anna. There is a curve in Highway 127 just south of Alto Pass that all of the recent rain is causing to collapse, meaning IDOT has to shore it up before traffic can safely traverse it again.

Rendleman Orchards

Rendleman Orchards, in Alto Pass, will close for the season on December 17. It would appear they have quite a few apples left as their remaining stock was half price when I stopped in earlier this week.

Small Town Illinois

The Southern has a good piece looking at the economies of Alto Pass, Makanda and Cobden. Of the three, Cobden is the only one that is self-sustaining. Residents of Cobden do not need to leave the community in order to procure the basics of today's lifestyle, though the town does not offer a great selection.  Cobden has the Dollar General and a gas station, which provide a selection of products and fuel for residents.  Alto Pass has Grammer's Market, which provides the selection of products but has no gas station, while Makanda, "The Valley of the Arts", has neither, with residents having to drive to Carbondale to shop.

The ability of residents to travel both allows these small communities to survive and at the same time prevents them from growing.  Residents of all three communities can easily get to Carbondale to work, meaning they can have an income while still living in a small town. However, it also makes it easier to leave town to shop, meaning there is little incentive for more stores to move into the community.

Rendleman Orchards

Looks as if the fruit is running late at Rendleman Orchards. Normally the store opens in June and closes just before Christmas but this year there is a banner on the front porch and a note on the website saying they won't open until July.

Upcoming Hwy 127 Closure

In case you drive Hwy 127 south of Murphysboro but not regularly, IDOT will close a section of it for about a week starting June 6th. They are doing repair work on a section of the road between Saltpeter Cave and the Cedar Lake/Pomona turnoff, making it somewhat difficult to get to Abbey Ridge Brewery or Alto Pass from Murphysboro for that week.