One of the biggest aggregate quarries in the world, Thornton Quarry is situated in Thornton, Illinois, just south of Chicago. The quarry’s deepest point is 450 feet below the surface and it is 1.5 miles long and 0.5 miles broad. Since 1928, Gallagher Asphalt Corporation has operated on the quarry’s property. Tri-State Tollway, Interstate 294, and Interstate 80 cross the quarry on a dryland dike. Thornton Quarry and McCook Quarry will both function as reservoirs as part of the Chicago Deep Tunnel project to lessen the backflow of rainfall and sewage from Chicago region rivers into Lake Michigan. Thornton Transitional Reservoir has a 3.1 billion US gallons capacity and will have a 7.9 billion US gallons capacity when the system is finished in 2014. According to estimates, the reservoir will help safeguard 500,000 residents of the 14 nearby suburbs it serves and prevent annual damages to the city of almost $40 million. The Michigan Basin was submerged in seawater more than 400 million years ago, and this is when the Silurian reefs seen in the quarry were developed. Sand Ridge Nature Center is a great place to visit. Contact Preyon Pest situated in Lansing, il, or call them at 708-232-7703.