A three-day trip, landing in Anchorage, heading out to Fairbanks and Tok, and then back.

Mt. McKinley at sunrise. Taken from about 2 miles south of Cantwell, so maybe 85 miles to the mountain itself. At about 8.30 in the morning, the mountain was completely clear, having not yet generated the cloud system it’s well-known to shroud itself with by mid-morning.

Halo in downtown Anchorage. Upper tangential arc visible at 12 o’clock, and sundogs on either side.

Overcast day on highway 3, which connects Anchorage to Fairbanks. We pass through the Alaska Range here. The highway was completed between Anchorage and Fairbanks in 1971 – before that, the only road between the two was to go via Glennallen and Delta Junction.

Apart from some blowing snow, the weather is really quite good. The highway department does an excellent job keeping this road open all year round.

High clouds at Nenana.

The 1968 bridge over the Tanana River. Until 2011 or so, the last 16″ route marker in Alaska, marked 1962 on the back, was in service just south of here.

Photo from 2007:

Alas, it is gone now.

High clouds as we head north to Fairbanks. Correction: southeast to Fairbanks. The Parks Highway (route 3) takes a major curve at Nenana.

A tiny halo segment over Fairbanks.

The northern lights! We drove 250 miles east from Fairbanks almost all the way to the Canadian border on the Alaska Highway, hoping to get a clear patch. This low-level haze was the best we did. No moon, so the only source of illumination was … green. It was bright enough that we could’ve driven without headlights.

A bit north of Fox on highway 2 – more overcast weather the next day. We had intended to get to the foot of the Dalton Highway, but snow was threatening, so we turned around about 10 miles north of Fox. This photo is returning southbound.

Nothing to see here, just a DC-6 that is being converted into a bar. On the old alignment of highway 2, in the outskirts of Fox.

Mister Bird Guy welcomes you to the Fairbanks Ice Festival.

This composition was called The Alien and His Dog. This is his dog; alien not seen here.

Excellent detail on the feathers here.

I don’t recall what the entire piece was which yielded this close-up section.

A porcupine. Imagine the effort required to carve out all those quills!

An iridescent section of a sculpture.

Alaska is filled with bears, both real and imaginary.

Our last morning, as we head south to Anchorage again.

Threatening snow clouds as we cross the Alaska Range.

The first direct rays of sunrise.

And there’s Mt. McKinley. We did not actually manage to identify it at first, because it seemed far too clear to be it.

Crystal wearing mukluks. She’s from Alaska, so she knows the value of adequate footwear. I, being of apparently negligible intelligence, ran around in sneakers with holes in them all weekend.

The snow is only at the very northern part of the Alaska range – as we cross it, the weather improves greatly.

The highway department takes care of business.

From the appropriately titled McKinley View Lodge. This is looking northwest now, from maybe 40 miles away. The first clouds are starting to form, around 10am – this is an exceptionally clear day by McKinley standards.

Another view from even further south. I can’t remember which stream this is, but the view is from about 120 miles away.

Our final view, from maybe 140 miles away. As it is so close to the horizon, the Huge Mountain Illusion (a lesser-known cousin of the Huge Moon Illusion) kicks in.

Commenced the final day of this trip from Jeffersonville, Indiana, just outside of the Interstate 65, I-265, and Indiana 265 interchange. Avoiding the bulk of traffic along Interstate 65 into Louisville, we opted for I-265 west to I-64 and out of the Falls City area.

Currently I-265 does double duty, as the Sherman Minton Bridge over the Ohio River of Interstate 64 was closed for emergency repairs on September 9. Alternate Interstate 64 shields are posted to guide motorists along Interstate 265 between I-64 and I-65. Exit 0 of Interstate 265 west remains open as the I-64 ramps to Spring and Main Streets at New Albany remain in service.

Interstate 64 reduces to four overall lanes beyond the Exit 118 diamond interchange with Indiana 62 and 64 west. The road remains rural from this point west to Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

The only state-named shield for Interstate 64 posted in Indiana that we are aware.

Traffic counts are somewhat low along Interstate 64 across southern Indiana, ranging between 10,200 vehicles per day (vpd) and 23,950 vpd from I-164 at Evansville to Exit 113 near Lanesville. This scene looks at the hills along the westbound freeway ahead of Exit 63.

A ten mile exit less stretch lies ahead of the full-cloverleaf interchange of Interstate 64 west with Interstate 164 & Indiana 57 south and Interstate 69 & Indiana 57 north (Exits 29B/A).

A 1.77-mile stretch of Interstate 69 between Interstate 64 and SR 68 opened to traffic on October 1, 2009.¹ This segment is the first to be completed between Evansville to Bloomington. The greened out exit number displayed “22″ in 2009, continuing the mileage of Interstate 164 northward. Since I-69 will be shorter than that to Kentucky, the number was premature. See a photo of the sign before the greenout on the AARoads Forum.

Construction is well underway as part of Governor Mitch Daniels’ Major Moves initiative to extend Interstate 69 southwest from Indianapolis. Currently traffic must depart for the Indiana 57 northbound ramp to SR-68. Work continues on the next segments of new Interstate 69 from Indiana 68 to Indiana 64 near Oakland City (Section 2) and SR 64 to Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center (Section 3) with a completion dated set for December 2012. Section 4, Crane to Bloomington, has yet to break ground but is slated for a 2014 opening.²

The first southbound shield of Interstate 164 coincides with an Indiana 57 marker south of the interchange with Interstates 64 and 69. Interstate 69 will run in tandem with I-164 to a point where the Evansville spur turns west. A new bridge is planned across the Ohio River for Interstate 69. Estimates put the new span and a 13-mile stretch of roadway from the river to the Pennyrile Parkway at $1.4 billion.³

The Lloyd Expressway opened officially in 1988 as a controlled access route from downtown Evansville east to Interstate 164 and west to the University of Southern Indiana and Posey county line. The divided highway doubles as SR 66 east of U.S. 41 and SR 62 west of U.S. 41. See Thomas Decker’s Lloyd Expressway guide at AARoads for photos.

Interstate 164, completed August 2, 1990, draws to a close at the full-cloverleaf interchange with U.S. 41 (Exit 0). The freeway transitions into Veterans Memorial Parkway, a controlled-access roadway west to Riverside Drive at Sunset Park. U.S. 41 continues south from the end to Henderson, Kentucky.

U.S. 41 passes by Ellis Park from Interstate 164 to enter the state of Kentucky at the Ohio River. A pair of cantilever bridges span the river: the northbound bridge opened in 1932, the southbound in 1965.

A congested stretch awaits southbound motorists along U.S. 41 between the Ohio River and the Pennyrile Parkway beginning. Numerous traveler services and other businesses line the arterial through to the freeway beginning at Exit 81 (junction U.S. 60).

The Audubon Parkway joins Henderson with Owensboro via Exit 77 of the Pennyrile Parkway. Some Chamber of Commerce suggestions for the Audubon upgrade the route as a spur of Interstate 69 to bring Owensboro onto the Interstate system.

Pennyrile Parkway doubles as the Future Interstate 69 corridor from Henderson south to the Western Kentucky Parkway. Signs such as this are posted periodically along the route.

Future Interstate 69 turns west along the Western Kentucky Parkway at Exit 34B of the Pennyrile Parkway. A full-cloverleaf interchange currently joins the two roadways, with Interstate 69 southbound utilizing a single lane ramp to make the transition.

Interstate 69 was officially designated in Kentucky on October 18, 2011. Signs went up along the Western Kentucky Parkway between the Pennyrile and junction Interstate 24 after a ceremony at Nortonville. Some shield assemblies include “Formerly Western Kentucky Parkway” markers as well. Our drive along the I-69 stretch west to I-24 revealed only stand-alone shields and guide signs were not updated to reflect the Interstate status yet.

Interstate 69 south joins Interstate 24 west for 17-mile overlap to the Purchase Parkway. Signs for Interstate 69 were not posted along I-24 yet and the Purchase Parkway is only signed as a Future Interstate 69 corridor at this time.

Interstate 24 draws to within one half mile of the Exit 81 trumpet interchange with the Pennyrile Parkway northbound beginning. The Parkway was extended southward six miles from U.S. 68 at Hopkinsville on March 1, 2011.

Heading south to the merge of Interstate 24 east and 65 south at Nashville. The two share 1.8 miles.

With the downtown Nashville skyline in view, Interstate 65 south parts ways with Interstate 24 east at a directional interchange. I-24 & 65 originally continued together to junction Interstate 40 at the Cumberland River. The northern arc of the Nashville inner belt was originally signed as Interstate 265, but replaced in 1999 when Interstate 65 was realigned to the west in an effort to split through traffic.

A look at downtown Nashville and the Korean Veterans Boulevard and Shelby Avenue Bridges over the Cumberland River from Interstate 24 east (south).

Interstate 24 and 40 share a brief stretch of pavement leading away from central Nashville.

Continuing south, Interstate 24 leaves Interstate 40 and quickly meets the east end of Interstate 440. Ramps from Interstate 40 form separate carriageways through to the I-440 (Exit 53) directional interchange.

Interstate 24 constitutes an eight-lane suburbanized freeway from Nashville southeast toward Murphreesboro.

Tennessee 840 reassurance marker posted after Exit 34 (Peytonsville-Trinity Road). Tennessee 840 currently exists in two segments, from I-40 to SR 46 in Williamson County and from U.S. 31 to I-40 in Wilson County. Construction is underway to join the two portions into a seamless beltway on the south side of Nashville by December 2012.

South of TN-840, Interstate 65 meets the east end of Tennessee 396 (Saturn Parkway). Named for the original General Motorists Saturn Plant at Spring Hill, the TN-396 expressway connects I-65 with U.S. 31 (Main Street). Interstate 65 transitions into a rural freeway beyond Spring Hill.

See photos from the rest of this day’s drive on our updated Interstate 65 southbound guides for Alabama.

Sources:

1. “Southbound Indiana 57 traffic diverting onto new stretch of I-69.” Evansville Courier & Press, September 29, 2009.
2. “Portions of Interstate 69 ready for traffic by end of 2012.” Evansville Courier & Press, August 29, 2011.
3. “Lobbyists being hired to push for I-69 bridge.” Evansville Courier & Press, February 12, 2011.

Began the day on former U.S. 25 (Electric Avenue / Military Street) in Port Huron. U.S. 25 was decommissioned in Michigan in 1973, leaving former stretches of the road as M-125 (Ohio to just north of Monroe), M-3 (Downtown Detroit to Chesterfield Township), Business Loop I-94 (through Port Huron), and M-25 (north of Port Huron) along with portions of U.S. 24, I-75 and I-94. This view looks at a reassurance shield assembly at Marysville, a town bordering Port Huron.

Interstate 69 and 94 combine at Port Huron for a combined routing to the Bluewater Bridge to Sarnia, Ontaro. Like, I-94, Interstate 69 sees a business loop of its own. Following an expressway to the one-way street couplet of Oak / Griswold Streets, the loop begins via a partial “Y” interchange from where I-94 and 96 combine to a merge with Business Loop I-94 at Main Street. The two continue north to end at I-69/94 by the bridge to Canada. BL-69 in Port Huron follows old M-21 (truncated to Flint by 1985).

Business Loop I-69 defaults onto Interstate 69 west from Griswold Street. A reassurance shield follows the transition from arterial to freeway, but before the ramp onto Interstate 94 to Detroit.

Much of Flint is orientated in a north-south fashion along the Interstate 75 and U.S. 23 corridors. Interstate 69 bisects the area, meeting Interstate 475 southeast of downtown. Note the custom Michigan font on the Interstate shield for Exit 137. Interstate 475 travels 16.87 miles and was completed in 1981. It heralds to a time when Flint was a booming automobile manufacturing center.

A symmetrical stack interchange joins Interstates 69 and 475 at Flint. Exit 136 to Saginaw Street departs from within the multi-level junction from westbound I-69.

Exit 133 follows and carries all traffic to Interstate 75 & U.S. 23 in unison from Interstate 69 west. The two share 73 miles of pavement from just south of Flint to Standish. U.S. 23 provides a freeway grade bypass of Detroit via Ann Arbor between Flint and Toledo, Ohio otherwise.

Continuing west to Lansing, Interstate 69 enters a full-cloverleaf interchange with U.S. 127. U.S. 127 constitutes a freeway from Jackson to St. Johns. By 2002, the designation was extended northward over U.S. 27, as officials from both Indiana and Michigan agreed to truncate the route north of Ft. Wayne. U.S. 127 ends at I-75 near Grayling, MI and Chattanooga, TN, tallying 758 miles.

Heading south along U.S. 127 at the off-ramp to Business Loop I-69 and M-43 (Grand River Avenue) in Lansing. BL-69 follows an old section of M-78 and later TEMP Interstate 69. Interstate 496 merges with U.S. 127 south at the next exit.

Interstate 496 exits Lansing and enters Eaton County on the approach to Interstates 69 & 96, its western terminus. I-69 & 96 combine for 5.20 miles on the west side of Lansing.

Interstate 96 joins Lansing with Detroit by way of an overlap with Interstate 275 between Novi and Plymouth. I-96 merges with I-275 south at a pervasive interchange that joins Interstate 696 (W.P. Reuther Freeway) with M-5 (north and east). Originally I-96 followed the M-5 freeway to Grand River Avenue, ending as Business Spur I-96 leading east to downtown.

Interstate 96 turns east at the Interstate 275 interchange with the M-14 freeway leading east from Ann Arbor.

A few state-named shields remain in service for Interstate 96 in Livonia. Outside of a green box sign or two in Detroit, remaining shields for I-96 across the state are neutered.

Interstate 96 widens to incorporate a local/expressway configuration from Exit 180 (Outer Drive) east to Exit 186B (Davison Avenue). The express carriageways only see slip ramps onto the local carriageways and otherwise are exit free. Speed limits vary between the two roadways with the express lanes seeing a 70 mph limit and the local lanes a 55 mph limit.

The left-hand ramp to Davison Avenue concludes the local lanes of Interstate 96 east. A freeway was considered from I-96 to the current M-8 freeway between in the 50s and 60s. While that road never was built, hints of its possible tie in with I-96 remain today at Exit 186B.

Interstate 75 leaves the Fisher Freeway for the Chrysler Freeway at Exit 51C with Interstate 375 south. The Fisher Freeway spurs to Gratiot Avenue (M-3 / former U.S. 25).

I-375 defaults onto Jefferson Avenue, 0.167 miles of which comprises unsigned Business Spur I-375. The arterial connects the Chrysler Freeway with the beginning of the John C. Lodge Freeway (M-10). Midway between the two freeway end points is Woodward Avenue (M-1) and the entrance to the Windsor Tunnel to Ontario, Canada. The Tunnel opened in 1930 and carries a $4.00 cash toll.

A series of tunnels carry the beginning of M-10 (John C. Lodge Freeway) under COBO Center and Fort Street (M-3) ahead of the junction with Interstate 75. M-10 follows all of the John C. Lodge Freeway from downtown Detroit to Interstate 696. The highway number is a vestige of its days as the final stretch of U.S. 10. U.S. 10 was truncated from Detroit to Bay City in 1986.

State-named shields are extremely rare in Michigan as a whole, but they are more of an uncommon occurrence in Detroit, as many city-installs still function today. A crop of Interstate 94 signs referring to the road as the Ford Freeway remain in service near the M-10 freeway.

Even more rare are city-installed signs for the Lodge Freeway retaining the old U.S. 10 designation and 1948 shield specifications.

Outside of the central business district, a wooden sign holds on for life from the days when U.S. 10 traveled to downtown.

Traveling east along the M-8 (Davison Freeway) between Michigan 10 and the Woodward Avenue (M-1) off-ramp. The Davison Freeway connects two sections of Davison Avenue through Highland Park. Constructed in 1944, the trenched freeway traveled a short distance, but was proposed to run west to the Jeffries at U.S. 16 and east to Mt. Elliot Avenue and south to the current path of Interstate 94.⁴

A high-speed stack interchange joins Michigan 8 (Davison Freeway)and Interstate 75. The freeway was a locally maintained facility until 1997, when MDOT took control of the route and modernized it.⁴

The John Lodge Freeway becomes a trenched freeway from Exit 11 northwest to Exit 14C (Southfield Road). M-10 was given a facelift and modernized in 2006-07. The route is very reminiscent of the Vine Street Expressway (Interstate 676) in Philadelphia.

M-10 and Interstate 696 share a brief confluence ahead of junction U.S. 24 (Exits 18A/B) at Southfield. M-10 leaves the freeway network for Northwestern Highway beyond the “The Mixing Bowl” interchange.

M-39 begins from the M-10 freeway via a partial “Y” interchange and leads south along the Southfield Freeway to Dearborn and Allen Park. Modernization of the Southfield Freeway was undertaken in 2011.

Exit numbers along the Southfield Freeway count down to the interchange with Interstate 94. While the freeway portion of M-39 ends, the state highway does not, as the road turns southeast along Southfield Highway to conclude just beyond Interstate 75.

Interstate 94 & U.S. 12 combine for four miles to bypass Ypsilanti. The two part ways at Saline, just east of the I-94 interchange with U.S. 23 at Ann Arbor. Forthcoming Exit 180B doubles as the westbound beginning of Business Loop I-94 through Ann Arbor as well, with the loop following the US 23 freeway briefly north to Washtenaw Avenue.

U.S. 23 constitutes a full freeway from Interstate 75 at Flint to the right angle turn of Interstate 475 at Toledo.

Construction is underway along Interstate 475 east leading toward the terminus with Interstate 75 (Exits 20A/B). Work involves upgrading the interchange between the two freeways, widening I-75 north from I-475 to six lanes, and adding a new diamond interchange with ProMedica Parkway that replaces the Exit 19 off-ramps to Ohio 120 (Central Avenue) and on-ramps from Kelly and Upton Avenues. Completion is expected in fall 2013 on the $63.88-million project.

Old button copy signs remain in use along Interstate 75 southbound at the Exit 203B off-ramp to U.S. 24 and Ohio 51. U.S. 223 once tied into downtown Toledo from Sylvania as well. Ohio 51 follows the alignment truncated by 1987.⁵

Exit 59 between Interstates 80 & 90 and Interstate 475 lacks a direct connection, despite it being touted as the way to the Ohio Turnpike from U.S. 23 south entering the state. Motorists must use a stretch of U.S. 20 and local road, Dussel Drive to make a connection to the Perrysburg to Sylvania route.

Interstate 69 appears for the first, and perhaps one of only three times Ohio, along Interstates 80 & 90 west on a mileage sign posted 38 miles out from Angola, Indiana.

A diamond interchange resides between the Ohio Turnpike Westgate and Indiana Toll Road Eastgate. This exit does not require separate toll facilities due to its placement between the two mainline barriers.

Interstate 69 represents the first exit of the Indiana Toll Road for Interstates 80 & 90 west. A trumpet to trumpet interchange and access road connect the two roads just north of Angola.

The first of eight interchanges along Interstate 69 south at Fort Wayne joins the route with Indiana 1 (Dupont Road) at Exit 116. The next exit represents the southbound beginning of Interstate 469, a 30.83-mile bypass completed in 1995. U.S. 30 follows the belt loop east to Exit 19 near New Haven.

U.S. 24 ties into Interstate 469, one mile north of the southbound split with U.S. 30 east. U.S. 24 is presently being upgraded to expressway standards from Fort Wayne east to the Ohio State line as part of the Fort to Port corridor. Visible just east of I-469 were concrete carriageways of the future four-lane highway.

Like many other Indiana cities, the US highway network is confined to area bypasses or adjacent Interstate highways. U.S. 33 and 24 make the connection to their surface routes leading west from Fort Wayne via Interstate 69 north from Interstate 469.

U.S. 27 is the lone holdout remaining within the Interstates 69 and 469 freeway loop. The US highway however has the distinction of ending in Ft. Wayne, having suffered a lengthy truncation from near Grayling, MI by 2002. Exit 111 represents the north end point of the 1,364 mile route.

Most instances of U.S. 27 signage north of Fort Wayne were removed. However a few signs, such as those posted along Interstate 469 north, allude to the former overlap with I-69 north to Lansing.

Clouds appears on the southern horizon that were ahead of an approaching cold front. As we headed toward Indianapolis, traffic gradually increased as sunlight decreased.

Indiana 67 joins Interstate 69 south from an expressway extending the Muncie Bypass west to Daleville. The state road follows the freeway south to Pendleton. See Thomas Decker’s guide on AARoads for photos of the Muncie Bypass.

Interstate 69 currently draws to a close at the Indianapolis Beltway (Interstate 465). SR 37 follows the freeway from Exit 6 south to join I-465 in an implied overlap along the east side of the city. Exit 0 will be renumbered presumptively to 184 when I-69 is extended southwest from Indianapolis to Evansville in the coming years, bringing the total mileage in the state to 341.⁶

Sources:

1. Michigan Highways: Historic US-25 (page 2).
2. Michigan Highways: Highways 20 through 29
3. Michigan Highways: Highways 250 through 696
4. Michigan Highways: Highways 1 through 9
5. U.S. Route 223 @ Wikipedia.org
6. Re: I-69 Control Cities @ AARoads Forum.

photo taken in rural San Diego County.

Sunset, over one of Canada’s innumerable boreal forests.

A pair of otters. If anyone wonders why I spend so much time between blog posts… it’s the sheer quantity of photos I have to process. I took about 200 just of these otters! (One came out.)

Full moon, perched on top of a cloud.

Aurora, and inverted big dipper. We have arrived!

As promised, a photo of the Alberta/Northwest Territories border. with all the northern staples: aurora, big dipper, yes it is time to head north and see what the world brings.

To continue from the last batch of photos: another waterfalls route marker in sunset light.

Sunset view. I have lots of this general theme because I took about 300 pictures in the span of a half-hour here.

Some flash illumination on the foreground vegetation.

Same theme, slightly different angle.

In stark opposition to the Beatles’ experience: there goes the sun.

An otter, making a wake.

The last atmospheric feature to be illuminated red is this dash of virga to the east.

Obligatory rental-car portrait.

The road looking south.

Back at the territorial border. Spotty terrestrial clouds. It now becomes our task to find a clearing in the sky from which to view the aurora.

Look who shows up to the party! Don’t mind the blurriness – this was a test photo that I took handheld, 10 second exposure, just to detect the levels of auroral activity.

Fisheye, for maximum over-the-top value. Note that it’s not even full dusk, and the lights are this bright.

Over the forests, over the hills.

Just a little bit later in the night.

Back here again? Yes, we are running the same segment of the MacKenzie Highway and here is the place where the sky is the clearest.

and this is where we leave off for the night. I got a few hours of sleep… tomorrow, we resume with bears!

All Interstate 69 shields posted on guide signs within Branch County, Michigan utilize Clearview-based font for the numbers. This is not supposed to be the case, but in Michigan, one can find shields for Interstates 69, 75, 96 and 696 in violation. This view looks at the southbound on-ramp to Interstate 69 from U.S. 12 west & Business Loop Interstate 69 south at Coldwater.

Business Loop Interstate 69 through Coldwater doubles as Emergency Interstate 69. There are a number of Emergency detour routes posted for Interstate highways throughout southern Michigan. Some of these even extend into Indiana, such as Interstate 69 south from Branch County to Steuben County, Indiana. The Emergency Routes provide an alternate or detour route for the parent route in case of road closure due to weather or other incidents. The Coldwater element of Emergency Interstate 69 includes an east-west portion along U.S. 12 between Division Street south / Marshall Street north (collectively former U.S. 27) and Interstate 69, and a north-south portion following old U.S. 27 out from town.

All of U.S. 27 between Fort Wayne, Indiana and Lansing, Michigan was replaced by Interstate 69. The old alignment remains in use as “Angola Road, “Lansing Road”, “Old 27″, etc. A portion of the old US Route remains in the state system as M-223 (17 Mile Road) from F Drive South to Michigan Avenue in Marshall. Michigan 227 begins at Exit 32 of Interstate 69 and travels 6.71 miles to Business Loop Interstate 94.

U.S. 27 was truncated from the state of Michigan and from Fort Wayne northward in Indiana by 2002. Efforts to turn back the U.S. 27 designation commenced in 1991 by both states, but those were met with resistance from AASHTO as the segment north from Lansing was not included in the request to truncate the US Highway. In 1999, MDOT applied for the renumbering of U.S. 27 north of Lansing as an extension of U.S. 127. This was subsequently approved and sign changes commenced in 2001 with the removal of U.S. 27 shields to the south and in 2002 with the replacement of U.S. 27 as U.S. 127. Read much more on the history of U.S. 27, including the truncation from Michigan, at Chris Bessert’s Michigan Highways.

Business Loop Interstate 94 joins Interstate 69 north for its return trip to Interstate 94 at Exit 38. The loop follows old U.S. 12 along Michigan Avenue between Exit 36 of I-69 to Partello Road and Exit 112 of Interstate 94. The Marshall business loop of I-94 was designated in 1960.

Interstate 69 north joins Interstate 96 west to bypass Lansing on the west side of town. Their overlap is unusual in that the two routes mirror each other number wise, a distinction not replicated anywhere else in the system.

The Capitol Loop acts as a business loop for Interstate 496 (Olds Freeway) through downtown Lansing, serving the state Capitol complex and various attractions. Capitol Loop follows old M-99 northward from Exit 5 of Interstate 496 along the divided Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to the one-way street couplet of Allegan (east) and Ottawa (west) Streets. Grand Avenue connects the one-way pair and joins them with Michigan Avenue across the Grand River to their turn onto Business Loop I-96 (Cedar Street south / Larch Street north) for the return to Interstate 496 (Exit 7). The loop was first signed in 1986.

The one-way frontage street couplet of St. Joseph (west) and Main Street (east) forms a collector/distributor roadway system for Interstate 496 from the Grand River into the folded-diamond interchange with Business Loop I-96 & Capitol Loop at Cedar Street. Interstate 496 opened in stages between 1963 and 1970 as an 11.8-mile urban loop through Lansing. Pleasingly, the freeway is signed with a 70 mile per hour speed limit throughout.

Full cloverleaf interchanges are still viable as freeway to freeway connections when they are coupled with collector/distributor roadways. Such is the case where the U.S. 127 freeway meets Interstate 69 on the northeast side of Lansing.

Business Loop Interstate 96 (Grand River Avenue) bisects the split of Interstate 69 east from Interstate 96 west. A diamond interchange joins the Interstate 96 mainline between the I-69 mainline and the I-69 to I-96 “Wye” connector to the north. Grand River Avenue represents the historic routing of U.S. 16 through northwest Lansing. The US Route was wholly replaced by Interstate 96 from Muskegan eastward to Detroit and thus removed from the state in 1962.

Michigan 6 begins at the Exit 46 directional interchange adjacent to the Thornapple River. M-6 consists of a 19.71-mile freeway bypass of Grand Rapids between Interstates 96 and 196. The route was completed in 2004. Emergency Interstate 96 follows the freeway west to Exit 15 (M-37). An Emergency M-6 is also posted along 36th Street from Exit 44 of Interstate 96 as well.

Another full-cloverleaf interchange with c/d roadways joins the M-6 freeway with U.S. 131 at Cutlerville. A diamond interchange ties into the c/d roadways from the south at 68th Street. U.S. 131 is a modern freeway leading north to Exit 81 and not so much from there to downtown Grand Rapids. Overall the U.S. 131 freeway stretches 169 miles from Portage to Manton.

Spanning the Grand River, U.S. 131 prepares to meet Interstate 196 and become a part of the hidden Interstate 296 at Exit 86. Variable curve speed signs are posted in both directions of the elevated freeway as U.S. 131 kinks westward to span the waterway.

At least one official Michigan Highway Map showing Interstate 296 points to the “Wye” connector from U.S. 131 to Interstate 96 near Walker. U.S. 131 remains adjacent to the Grand River northward from the city to Comstock Park (Exit 91) as the Wye ties into Interstate 96 at M-37 (Exit 30).

A partial “Y” interchange facilitates movements from Interstate 96 west onto Interstate 196 west via a left-hand ramp at Exit 37. Originally, Interstate 196 followed the current I-96 mainline from Grand Rapids to Muskegan, with Interstate 96 planned to angle southwesterly to Interstate 94 at St. Joseph. In 1961, all of the freeway from Lansing to Muskegan was completed, and this “Y” was not open, so Interstate 96 transitioned onto Interstate 196. A swap in designations occurred in 1963, but the current alignment of Interstate 196 was not completed through Grand Rapids until 1964.¹

Looking northward at the Interstate 196 (Gerald R. Ford Freeway) crossing of the Grand River from Bridge Street. Ramps to U.S. 131 tie into the bridge from the west. That interchange is unusual in that the carriageways of U.S. 131 switch sides so that northbound is west of southbound and vice versa to accommodate left-hand ramps to the Ford Freeway.

Continued southwest along Interstate 196 to its conclusion at Interstate 94 near St. Joseph. Then Interstate 94 took us the remainder of the way for day 3 to Port Huron. Traveling through Kalamazoo, Interstate 94 underwent widening from a point west of the U.S. 131 interchange to Oakland Drive between 2006 and 2008. This work included the replacement of the southbound U.S. 131 loop ramp onto I-94 east with a directional ramp.

$52-million widening of the freeway east from Oakland Drive (Exit 75) to Portage Road (Exit 78) commenced in April 2009 and expands the freeway to six lanes and redesigns the Westnedge Avenue interchange from a six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange into a single point urban interchange (SPUI).² Work should be completed on this project by the end of this month.

Interstate 194 draws to a southbound close at the full-cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 94 opposite a sprawling retail area bounding the intersection of M-66 and Beckley Road. I-194, one of those designations that eluded the Rand McNally Road Atlas for decades, was completed in 1966 as a 3.4-mile spur into downtown Battle Creek from Interstate 94. The highway doubles as a leg of M-66.

We come full circle at the Interstate 94 junction with Interstate 69 outside Marshall. Business Loop I-94 begins and follows Interstate 69 south to Michigan Avenue (old U.S. 12) and is signed with Coldwater on this auxiliary guide sign. Secondary control cities for freeway to freeway connections are often signed on ground level signs such as this in Michigan. Such as Chicago and Detroit are the primary cities for Interstate 94; secondary cities include Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Jackson and Ann Arbor among others.

Completed through Jackson by 1960, Interstate 94 combines with U.S. 127 between Exits 138 and 142 along a narrow stretch of freeway on the north side of town. A partial-cloverleaf interchange follows the crossing of the Grand River and eastbound drivers see this Interstate 94 trailblazer at the Exit 139 gore point sign. There are not many instances of a shield and diagonal arrow posted on an Interstate mainline…

Interstate 94 expands to six overall lanes at Exit 167 (Baker Road), near Dexter, through to the split with the M-14 freeway at Ann Arbor. M-14 constitutes a 22.54-mile freeway linking Ann Arbor and the western suburbs of Detroit with Interstates 96 & 275 at Livonia. Michigan 14 replaced the routing of U.S. 12 when that route shifted to the south in 1956, replacing the original U.S. 112 alignment. M-14 joined the freeway from Ann Arbor to Livonia as it opened between 1964 and 1979.

Interstate 94 carries just four lanes from Exits 171 to 180, expanding to six lanes from the U.S. 23 freeway to the city of Detroit. Once at U.S. 24 (Telegraph Road), the freeway passes through a SPUI accented with two blue arches, formally named the Gateway Arch Bridges. Constructed as part of a $55-million upgrade of Interstate 94 between the airport and downtown, the Gateway Arch Bridges support the Interstate 94 mainline above Telegraph Road with a clear span of 246 feet between the abutments.

The Exit 202 single point urban interchange replaced an unusual interchange that resembled back to back trumpet interchanges with U.S. 24 within a wide carriageway split of Interstate 94. Construction relocated the eastbound mainline to closely line the westbound carriageway through the new SPUI. A portion of the original eastbound was abandoned, leaving behind a grassy footprint along side Beverly Road.

45 minutes to travel three miles so that six or seven asphalt patches could be made, we reach the Interstate 94 junction with Interstate 96. Interstate 96 continues a short distance southeast to Interstate 75, where major work on the Gateway Project was completed in 2009 that extended the I-96 carriageways alongside I-75 to a proposed connection with the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, Ontario. The MDOT and City of Detroit elements of the project are complete, The Detroit International Bridge Company portion, including the addition of high speed ramps between the suspension bridge and Interstate 96. The organization has neglected to complete its connection, instead focusing on building a duty-free shop in the path of one of the planned ramps. This has resulted in truck traffic remaining along city streets to make the connection.³

Interstates 69 east & 94 north merge at Port Huron for their final approach to the Bluewater Bridge to Sarnia, Ontario. MDOT began a major rework of the freeway in March 2011 as part of a project to reconstruct the last two miles of I-69 & 94 at Port Huron. Elements of the $90-million construction include a new nine-lane span for the freeway (mainline and c/d roadways) over the Black River, an improved Water Street interchange (Exit 274), a revamp of the partial “Y” interchange with the Lapeer Connector to provide access in both directions, and the replacement of the left-hand ramp to Pine Grove Avenue (Business Loop I-69 & 94) with one that departs from the right. See the MDOT project map for more details on the work expected to last until November 2012.

Sources:

1. Michigan Highways: Highways 180 through 199, Chris Bessert.
2. “I-94 widening and South Westnedge Avenue interchange project to break ground in June” MDOT, April 16, 2009.
3. “Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun may face jail time, penalties.” Detroit Free Press, November 4, 2011.

Approaching the Combs-Hehl Bridge, a pair of cantilever bridges spanning the Ohio River between Kellogg Avenue in Cincinnati and Fort Thomas, Kentucky, along Interstate 275 west (inner loop). These bridges opened in 1979 and carry six lanes of travel. More info on the span can be found at Cincinnati-Transit.net.

A short distance west of the Combs-Hehl Bridge is directional interchange with Interstate 471 and the U.S. 27 connector. U.S. 27 travels high above the beltway via Alexandria Pike in this scene. Construction underway along Interstate 275 involves concrete pavement replacement for both directions of the freeway within Campbell County and the addition of cable barriers along the highway median. Eastbound work will be completed by December 1, 2011; westbound construction commences on April 1, 2012 and lasts through September 1, 2012.

Spanning the Ohio River again via the Taylor-Southgate Bridge of U.S. 27. This cantilever bridge opened in 1995, replacing the original Central Bridge that was demolished by late 1992. Bridge placards from the 1890-built cantilever truss bridge were restored and mounted at both ends of the Taylor-Southgate Bridge.

Heading into downtown Cincinnati, we documented the west end of U.S. 22 and the north end of U.S. 22. U.S. 22 & Ohio 3 follow a one-way street couplet of 7th (eastbound) and 9th (westbound) Streets between Main and the U.S. 27-42-52-127 couplet of Central Avenue and Plum Street. U.S. 22 & Ohio 3 end at the intersection of Central Avenue and 6th Street (Ohio 264), sharing an overlap with U.S. 27-52-127. U.S. 25 has a simpler end, concluding at the Ohio state line along the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge with U.S. 42 & 127.

U.S. 27 north & U.S. 52 west (and U.S. 50 Truck west) follow Central Avenue northward from Mehring Way to 3rd Street (U.S. 42 & 127). The U.S. 50 mainline parts ways with Interstate 71 above after sharing a brief overlap from Fort Washington Way to the east. U.S. 42 & 127 combine with U.S. 27 & 52 along Central Avenue beyond 3rd Street.

Reassurance shields for U.S. 27-42-52-127 follow the Central Avenue intersection with 4th Street and the northbound on-ramp to Interstate 75.

U.S. 22 & Ohio 3 begin at the Central Avenue intersection with Ohio 264 (5th Street) east. A six-way overlap with U.S. 27-42-52-127 continues for two blocks. Pictured here is the first shields for U.S. 22 & Ohio 3. North for U.S. 22 should display East.

U.S. 22 & Ohio 3 part ways with U.S. 27-42-52-127 (Central Avenue) for 7th Street eastbound and follow that street through to Gilbert Avenue. U.S. 42 also splits here but is not acknowledged along the two-block overlap with 7th to Elm Street northbound.

U.S. 22 & Ohio 3 west follow Main Street one block north to make the connection between 8th and 9th Streets in downtown Cincinnati. 9th Street carry the tandem west to Central Avenue.

U.S. 27-52-127-42 eastbound / southbound utilize Plum Street southbound from Ezzard Charles Drive through the turn onto 6th Street west to Central Avenue and Ohio 264. This photo looks at the southbound block of Plum between 8th and 7th (U.S. 22 & Ohio 3 east) Streets.

U.S. 27 & 42 follow 3rd Street west under the Interstate 71 and U.S. 50 ramps to Interstate 75 and turn again onto the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge to Covington, Kentucky. U.S. 25 used to follow this bridge fully, but now ends at the state line. “JCT” was added to this button copy overhead to indicate the truncation of U.S. 25 from Ohio.

U.S. 25 begins formally at the Kentucky state line, midway across the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge over the Ohio River. The US Route travels 750 miles south to Brunswick, Georgia, but originally continued all the way north to Port Austin, Michigan. The route north from Cincinnati was vastly replaced by Interstate 75 and so Michigan and Ohio truncated the route wholly from their jurisdictions by 1974.

Westbound end shield assembly for Ohio 562. Following the Norwood Lateral, Ohio 562 provides a freeway connection between Interstate 71 at Norwood with Interstate 75 at St. Benard. Completed in the 1970s to coincide with Interstate 71 construction, the freeway utilizes a portion of right of way originally allocated for a 1920s subway system.

Interstate 74 carried us westward to Indianapolis from Cincinnati. A new six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange opened July 9, 2008 at Greensburg.¹ The exit brings U.S. 421 westbound onto the freeway for its overlap through to the Indianapolis Beltway and also serves a new Honda auto assembly plant constructed to the west.

Once I-74 reaches Interstate 465, the designation shifts to the south side of the Indianapolis Beltway between Exits 94 and 73. A freeway spur continues the I-74 mainline otherwise to Southeastern Avenue (former U.S. 421). ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) mileposts continue for Interstate 74 until the the stub overtakes old U.S. 421. This is not a unique scenario to just this location, as Interstate 670′s ITS markers continue along the U.S. 62 freeway spur from its end at Interstate 270 at Columbus, Ohio.

We opted for a revisit of Interstate 70 through the Circle City. Pictured here is the merge with Interstate 65 southbound along the east side of the central business district. The two freeways share 2.13-miles of pavement and a lengthy collector/distributor roadway system (Exit 83A) acts as local lanes to the express lanes of the freeway mainline.

Part of the work involved with the Accelerate 465 project to reconstruct the Indianapolis Beltway includes a redesign of the former directional-cloverleaf interchange with the Sam Jones Expressway. When the expressway first opened in 1969, it served as the main route to Indianapolis International Airport from downtown and points eastward. A new terminal for the airport opened in 2008 west of the beltway by Exit 68 of Interstate 70, reducing the traffic along the Airport Expressway. Renamed in 2007 after local civic leader Sam Jones, the west end of the expressway is now being redesigned to utilize a standard diamond interchange with Interstate 465. Traffic lights will govern all movements between the north-south freeway and now downgraded arterial.

Work of Accelerate 465 entails all of the beltway from Mann Road northward to 56th Street. Construction is completed north of the 38th Street (Exit 17) interchange and in portions between Interstates 70 and 74. A major component of the work otherwise is the upgrade of the former cloverleaf interchange with Interstate 74 west and Crawfordsville Road (former U.S. 136) east at Exit 16. Work focuses on eliminating the I-74 freeway stub to Crawfordsville Road, adding ramps to U.S. 136 (Crawfordsville Road) west of the beltway, and replacing the antiquated loop ramps with high-speed ramps. This will truncate U.S. 136 to its new interchange with the beltway and provide two continuous lanes for Interstate 74 west and east from and to the beltway.

Another new interchange to open along Interstate 74 in 2008 is the Exit 68 diamond interchange with Ronald Reagan Parkway at Brownsburg. Funded by the Major Moves initiative, the exit is part of an overall plan for a new 15-mile north-south roadway linking Interstates 70, 74 and 65 to the west of Indianapolis.

Approaching the junction with Interstate 57 along Interstate 74 west in Champaign. Interstate 57 meets Interstate 72 at the next interchange southbound from Interstate 74.

Traveling through a substandard section of Interstate 57 through the city of Kankakee. Road work is presently underway just north of Exit 312 at the interchange with Illinois 50. A $39.5-million project is underway to reconstruct SR 50 from Armour Road to Larry Power Road, rebuild the ramps between the state route and freeway, and replace the Interstate 57 overpass. That work will be underway until December 2013.²

An Interstate 294 trailblazer directs motorists from Interstate 57 north onto Interstate 80 east at Exit 345A. There is no direct connection between Interstate 57 and the Tri-State Tollway presently and U.S. 6 provides the shortest route between the two roads via 159th Street. A proposal is underway to build a new interchange between the two highways at a cost of $580 million.

Interstates 80 & 294 combine along the southeastern most portion of the Tri-State Tollway through to the merge with Interstate 94 (Bishop Ford Freeway / Calumet Expressway) at SR 394. Major reconstruction occurred here between January 2005 and July 2007, resulting in an improved Kingery Expressway (Interstates 80 & 94 east to the Indiana state line).

Sources:

1. "INDOT officially opens revamped I-74." Greensburg Daily News, July 9, 2008.
2. “Kankakee County: I-57 construction clogs traffic” The Daily Journal, November 5, 2011.

Work associated with the Progress 65 project in Montgomery is now complete. Despite the presence of construction barrels in this scene taken November 3, 2011, there was no active work. Interstate 65 was widened to six lanes on a 4.613-mile stretch through Montgomery and speed limits increased to 60 mph. All final guide signs are in place.

Shelby County widening of Interstate 65 from Exit 242 (CR 52) north to the Jefferson County line is near completion. The freeway carries six lanes on this stretch with increased ramp capacity at the suburban interchanges of Alabama 119 (Cahaba Valley Road), CR 52 and CR 17 (Valleydale Road). Future expansion will focus on the freeway south from Exit 242 to Exit 238, and eventually the Shelby County Airport interchange (Exit 234).

Work continues on the reconstruction of Interstate 65 from the Jefferson County line northward to U.S. 31 (Exit 252) at Vestavia Hills. When we passed through in June, northbound traffic was partitioned between a single lane and two-lane carriageway split and no signs were left for Interstate 459. Now southbound utilizes that configuration while northbound continues with three overall lanes and new Highway Gothic font based signs are in place. Work on this aspect of the Progress 65 project is slated for completion this upcoming winter.

Many cities and metro areas in the country have an interchange nicknamed "Malfunction Junction", the Birmingham example of this is the junction where Interstate 65 meets Interstates 20-59 northwest of downtown. Large diagrammatical signs went up in 2003 to accompany a reconstruction of the junction. Left-hand ramps remain in use in all directions as both sets of carriageways intertwine.

The only remaining button copy shields for Interstates 20 and 59 remain on the ramp from Interstate 65 north to the eastbound overlapped freeway. These signs date from the completion of Malfunction Junction in 1972.

Turn east and cross a viaduct and one quickly meets U.S. 31 and the eastbound beginning of U.S. 280, otherwise known as the Elton B. Stephens Expressway. Constructed between 1962 and the 1980s, the urban freeway varies from an elevated highway southward through a rock cut at Red Mountain. U.S. 280 follows the roadway southward to Rosedale Drive at the Birmingham Zoo and travels 392 miles overall to Blitchton, Georgia (west of Savannah).

Interstate 20 east and 59 north part ways at Woodlawn and northeast Birmingham. Interstate 20 resumes an eastward course to Atlanta and Columbia while Interstate 59 travels northeast to Gadsden and the Chattanooga area.

Interstate 459 ends at Exit 137 of Interstate 59. Interstate 459 was completed in 1985 and provides a high speed bypass for Interstate 59 between Tuscaloosa and Gadsden. The planned North Beltline (Interstate 422) will tie into Interstate 59 at a point further north.

Most of Interstate 59 consists of asphalt pavement, but the stretch between Exit 183 and near Stephen Gap Road in Etowah County utilizes a concrete surface. A 10.91-mile progress, dubbed Progress 59, is underway to rehabilitate the pavement. Currently travelers in both directions utilize the southbound carriageway with one lane per direction. Concrete resumes as the surface for I-59 throughout Dekalb County.

A new alignment was constructed for 49th Street between U.S. 11 and Gault Avenue on the north side of Fort Payne in 2010. The roadway ties into Interstate 59 at the Exit 224 diamond interchange, opened July 30, 2010, to provide access to Fort Payne Industrial Park. ¹

The northernmost 20.67 miles of Interstate 59 travels through Georgia to end at Interstate 24. Raccoon Mountain rises in the background.

Exit 178 partitions into ramps for hidden Interstate 124 & U.S. 27 north to downtown Chattanooga, U.S. 11-41-64 (and U.S. 72 too) along Broad Street northbound and Williams Street southbound.

Lowering toward the split with U.S. 11 north & 64 east at Exit 11. A loop ramp was added recently from US 11 south/64 west onto Interstate 75.

Interstate 75 enters a "Fog Advisory Area" between Exits 27 and 42. Sign bridges with dynamic message signs are posted at Exits 27 and 33 to advise motorists of speed limit changes and weather conditions during periods of dense fog. A similar configuration exists along the Interstate 10 Bayway in Alabama. Both are a result of tragic car pile ups induced by dense fog conditions (1990 in Tennessee, 1995 in Alabama).

Interstate 40 and 75 combine and share an eight-lane freeway through to Knoxville. Occasionally auxiliary lanes swell the freeway to ten lanes. Though in the early afternoon during inclement weather in this scene, traffic was already moderate. Traffic counts have risen steadily from 128,308 vehicles per day (vpd) in 1995 to a peak of 166,054 vpd in 2009.

Interstate 75 drops from six to four lanes on the exit of the Knoxville area at Exit 112.

Approaching Exit 83 with Kentucky 2872 at the crossing of Silver Creek along Interstate 75 northbound. A diamond interchange opened in 2005 with Duncannon Lane, a multilane connector leading northeast to U.S. 25 at the Blue Grass Army Depot. The exit replaced a rest area that previously resided south of Duncannon Lane.

A recent change sees all Interstate shields along Interstate 75 northbound, including the overlap with Interstate 64 west, replaced with state-named shields in Fayette County.

There was little let up to the rain through to the merge with Interstate 71 and into the Covington and Newport area. 2.26 inches of rain fell at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport no less…

Sources:

1. "New interchange opens in Dekalb County." WAFF-TV, July 30, 2010.

Painted skies at dawn.

A seagull at the Mackenzie River ferry. Yep, they do have them even thousands of miles from the nearest sea.

Some yellow and some evergreens.

Dawn. We take the first ferry across the Mackenzie River at Fort Providence. A bridge is being built, and will be opened sometime in 2012.

Yes, there is still a large gap in the bridge.

Looking like the makings of an excellent sunrise.

Also: attention, very bad flash photo.

A well-made bear sign.

Brightly colored dawn.

A closer view.

Everything is bright orange.

Off to the side.

More orange. More trees.

One last one before we leave the area.

The leaves are definitely changing color.

Bright yellow trees.

And some orange ones.

A truss bridge on the road to Yellowknife.

This is a standard bear highway marker.

Northwest Territories changed from green signs to blue sometime in the early 2000s.

The only place I saw a pentagon route 3. The others were all 1s. And this is the only photo from Yellowknife worth displaying. Not much to see there.

Nothing to see here, just a duck and a flag.

Cutout bison seems to be made of individual planks.

Fall colors.

The bison sign proves accurate.

A pair of bison. We’re in the middle of a large herd.

A year-old bison: young enough to look like a calf, but with the dark brown coat of an adult.

No traffic. No highway patrol. Set cruise control to a reasonable velocity.

I’m not sure what this plant is, but – let’s be honest with ourselves here! – it looks like a fuzzy turd.

A look back up the road to Yellowknife, even though right now we are heading back towards Alberta.

Plenty of older green signs still survive.

The crow is eyeing the dog’s lunch.

Bring out your nuisances. The sign, by the way, points to the garbage dump.

The sign at one point said “3″ instead of “1″. We are on highway 3 – the sign was an error.

We find ourselves back at the uncompleted bridge at Fort Providence.

A large piece of construction equipment.

We are on the ferry now.

Similar view as in the morning.

This might be the oldest sign we see on the trip. Very much custom fonts here. The road turns to dirt a couple miles down, so we will not continue that way.

The only green bear I found. Turns out there is another one at this junction which I flat out missed. Fearless and indestructible AARoads contributor Jim Lindsay got a photo of it a week before I was there, so it is preserved for posterity.

One of many random two-track roads that go to who knows where.

An incident of That Gull.

Some iridescent clouds.

I believe this is a Korean Air flight. Blue tail livery, and the general trajectory seems about correct for Seoul to Toronto or New York.

More yellow trees.

the farthest east we will head in Northwest Territories is the 5/6 junction. Alas, here we see no green bears.

Ominous distant clouds.

A cloud so big it needs the fisheye lens to be fit in correctly.

A small flash of color.

A bit of a rain shower on the windshield.

A better look at one of the Waterfalls Route markers.

Shooting dandelions directly into the sun.

Very bright colors.

And we’re going to leave off there with that sunset teaser. Next up – sunset and northern lights in Northwest Territories!

did I see the northern lights? In the interest of maintaining suspense, I’m not going to say quite yet.

Sunset. Usually shooting directly into the sun is a bad idea. Sometimes it isn’t.

The northern lights. Yep, they were out. This is about as bright as they get – when the red, purple, and green mix together to form a band of white.

Directly overhead, spanning the entire sky.

I used the fisheye lens for nearly all of the aurora photos seen here.

A view from the air. Crossing the Rockies, and I’m not quite sure but I believe that is Glacier National Park. (the one in Montana)

The Trans-Canada highway. The town at lower left is Exshaw, which is well on the way to Banff from Calgary.

And we’re on the ground. Our route takes us up the Mackenzie Highway to Northwest Territories.

Yes, that is a cutout moose advisory sign!

Standard route markers for primary and secondary.

Oops. This is supposed to be a secondary route, not a primary one.

A very important intersection. 43 continues to the Alaska Highway, while 49 goes to the Mackenzie Highway. Interesting that the two numbers are patches. Maybe the numbers were something else before? Without an old Alberta map, I just do not know.

We’ve reached the Mackenzie Highway. I didn’t take many pictures along this stretch, as I was dashing northward as fast as possible to be in viewing position for the northern lights.

In other news, this is the peak weekend for the leaves changing as well.

Sunset, looking the opposite direction as the photo I started off with.

The Mackenzie highway is always given two signs like this.

Sunset over a westbound secondary route.

The road’s primary purpose seems to be to service this radio tower.

Getting darker.

Looking off to the north.

Extremely wide-angle shot exaggerates the mild tilting of this post.

That about does it for sunset.

What do we have here?

A terrible photo which I had to publish just because it is unintentionally compelling. This is underexposed by what must be 13 or 14 stops, and is stretching the threshold of the CCD’s detecting ability.

This was the intended result.

The lights flared up, and I elegantly blew out the exposure.

Another long exposure – two minutes or so.

This exposure is maybe five seconds. That is how bright they can suddenly get!

The road heading … south? Yep, we’ve overshot our mark!

Red mixed in with green.

An exposure of moderate length. Wind is causing the trees to blur.

Time to get the fisheye, as it’s coming over the top.

A tower of green.

A very short exposure of the very beginning of a burst.

Directly overhead, and coming straight down.

Just a few seconds later.

Now with some context!

I must reiterate, that this spans the entire field of view, from one horizon to the other.

A giant spiral in the sky.

A truck goes by. Very light traffic at this hour – there was an interval where I spent about 20 minutes parked in the road without any problem.

The show goes on. Usually an active interval lasts 10-15 minutes. This one was 45!

The border line, with the barest glimmer of northern lights in the background. The next day, we’ll get a much more interesting photo of this same scene.

Our first Northwest Territories sign. Usually, NWT uses a route marker with a bear on it, but it looks like for a little while they experimented with this pentagon.

This sort of thing happens up here too.

Some very fine discrete filaments.

Sometimes the red and purple fringes are more prominent.

A very long exposure.

About the farthest we’ll get from actual shields with bears on them.

There, actual bears. Better photos to come during daylight hours.

The moon sets, while the northern lights continue.

Warning: photo may contain Clearview.

and that’s it for this day! Next up … daylight photos from Northwest Territories – and more northern lights!