Worst interstate ever

[1995hoo]

confusion between direction traveled vs. which segment of road they're on

The number of idiots who say "US 25 East" and "US 25 West" in this part of Kentucky, when we've had the suffixed US 25 splits for eons, never ceases to amaze me.

When I hear someone say something like that not in the context of giving directions, I assume they're referring to the part of a road that lies in a given direction. For example, when I was in college, everyone in Charlottesville referred to the portion of US-29 located north of the bypass (an area of heavy commercial development) as "29 North." Someone giving directions from the airport to the Holiday Inn might say, "Take Airport Road east to the traffic light, then go south on 29 North until you cross Hydraulic Road. The hotel is then on the right."

In the years before I-66 opened inside the Capital Beltway everyone here called it "66 East" regardless of the direction involved (thus, the westbound commuter bus that used the road prior to it opening to the public would leave the Ballston Metro and take "66 East" to the Beltway, which of course is a westbound trip).

[froggie]

And in the case of Minnesota, MNDOT advises travelers going through the Twin Cities to use I-35W.

Do they really?  Used to be they'd recommend 35E to the 494/694 beltway due to congestion on 35W.

Especially when I-35E is marked as not the main route.

I'd like to know your reasoning behind this one.  Especially since I-35's milemarkers follow I-35E.

More like 35 Wet amirite?

Noyernot.

[FightingIrish]

And in the case of Minnesota, MNDOT advises travelers going through the Twin Cities to use I-35W.

Do they really?  Used to be they'd recommend 35E to the 494/694 beltway due to congestion on 35W.

I've seen signs at the north and south junctions that advised thru traffic to take 35W. I assume they especially mean large trucks, which aren't allowed on the parkway section of 35E.

But when all is said and done, they're both I-35, and whenever anyone mentions 35W or 35E, everyone in Minnesota knows what they're talking about.

[I94RoadRunner]

And in the case of Minnesota, MNDOT advises travelers going through the Twin Cities to use I-35W.

Do they really?  Used to be they'd recommend 35E to the 494/694 beltway due to congestion on 35W.

Especially when I-35E is marked as not the main route.

I'd like to know your reasoning behind this one.  Especially since I-35's milemarkers follow I-35E.

More like 35 Wet amirite?

Noyernot.

Yes, I remember seeing the sign for 35W as the through route not too long ago. I will try to get a pic of it next time I am in that area.

[ethanhopkin14]

The main reason the 35Ws and 35Es have existed is because neither city in both twin city example wanted to relinquish the Interstate 35 designation.  And also because they, in both cases, reunite back into Interstate 35 at both ends, they were allowed to remain.  In Dallas and Ft. Worth the suffixed interstates are referred to as just 35 or I-35.  This is exactly why they wanted the suffixes to remain.

[kkt]

The main reason the 35Ws and 35Es have existed is because neither city in both twin city example wanted to relinquish the Interstate 35 designation.  And also because they, in both cases, reunite back into Interstate 35 at both ends, they were allowed to remain.  In Dallas and Ft. Worth the suffixed interstates are referred to as just 35 or I-35.  This is exactly why they wanted the suffixes to remain.

Yes.  That sort of petty jealousy at the expense of out-of-area travelers is exactly why Interstate numbers should not be determined by the cities they pass through.

[FightingIrish]

The main reason the 35Ws and 35Es have existed is because neither city in both twin city example wanted to relinquish the Interstate 35 designation.  And also because they, in both cases, reunite back into Interstate 35 at both ends, they were allowed to remain.  In Dallas and Ft. Worth the suffixed interstates are referred to as just 35 or I-35.  This is exactly why they wanted the suffixes to remain.

Yes.  That sort of petty jealousy at the expense of out-of-area travelers is exactly why Interstate numbers should not be determined by the cities they pass through.

Tell ya what. Next time you run into someone who is truly confused by it, by all means, let us know.

[Bickendan]

Looking at it again, the alternatives to the current numbering all have serious problems.  There's only four E-W interstates that cross the intermountain west, I-10, I-40, I-80, and I-90.  There's no need for more.  I-84 only goes 1/4 of the way across the country, and thus shouldn't have an I-x0 interstate number.  Also, Portland is a river port, not a sea port, and a good deal smaller metro area than L.A., S.F., or even Seattle.  The midwest and east coast have many more interstates, and the current interstate numbering works better there because there's no need for E-W routes across Lake Michigan or much north of Massachusetts.

Correction: Portland is an inland seaport. The distinction should be made because both the Willamette and Columbia Rivers are big and deep enough to handle seafaring vessels.

[ethanhopkin14]

The main reason the 35Ws and 35Es have existed is because neither city in both twin city example wanted to relinquish the Interstate 35 designation.  And also because they, in both cases, reunite back into Interstate 35 at both ends, they were allowed to remain.  In Dallas and Ft. Worth the suffixed interstates are referred to as just 35 or I-35.  This is exactly why they wanted the suffixes to remain.

Yes.  That sort of petty jealousy at the expense of out-of-area travelers is exactly why Interstate numbers should not be determined by the cities they pass through.

Tell ya what. Next time you run into someone who is truly confused by it, by all means, let us know.

I think the confusion is only there when people try to think of them as Interstate 35 East and Interstate 35 West. That is not their names. The letter is not a direction designation.  They are Interstate 35E and Interstate 35W.  The letter at the end is just another digit. The funny thing is in Dallas and Fort Worth the control cities for those interstate are Waco (south) and Denton (north).  If you are with it enough you know that I-35 goes through those towns so you know if you get on I-35E south you will wind up in Waco and back on I-35 so there is no need to get confused.

[kkt]

Looking at it again, the alternatives to the current numbering all have serious problems.  There's only four E-W interstates that cross the intermountain west, I-10, I-40, I-80, and I-90.  There's no need for more.  I-84 only goes 1/4 of the way across the country, and thus shouldn't have an I-x0 interstate number.  Also, Portland is a river port, not a sea port, and a good deal smaller metro area than L.A., S.F., or even Seattle.  The midwest and east coast have many more interstates, and the current interstate numbering works better there because there's no need for E-W routes across Lake Michigan or much north of Massachusetts.

Correction: Portland is an inland seaport. The distinction should be made because both the Willamette and Columbia Rivers are big and deep enough to handle seafaring vessels.

Portland can handle some smaller ocean-going ships, but there are also a lot that cannot easily make the twisty trip upriver.  Really big ships go to Puget Sound or the San Francisco Bay.

[Avalanchez71]

I say that I-69 is useless.  What about the I-11 that everyone is talking about useless.  What point is there with I-49 going around LA then up to Kansas City?

[seicer]

I wish we could get rid of the US 25 and US 31 suffixes. They are especially confusing in Kentucky, where some of these routes converge. Nothing about this makes sense: http://goo.gl/maps/WIBjO

US 25 enters at top; US 25W diverges south; US 25E goes west and east, when it should just head east. And in Tennessee, US 25W is multiplexed for much of its length.

[Brandon]

I wish we could get rid of the US 25 and US 31 suffixes. They are especially confusing in Kentucky, where some of these routes converge. Nothing about this makes sense: http://goo.gl/maps/WIBjO

US 25 enters at top; US 25W diverges south; US 25E goes west and east, when it should just head east. And in Tennessee, US 25W is multiplexed for much of its length.

AASHO tried.  One of the results was the never used US-37.

[hbelkins]

I wish we could get rid of the US 25 and US 31 suffixes. They are especially confusing in Kentucky, where some of these routes converge. Nothing about this makes sense: http://goo.gl/maps/WIBjO

US 25 enters at top; US 25W diverges south; US 25E goes west and east, when it should just head east. And in Tennessee, US 25W is multiplexed for much of its length.

The suffixes never bothered me. It would appear to me that Tennessee is the primary champion of the suffixed routes, since it has the most of any state.

As for the US 25E extension, I guess Kentucky wanted a consistent route number for the four-lane route that connects to I-75. I don't remember what the state route number was for that road before 25E was placed on it. I suppose "Spur 25E" would work.

[kurumi]

AASHTO should play King Solomon with the suffixed I-35's: tell MSP and St. Paul that I-35 will be decommissioned entirely. The city that protests, saying the route should be kept alive and given to the other city, will get to keep it.

[Brandon]

AASHTO should play King Solomon with the suffixed I-35's: tell MSP and St. Paul that I-35 will be decommissioned entirely. The city that protests, saying the route should be kept alive and given to the other city, will get to keep it.

That's the easy one.  I-35E there is substandard (by court order) and should be I-235.  Now, Dallas and Fort Worth on the other hand...

I-45 could be extended north to Denton, I-35 goes through Fort Worth, and I-35E between Dallas and I-35 to the south can become I-135.

Now about those I-69s.

[agentsteel53]

AASHTO should play King Solomon with the suffixed I-35's: tell MSP and St. Paul that I-35 will be decommissioned entirely. The city that protests, saying the route should be kept alive and given to the other city, will get to keep it.

I think that trick has worked precisely once in recorded history.

[kkt]

AASHTO should play King Solomon with the suffixed I-35's: tell MSP and St. Paul that I-35 will be decommissioned entirely. The city that protests, saying the route should be kept alive and given to the other city, will get to keep it.

That's the easy one.  I-35E there is substandard (by court order) and should be I-235. 

Yes.

Now, Dallas and Fort Worth on the other hand...

I-45 could be extended north to Denton, I-35 goes through Fort Worth, and I-35E between Dallas and I-35 to the south can become I-135.

That would get rid of the suffixed route, but I was thinking someday US 75 from Dallas to Tulsa would turn into a new section of I-45.  And it leaves I-635 without a connection to I-35.

I-35W could become I-33.  Maybe having a 2di instead of a 3di would be a big enough bone to throw to Ft. Worth's ego.

Now about those I-69s.

The law requires the east and central branches to be "designated" I-69 East and I-69 Central.  The law doesn't require those to be the only designations.  They could call I-69E I-369 everywhere and then put up a supplementary guide sign every 10 miles with an Interstate 369 shield and "I-69 East Branch" below it.

[Zzonkmiles]

Just read through all 9 pages of this thread.

Wow, you guys are serious, serious dudes. Very impressive.

Here are my nominations:

Worst engineering: I-83 in Pennsylvania. The last time I drove on it, there weren't any acceleration ramps and the jersey barrier in the center was too close to the passing lanes, so a distracted driver could easily crash into it.

Most in need of widening:  I-26 in South Carolina. Lots of truck traffic and travelers going from the Midwest to Florida clog this road up, not to mention the fact that it links two of the state's biggest cities.

Worst numbering scheme:  The eastern terminus of I-64. This interstate is fine until you get to the Norfolk area, where the eastbound route somehow turns clockwise and heads west for several miles like it's some type of beltway. This road really should have been numbered I-264 or 464 or something like that, but it might be a situation similar to why Dallas and Fort Worth fought over keeping the I-35 designation. I guess having a 3di is not good for business?

Worst waste of a 2di number:  I-97 because it's shorter than my driveway. Seriously, I don't see why this can't be an extension of I-83. I REALLY despise the possible designation I-101 because what would a 3di of I-101 be called?

Most frustrating interstate terminus:  A two-way tie between the southern end of I-75 and the eastern end of I-70.  Really, both of these interstates should end at a junction with I-95.

Interstate with the worst "brand:"  I-73/74 because, well, I'm not sure they will ever be finished and I don't want to drive on the segments that exist now because they may end in random places and I'll get lost.

Worst junction (that I've driven on): Take a look at the I-20/26/126 junction in Columbia, SC. Whoa...

Least safe: I-77 in West Virginia. If you were to tell me that 5 people died on this interstate because of crossover accidents every day, I would believe you. No center guardrails or jersey barriers to be found, and the northbound and southbound lanes arethisclosetoeachother.

Random comments related to earlier posts in this thread:

1. Why aren't the Hawaii interstates simply 1, 2, 3 and 101?  I mean, if we already have two I-88s and two I-86s, why not have two I-2s or I-3s?  It's not like the people in the 48 contiguous states will confuse Hawaii's I-2 with the I-2 in southern Texas.

2. Someone said I-2 was a wasted number. Why? It fits perfectly in the grid, right? How else should it be numbered?

3.  I agree that I-4 was poorly planned. Even doubling its lanes would likely not be enough to accommodate all the traffic.

4.  I also agree that I-3 is a lousy designation. Okay, so we want to number roads based on honoring military brigades? Riiiiight. It's just cheap political posturing that ignores the common good. But really, Augusta and Savannah are two of the biggest cities in Georgia. They really should have an interstate connection. I don't see why I-18 is not an option.

[Bruce]

Seems to me that Interstate 705 was ignored. The 1.5-mile glorified offramp into Tacoma is basically worthless and replaced tracks leading up to Union Station, which is a pretty nice looking train station.

Plus, everyone hates Tacoma.

[kkt]

Seems to me that Interstate 705 was ignored. The 1.5-mile glorified offramp into Tacoma is basically worthless and replaced tracks leading up to Union Station, which is a pretty nice looking train station.

Plus, everyone hates Tacoma.

I-705 gives trucks a quicker way to the Port of Tacoma that doesn't involve waiting for ages at the railroad crossing.  I like Union Station too, but it wasn't I-705 that motivated removing the tracks.  A competitive port is a good thing.

Tacoma isn't all bad, especially now that the Asarco smelter is gone.

[RoadWarrior56]

I nominate the worst stretch of Interstate I have traveled in recent years - I-70 in SW Pennsylvania between the Turnpike and the WV State Line!

[texaskdog]

AASHTO should play King Solomon with the suffixed I-35's: tell MSP and St. Paul that I-35 will be decommissioned entirely. The city that protests, saying the route should be kept alive and given to the other city, will get to keep it.

That's the easy one.  I-35E there is substandard (by court order) and should be I-235.  Now, Dallas and Fort Worth on the other hand...

I-45 could be extended north to Denton, I-35 goes through Fort Worth, and I-35E between Dallas and I-35 to the south can become I-135.

Now about those I-69s.

35E is a practice freeway in Saint Paul.  35W is the mainline.

I-45 need to go north along US 75 into Oklahoma.

[texaskdog]

Just read through all 9 pages of this thread.

Wow, you guys are serious, serious dudes. Very impressive.

We spend a lot of time worrying about things 99.999% of the world could care less about.  Luckily the .001% of us are all on here.

[texaskdog]

The main reason the 35Ws and 35Es have existed is because neither city in both twin city example wanted to relinquish the Interstate 35 designation.  And also because they, in both cases, reunite back into Interstate 35 at both ends, they were allowed to remain.  In Dallas and Ft. Worth the suffixed interstates are referred to as just 35 or I-35.  This is exactly why they wanted the suffixes to remain.

Yes.  That sort of petty jealousy at the expense of out-of-area travelers is exactly why Interstate numbers should not be determined by the cities they pass through.

Back when anyone actually cared.  It's like people on this site saying everyone would be outraged if there city lost an x5 or an x0