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Worst roads you have ever driven?

Started by Jbte, November 04, 2016, 11:42:46 PM

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cl94

Quote from: upstatenyroads on November 13, 2016, 09:52:36 PM
US 219 SB between Interstate 86/NY Route 17 and the Pa. state line near Bradford, Pa. is in really, really bad shape. Most of it is marked at 55 MPH, with the exception of the Limestone, N.Y. at 40.  It was the first time that I've felt concern for the suspension of a Jeep Wrangler while driving a state owned highway. I had to ramp back to about 45 MPH to keep from bouncing all over the place. I believe this is the original concrete with lots of paved patchwork.

I have only driven that stretch NB, which is in decent shape.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

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machias

#51
Quote from: cl94 on November 13, 2016, 10:00:41 PM
Quote from: upstatenyroads on November 13, 2016, 09:52:36 PM
US 219 SB between Interstate 86/NY Route 17 and the Pa. state line near Bradford, Pa. is in really, really bad shape. Most of it is marked at 55 MPH, with the exception of the Limestone, N.Y. at 40.  It was the first time that I've felt concern for the suspension of a Jeep Wrangler while driving a state owned highway. I had to ramp back to about 45 MPH to keep from bouncing all over the place. I believe this is the original concrete with lots of paved patchwork.

I have only driven that stretch NB, which is in decent shape.

Yes, the NB stretch is in much better shape than southbound. When I was younger you could always tell when you crossed the state line because pavement quality would go down as you left NYS. Now it's the opposite.

Gnutella

Two memorably bad Interstate experiences I've had:


1. I-20 in South Carolina from the Georgia state line to Columbia. Back in 2003, when I first drove this segment of I-20, I had to cruise in the left lane because the right lane was nothing but broken and buckled concrete. I'm an ardent "keep right" except to pass person, so the experience was annoying.

2. I-710 in the Los Angeles area. It's the only Interstate I've ever driven that has done damage to the vehicle I was driving. Thankfully it was a rental car, and thankfully I was still pretty close to LAX so I could easily limp over and exchange it for another vehicle. It was an expansion joint at an underpass that did the damage, creating a loud BOOM inside the vehicle.

plain

Damn near every surface street I've been on in New Orleans smdh pothole capital of the USA
Newark born, Richmond bred

tchafe1978

Nearly every county highway in Lafayette County, WI. We're in the Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin, and it is very hilly. All the county highways were built to the lay of the land, with many tight curves, and most retain their original alignments dating to their original construction, save for flattening out a curve here or there. They are all narrow, 11 ft lanes, with no shoulders. You never know, while flying over the next crest of a hill, if you'll encounter a tractor, Amish buggy, or a cow in the road that escaped its pasture. I think the county might reconstruct one stretch of highway per year, otherwise the county's definition of highway maintenance is to chip seal. That means you get loose gravel flying up at your windshield from the car in front of you until the gravel either all gets washed off the road or finally gets compacted enough to stick. 6 months later you can feel all the old bumps again.

TEG24601

I have several, including stretches of I-69 through Flint... but those are easy, due to poor road surface and potholes.


However, there is something even worse...


There are several places, a good example is I-5 South bound between SR-518 and Federal Way, where when the road was expanded for extra lanes or the HOV lanes, the new surface was built next to the main road, then sealed with tar.  The problem that comes up is that the surfaces expand, contract, and settle at different rates, causing the seam to catch your tire as you are driving down the road.  That would be great, if the seam stayed in the lane or was between tire bands, but they aren't, they will slide to the right from time to time, and unless you know about this stretch of roadway, you end up running into the next traffic lane.


This is not unique to I-5, we had a left turn lane added locally on SR-525, and they simply widened the shoulders to accommodate.  It was done around 2006, but it was only in the last year, that my tire didn't catch and try to drag me a different direction than traffic.
They said take a left at the fork in the road.  I didn't think they literally meant a fork, until plain as day, there was a fork sticking out of the road at a junction.

Roadgeekteen

on my recent dc trip my car hit a pothole, but I forgot which road.
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Max Rockatansky

J1 in west of I-5 California is about as bad as it gets for paved roadways.  I actually dedicated a thread to it over on the Pacific Southwest Board.  U.S. 66 between Ludlow to Goffs, Blackrock Road, and Mineral King Road are pretty up there too for paved roadways.  Then again take away the poor maintenance and all them lose a lot of the charm that makes them foreboding in the first place.

Tonytone

In New york city, under the L Train, the roads are worse then the roads in mexico.


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TravelingBethelite

I-81 between Scranton and Harrisburg irritated me when I drove it as part of a roadtrip in October of 2015. I-79 south of the Pittsburgh area and I-70 between Washington, PA and the Ohio border (including all of West Viriginia's section) didn't seem all that nice last August either.  :meh:
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RobbieL2415

I-684 S from Brewster to ~Katonah, NY.  Concrete was infamously patched over due to frost heaves.  It's been replaced recently, though.

sparker

I'm inclined to say right here in San Jose, especially after the spate of recent storms.  I'm dodging potholes every day, even on my 3.5-mile jaunt to work and return -- and if I have to go to the east side of town for work-related things,  I have to encounter the detritus of flood damage due to washed-over bridges.  Streets here were bad enough, but after the weather started getting rough in December, matters just went from bad to worse.  Had to go down to Hollister last week for business -- used Monterey Highway (old US 101) to avoid freeway traffic -- and lanes were dropped from Coyote all the way through Morgan Hill and into San Martin -- all because of shoulder and right-lane washouts.  Truthfully, I've never seen this many local roads and streets in such deplorable condition that they're all but impassable!

I don't know how much of the funding to be raised by the new gas tax & registration fee increase will trickle down to the local level, but some influx of funds is certainly needed just to fix what's broken!  In the meantime, all of us up here will continue to be on the lookout for new potholes, washouts, and mudslides!

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: sparker on April 23, 2017, 05:41:14 AM
I'm inclined to say right here in San Jose, especially after the spate of recent storms.  I'm dodging potholes every day, even on my 3.5-mile jaunt to work and return -- and if I have to go to the east side of town for work-related things,  I have to encounter the detritus of flood damage due to washed-over bridges.  Streets here were bad enough, but after the weather started getting rough in December, matters just went from bad to worse.  Had to go down to Hollister last week for business -- used Monterey Highway (old US 101) to avoid freeway traffic -- and lanes were dropped from Coyote all the way through Morgan Hill and into San Martin -- all because of shoulder and right-lane washouts.  Truthfully, I've never seen this many local roads and streets in such deplorable condition that they're all but impassable!

I don't know how much of the funding to be raised by the new gas tax & registration fee increase will trickle down to the local level, but some influx of funds is certainly needed just to fix what's broken!  In the meantime, all of us up here will continue to be on the lookout for new potholes, washouts, and mudslides!

Speaking of San Jose, I was actually surprised all of 236 was open a couple months back after all the big storms.  There was large sections of 9 and 35 that were shut down in the Santa Cruz range from slide damage...I want to say 17 was even affected at some point?  Anyways, I've never driven a road that had some much tree fall debris than the one lane section 236...not even in the aftermath of a hurricane! lol  Suffice to say that was a fun day out in the mountains by myself, nobody else really wanted to go up there with all the road damage.

cpzilliacus

#63
Quote from: 74/171FAN on November 05, 2016, 08:57:40 PM
I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) EB where it exits off itself in only the right lane (other 2 lanes go to Exits 347A and 347B).  (with a "TO" error as well that was what messed me up)  It was the only time the configuration of a road has actually made me mad and yell to myself over it.

There are freeways in Pennsylvania that deserve mention here.

I have not been on I-70 west of New Stanton for several years, and I understand that PennDOT is making some improvements there to an otherwise beyond awful freeway-class road.

But I-83 between the Maryland border and I-81 north of Harrisburg is about as bad except for the reconstructed parts (some complete with more coming) roughly along this section south of York and passing York.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

Inyomono395

CA 58 east of US 395 keeps getting worse. It's absolutely terrible now. The last time I was on it I noticed caltrans had posted multiple "Rough Road" signs.

noelbotevera

Quote from: cpzilliacus on May 01, 2017, 12:24:27 AM
Quote from: 74/171FAN on November 05, 2016, 08:57:40 PM
I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) EB where it exits off itself in only the right lane (other 2 lanes go to Exits 347A and 347B).  (with a "TO" error as well that was what messed me up)  It was the only time the configuration of a road has actually made me mad and yell to myself over it.

There are freeways in Pennsylvania that deserve mention here.

I have not been on I-70 west of New Stanton for several years, and I understand that PennDOT is making some improvements there to an otherwise beyond awful freeway-class road.

But I-83 between the Maryland border and I-81 north of Harrisburg is about as bad except for the reconstructed parts (some complete with more coming) roughly along this section south of York and passing York.
My dad (and I in tow) have driven both of those....let's just say you grip that steering wheel with iron, because you either, a. crash into the car next to you (really narrow), b. hit a pothole, or c. crash whenever you attempt to exit (tight exit ramps).

Mr_Northside

#66
Quote from: noelbotevera on May 01, 2017, 10:38:44 PM
My dad (and I in tow) have driven both of those....let's just say you grip that steering wheel with iron, because you either, a. crash into the car next to you (really narrow), b. hit a pothole, or c. crash whenever you attempt to exit (tight exit ramps).

Hard to argue (c); (b) can vary; and for what it's worth regarding (a), while the inside shoulders/median of these highways is excessively small, the travel lanes themselves shouldn't be any more narrow.  And when you drive, you're supposed to stay in the lines.
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myosh_tino

Quote from: Inyomono395 on May 01, 2017, 09:27:18 PM
CA 58 east of US 395 keeps getting worse. It's absolutely terrible now. The last time I was on it I noticed caltrans had posted multiple "Rough Road" signs.

Really?

I drove that section of 58 back in October and I don't remember it being that bad.  Things should be a little better now that the Hinkley Bypass is open to traffic.

I'll be on 58 again next week when I return from Las Vegas after a mini-vacation.
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nexus73

Worst Road Ever!...at least as experienced by me.  The former SR 1 in Lost Coast (NorCal) Country.  80 miles of beating you and your vehicle to pieces is what awaits the unwary from the start in Ferndale all the way to 101.  On the other hand there are spectacular views including one where the altitude is so high that it makes the ocean blur and look like it is part of the sky.  Toss in a black beach too.  Imagine seeing a negative of a regular beach and yes it is dramatic!  Lots of cattle ranching takes place in this section of Humboldt County.  By the time those cows get to market, they're already tenderized hamburger...LOL!

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.

Inyomono395

Quote from: myosh_tino on May 02, 2017, 05:27:30 PM
Quote from: Inyomono395 on May 01, 2017, 09:27:18 PM
CA 58 east of US 395 keeps getting worse. It's absolutely terrible now. The last time I was on it I noticed caltrans had posted multiple "Rough Road" signs.

Really?

I drove that section of 58 back in October and I don't remember it being that bad.  Things should be a little better now that the Hinkley Bypass is open to traffic.

I'll be on 58 again next week when I return from Las Vegas after a mini-vacation.

It's always been a little rough, but when I was on it a couple weeks ago it was in terrible shape.
I'm sure it had a lot to do with the construction trucks working on the Hinkley bypass. I can't wait for the kramer juntion bypass! Let me know how the road is when you go through there.

epzik8

Quote from: cpzilliacus on May 01, 2017, 12:24:27 AM
Quote from: 74/171FAN on November 05, 2016, 08:57:40 PM
I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) EB where it exits off itself in only the right lane (other 2 lanes go to Exits 347A and 347B).  (with a "TO" error as well that was what messed me up)  It was the only time the configuration of a road has actually made me mad and yell to myself over it.

There are freeways in Pennsylvania that deserve mention here.

I have not been on I-70 west of New Stanton for several years, and I understand that PennDOT is making some improvements there to an otherwise beyond awful freeway-class road.

But I-83 between the Maryland border and I-81 north of Harrisburg is about as bad except for the reconstructed parts (some complete with more coming) roughly along this section south of York and passing York.
I-83 from Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland to York is one of my home stretches of Interstate, and I hate navigating it south of York.
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texaskdog

My daughter hit a pothole so deep that we got a flat on Sunday. 



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