Places where there are more lanes than nessacary

[Roadgeekteen]

I have no idea why I-95 North of Peabody has eight lanes.

[froggie]

Because you're too young to have fully experienced NH/Maine-bound vacation traffic...

[hotdogPi]

Because you're too young to have fully experienced NH/Maine-bound vacation traffic...

I-495 north of Lowell has only 3 in each direction, and it passes through Lawrence and Haverhill, while I-95 between Peabody and the New Hampshire border does not have nearly as much population.

[plain]

I-85 through Durham is definitely overkill

[PHLBOS]

Because you're too young to have fully experienced NH/Maine-bound vacation traffic...

Or rush-hour traffic to/from the Greater Boston area.

I-495 north of Lowell has only 3 in each direction, and it passes through Lawrence and Haverhill, while I-95 between Peabody and the New Hampshire border does not have nearly as much population.

Keep in mind that the current configuration of I-95 in that area dates back to 1974-75 (prior to then, it was only a 4-to-6 laner) about a decade after I-495 in the Merrimack Valley was first built. 

And while the population along that particular portion of the I-95 corridor is less than that along I-495; it does carry interstate traffic to/from the Greater Boston area.  Had I-95 between MA 128 and US 1/MA 60 been built as originally planned; the 4-to-6 lane stretch of US 1 from Peabody to Revere wouldn't be the gridlocked basketcase it is now.

[jeffandnicole]

If a highway is properly planned, newly built or widened highways should have plenty of excess capacity, as the design should look forward about 25 years and still accommodate the traffic demands.

As we are all familiar with, that rarely happens for numerous reasons.

[Jmiles32]

 I-295 having 8 lanes between I-95 and I-64 is probably the only obvious instance of lane overkill on interstates in Virginia. However I'm not complaining because for the most part its the exact opposite(cough I-81 cough).

If we're counting US routes as well then I would say parts of US-58(in the middle nowhere) US-17(between US-301 and US-360), and US-360(on the northern neck) would all be fine with 2 lanes, as the reason they were built with four lanes in the first place was likely for economic development.

[ajlynch91]

US-67 north of Poplar Bluff, MO is a 4 lane highway and I spotted about 10 cars between the aforementioned and just south of Farmington. Interstate wise, I-75 probably doesn't need a third lane in each direction between Cincinnati and Lexington, but it is a nice touch. I-94 between Gurnee, IL and Kenosha, WI could probably make do with three lanes, but the 4th lane will eventually extend all the way up to Milwaukee it seems, which is a good thing for regional traffic coming from Chicago.

[jp the roadgeek]

I-95 in Rhode Island. Width exceeds length 
And very little traffic, although I only have one experience to speak of.

ConnDOT will gladly take that extra lane off your hands and transplant it between New Haven and the NY line

[JJBers]

I-384 from it's start at I-84 to CT 85. 8 lanes to CT 83, then 6 lanes until CT 85.
Not needed for a town of 50,000, and it just ends at US 6/44.

[RobbieL2415]

I-384 from it's start at I-84 to CT 85. 8 lanes to CT 83, then 6 lanes until CT 85.
Not needed for a town of 50,000, and it just ends at US 6/44.

Not all of those are through lanes though.

Going westbound, extreme left lane becomes HOV lane, extreme right lane is exit 1 to I-84/I-291/Buckland St., middle two lanes through to Hartford.

Going eastbound they taper one lane off at exit 3 and then exit 5.

[pianocello]

I've always wondered why the stretch of I-73 in Greensboro is 8 lanes between I-40 and I-85.

Similarly, I think I-75 between Flint and Saginaw, MI could have gotten away with only 6 lanes rather than the 8 that are currently there. I'm not too familiar with vacation traffic in that area, though.

[Beltway]

I-295 having 8 lanes between I-95 and I-64 is probably the only obvious instance of lane overkill on interstates in Virginia. However I'm not complaining because for the most part its the exact opposite(cough I-81 cough).

The I-295 northeast quadrant is busier than most people realize.  Between I-95 and VA-627 Meadowbridge Rd. it is just over 100,000 AADT.  Between VA-627 Meadowbridge Rd. and VA-156 Airport Drive it ranges from about 87,000 to 82,000 AADT.  Between VA-156 Airport Drive and I-64 it is about 68,000 AADT.  80,000+ AADT warrants 8 lanes.

If we're counting US routes as well then I would say parts of US-58(in the middle nowhere) US-17(between US-301 and US-360), and US-360(on the northern neck) would all be fine with 2 lanes, as the reason they were built with four lanes in the first place was likely for economic development.

All three were designated for 4-laning in 1964 in the state's arterial network of intra-state highways that supplement the Interstate system.  Due to the interregional nature of the traffic and the heavy truck percentages.  Some segments of US-17 and US-360 have not yet been widened.

[michravera]

I have no idea why I-95 North of Peabody has eight lanes.

Any such configuration in California is likely due to a closed military installation or to the fact that it was thought inadvisable to reduce the lanes from 4 in each direction down to two too quickly after continuing past an exit that grabs most of the traffic.

If you drive I-280 on a weekend in northern Santa Clara and southern San Mateo counties in California, you wonder why it has 4 or 5 lanes in each directions. Drive it on a weekday and you wonder why it doesn't have 7 or 8.

[DevalDragon]

3 lanes on the Indiana Toll Road between Lake Station and East Chicago. Hardly any traffic at all.

[Roadgeekteen]

3 lanes on the Indiana Toll Road between Lake Station and East Chicago. Hardly any traffic at all.

This is sarcasm right?

[Bickendan]

On first blush, one could wonder why I-5 through the Grapevine is so wide. But only on first blush.

[jwolfer]

I-95 near Brunswick snd Darien GA has 8 lanes. The entire state is 6 lanes

LGMS428

[Beltway]

I-95 near Brunswick and Darien GA has 8 lanes. The entire state is 6 lanes
LGMS428

All the bridges were built with 4 thru lanes each way when the I-95 was widened in Georgia.  Probably because of the high complexity obtaining EIS approvals, the high environmental impacts of constructing bridges in wetlands, the desire to widen once for all and not have to deal with the environmental issues again.  Much of the length of the route passes thru wetlands and/or flood plains.  Usually it is the outer lane that is left unopened.  It appears that in fill sections that they went ahead and widened the fill so that it will be wide enough for the 4th lane; again to widen the fills once and not have to deal with it again.

Regarding near Brunswick and Darien, my surmise is that with the number of bridges on that segment they went ahead and built the 4th lane on the land sections as well.  I don't think there is any real difference in traffic volumes.

I have an unproved theory that the 4th lane is already built throughout; that the right shoulder is 12 feet wide and is full depth mainline pavement.  If that is the case then all they need to do in the future is build a paved shoulder, when they want to open the 4th lane.

This all makes sense when considering that 6 lanes should be adequate for many years maybe 20 years after construction, but someday they will need 8 lanes.

[jwolfer]

I-95 near Brunswick and Darien GA has 8 lanes. The entire state is 6 lanes
LGMS428

All the bridges were built with 4 thru lanes each way when the I-95 was widened in Georgia.  Probably because of the high complexity obtaining EIS approvals, the high environmental impacts of constructing bridges in wetlands, the desire to widen once for all and not have to deal with the environmental issues again.  Much of the length of the route passes thru wetlands and/or flood plains.  Usually it is the outer lane that is left unopened.  It appears that in fill sections that they went ahead and widened the fill so that it will be wide enough for the 4th lane; again to widen the fills once and not have to deal with it again.

Regarding near Brunswick and Darien, my surmise is that with the number of bridges on that segment they went ahead and built the 4th lane on the land sections as well.  I don't think there is any real difference in traffic volumes.

I have an unproved theory that the 4th lane is already built throughout; that the right shoulder is 12 feet wide and is full depth mainline pavement.  If that is the case then all they need to do in the future is build a paved shoulder, when they want to open the 4th lane.

This all makes sense when considering that 6 lanes should be adequate for many years maybe 20 years after construction, but someday they will need 8 lanes.

I noticed most of the bridges were wide enoigh for 8 lanes.. It seemed like auxiliary lanes between exits in urban areas.. Bur there is a few mile between exits.

I really appreciate Georgia after dricinf south through the Carolinas.. Georgia widened 95 even thought it does not serve the major population center of Atlanta.  NC and SC ignore 95 at the expense of their larger cities because its only for people going to and from Florida

LGMS428

[pianocello]

3 lanes on the Indiana Toll Road between Lake Station and East Chicago. Hardly any traffic at all.

This is sarcasm right?

Not even a little bit. There's hardly any traffic because it costs $8 less in tolls to get from Lake Station to downtown Chicago via I-94 than the toll road. Combine that with the decline in commuting to Whiting, East Chicago, and Gary, as well as the rising popularity of the South Shore Line, that section of the Indiana Toll Road doesn't see as much traffic as it (presumably) used to.

[Beltway]

I really appreciate Georgia after dricinf south through the Carolinas.. Georgia widened 95 even thought it does not serve the major population center of Atlanta.  NC and SC ignore 95 at the expense of their larger cities because its only for people going to and from Florida

Either of them has a much longer mileage of I-95 in their state.  I-95 does directly serve Savannah and Brunswick, small but important cities.  I-95 does indirectly serve Raleigh/Durham, Columbia and Charleston.

Georgia does deserve a lot of credit for expanding the 112 miles of I-95 thru their state.

SC and NC needs to get with the program.

[jwolfer]

I really appreciate Georgia after dricinf south through the Carolinas.. Georgia widened 95 even thought it does not serve the major population center of Atlanta.  NC and SC ignore 95 at the expense of their larger cities because its only for people going to and from Florida

Either of them has a much longer mileage of I-95 in their state.  I-95 does directly serve Savannah and Brunswick, small but important cities.  I-95 does indirectly serve Raleigh/Durham, Columbia and Charleston.

Georgia does deserve a lot of credit for expanding the 112 miles of I-95 thru their state.

SC and NC needs to get with the program.

I think SC is more willing but doesnt have the funding.. NC is concentrating on the i85 corridor and the myriad of new interstates... Spend some money on fixing 95 and let i74 and i73 wait..

95 wont get fixed until they are tolled

LGMS428

[SectorZ]

Because you're too young to have fully experienced NH/Maine-bound vacation traffic...

Or rush-hour traffic to/from the Greater Boston area.

I-495 north of Lowell has only 3 in each direction, and it passes through Lawrence and Haverhill, while I-95 between Peabody and the New Hampshire border does not have nearly as much population.

Keep in mind that the current configuration of I-95 in that area dates back to 1974-75 (prior to then, it was only a 4-to-6 laner) about a decade after I-495 in the Merrimack Valley was first built. 

And while the population along that particular portion of the I-95 corridor is less than that along I-495; it does carry interstate traffic to/from the Greater Boston area.  Had I-95 between MA 128 and US 1/MA 60 been built as originally planned; the 4-to-6 lane stretch of US 1 from Peabody to Revere wouldn't be the gridlocked basketcase it is now.

In my 39 years... the next time I see a traffic report for 95 between Peabody and Newburyport will be the first time.

[SteveG1988]

Betsy Ross Bridge. 8 Lanes between 1976 and 1999. Instead of a zipper barrier they put in a normal Jersey Barrier due to the bridge not being as used as it was designed for, giving it 6 lanes and a shoulder. Only NJ-Philly bridge with a shoulder.

I think any bridge that gets underused like that would count, you could argue the Commodore Barry Bridge (US322) has a similar situation, but it does have a zipper barrier so it must get more use in theory.