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[kphoger]

I-35 South, somewhere between Ottawa and Emporia, Kansas
Shot with my cell phone on Feb. 20, 2012

[kphoger]

Passing down the center line between two trucks — on the bypass around Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.
Taken during March 2010 (I was actually the driver, I think Sara Patterson took the picture).

[kphoger]

Long and straight through the Chihuahuan Desert.
Carretera Federal 40 eastbound, between La Paila and Saltillo, Coahuila — March 2009.

[Morriswa]

What in the world were you doing driving down the center of the road, between two semis, no less?

[kphoger]

A2 highways (called 'supercarreteras' in common parlance) are designed for this.  They have wide paved shoulders, and the shoulder line is a broken white line.  They are commonly constructed where traffic volume is too heavy for a simple two-laner but funds aren't available for a four-lane highway.  Some drivers have even developed the habit of riding the shoulder nonstop, I guess so they don't have to watch their mirrors.

If I'm behind a slow-moving vehicle (as in the picture), here's the practice:  I crowd the center line and put my left blinker on; the truck in front of me slides over and straddles the shoulder line; I creep over the center line; any oncoming vehicles also slide over and straddle their shoulder line; and I just shoot down the middle.

When it's just passenger cars it's only a little bit nerve-shaking.  When it's 18-wheelers on either side of you, you get a little more nervous.  This was Saras first taste of Mexican-style passing.

Edit:  FYI, A2 highways are 7 meters from shoulder line to shoulder line, and have shoulders of 2.5 meters each.  That's a total width of 39 feet 4˝ inches.  By comparison, the standard minimum width for one side of an Interstate highway in the U.S. is 38 feet of pavement (4-ft left shoulder, 12-foot lane, 12-foot lane, 10-foot right shoulder).  So there's plenty of room for three vehicles to pass by each other.  It still makes for a pretty cool picture, though, huh?

[Morriswa]

kphoger,
That is nuts!  We don't do that in America (at least, not the law-abiding citizens, anyway!).  I don't know if I could get used to that.  I'd probably have an accident.

[blawp]

Why not a slightly narrower shoulder and a 10 ft wide median?

[kphoger]

kphoger,
That is nuts!  We don't do that in America (at least, not the law-abiding citizens, anyway!).

Not true.  This is a somewhat common practice on Texas back roads.  In fact, I had my first experience with this type of driving on Texas SR 158 between Goldsmith and Gardendale back in the 1990s.  We were obviously tourists, with bikes on top of the car, just coming out of Goldsmith (read: trying to get back up to highway speed).  The truck in front of us straddled the shoulder, then three oncoming trucks straddled their shoulder, and I was able to pass down the middle.  Yes, on a U.S. road.  Let me tell you, it doesn't take long to get used to people moving out of your way!

Why not a slightly narrower shoulder and a 10 ft wide median?

Would that make any real difference in traffic capacity?  As it is, the shoulder can still be used for its two primary purposes:  as a storage area for breakdowns (or roadkill), and as a buffer between traffic and the edge of the pavement.

[agentsteel53]

Not true.  This is a somewhat common practice on Texas back roads.  In fact, I had my first experience with this type of driving on Texas SR 158 between Goldsmith and Gardendale back in the 1990s.  We were obviously tourists, with bikes on top of the car, just coming out of Goldsmith (read: trying to get back up to highway speed).  The truck in front of us straddled the shoulder, then three oncoming trucks straddled their shoulder, and I was able to pass down the middle.  Yes, on a U.S. road.  Let me tell you, it doesn't take long to get used to people moving out of your way!

I have never seen this behavior intentionally in the US.  Just once in (IIRC) Oklahoma when someone misjudged a distance towards an oncoming vehicle during a suicide pass.  Everyone reacted instinctively, and there were much brake lights and at one point all three cars were just about dead stopped side by side. 

[agentsteel53]

Taken at a Chevron station at the intersection of CA-58 and US-395. This is also the closest I've ever gone up to a BGS.

I hope you stopped by the antique store on the northwest side of the junction!  lots of great signs there.  ask to go in the warehouse!

[AsphaltPlanet]

A couple of mine that I think are interesting views:




The above are of Ontario's Hwy 403 approaching Mississauga's city centre from both directions


This one is Ontario's Hwy 427 before it was reconstructed to modern standards.


The four-level Hwy 427/407 interchange in Western Vaughan.


In Metro Detroit, this is the lodge freeway approaching the Golden Triangle in Southfield.

[agentsteel53]

that night shot is awesome! 

[kphoger]

Not true.  This is a somewhat common practice on Texas back roads.  In fact, I had my first experience with this type of driving on Texas SR 158 between Goldsmith and Gardendale back in the 1990s.  We were obviously tourists, with bikes on top of the car, just coming out of Goldsmith (read: trying to get back up to highway speed).  The truck in front of us straddled the shoulder, then three oncoming trucks straddled their shoulder, and I was able to pass down the middle.  Yes, on a U.S. road.  Let me tell you, it doesn't take long to get used to people moving out of your way!

I have never seen this behavior intentionally in the US.  Just once in (IIRC) Oklahoma when someone misjudged a distance towards an oncoming vehicle during a suicide pass.  Everyone reacted instinctively, and there were much brake lights and at one point all three cars were just about dead stopped side by side. 

Yes, I've been told by a couple of people who grew up in Texas that folks often do it on the FM roads; the only other time I've seen it done stateside was when a trucker rode the shoulder on 54/400 somewhere east of Wichita to let me know it was OK to pass him (no oncoming traffic, though).

that night shot is awesome! 

Agreed.  I also like the other one, right below it; the curve of the highway is well placed in the photo.

[formulanone]

Agreed, the night shot is great!

Also, a capture of a rare bird, the Isuzu VehiCross in the last shot (yellow/gray).

[AsphaltPlanet]

Thanks guys!

I think I owe some compliments to the other contributors on this thread.

Long exposure night photography is a bit of a hobby of mine.  I shot this one last year of the Gardiner Expressway on approach to Downtown Toronto:

[CentralCAroadgeek]

Nice pictures AsphaltPlanet! Nice to see what vistas Canadian highways can offer. I especially like your night ones. But I have a question about the last one. Does Canada use orange for construction signs? I'm asking this because that "Construction Zone Ends" sign isn't orange.

Here's more of mine:

The Nevada state line sign in South Lake Tahoe. It also shows the elevation of Lake Tahoe.

A view of the I-5/I-210 interchange in the San Fernando Valley.

I-5 north curves in Sacramento before downtown.

I-680 north in San Jose.

A view of downtown San Jose from I-280 east, toward Highway 101.

Looking west toward the 280/880/17 interchange on I-280 north.

Before the picture above, this is taken on I-280 north. This shows the flyover ramp to Southwest Expressway.

The view after entering I-280 north from US-101 north.

A view of hills in South San Jose along Highway 101, this being northbound.

Highway 101 north in south Santa Clara County.

Highway 101 descending in San Benito County after the 152 interchange and before the 129 exit.

The view of the eucalyptus forest along 101 in San Benito County.

And, saving the best for last,

Taken on the onramp from I-880 south to I-280 south. This overlooks I-280 north.

[Sanctimoniously]

The view of the eucalyptus forest along 101 in San Benito County.

Wow, that looks like a beautiful drive.

[xcellntbuy]

Absolutely fantastic photos!

[Jim]

I've been meaning to post some of my own favorites.  Starting with the Alaska Highway.  All from June 2001.



Northbound around Mile 200 in BC.



Northbound, north of Watson Lake.



Nisultin Bay Bridge.



Southbound between Sheep Mountain and Haines Junction.



Northbound approaching Delta Junction.

[kphoger]

Kansas

[AsphaltPlanet]

Nice pictures AsphaltPlanet! Nice to see what vistas Canadian highways can offer. I especially like your night ones. But I have a question about the last one. Does Canada use orange for construction signs? I'm asking this because that "Construction Zone Ends" sign isn't orange.

Construction signs in general are orange in Canada. In fact both Ontario and Quebec sometimes stripe temporary lane markings in orange in construction zones. The white construction zone signage is somewhat of an anomaly unique to Ontario. (Though I am sure other provinces have other anomolies that I am not aware of).

[formulanone]

Two from County Road N1 in Los Angeles County, California. (2012)

[kphoger]

Not the best quality, since I shot it with my cell phone.
Under the canal route, 09-19-2011.
Specifically, it's where the 3rd Street canal spills out under the highway.

[CentralCAroadgeek]

A typical San Francisco street corner.

Highway 101 ascending in Marin County just after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.

Reflective signs in action on I-5 south just after the East LA Interchange. And no photo editing was used.

What just has to be my favorite vista in the Monterey Peninsula. Here, Highway 1 is descending from the Del Monte Forest just north of Carmel.

A speed limit 10 sign taken on the parking lot for Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey.

[Morriswa]

Here are some more that I have taken:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GA383LeavingFortGordon.JPG (GA SR 383, leaving Fort Gordon).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GA388EndGrovetown.JPG (GA SR 388's western terminus in Grovetown).

I don't know how to add the pictures directly.