Highways you're surprised it hasn't gotten truncated/decommissioned

[Max Rockatansky]

The one highway I've always thought insignificant was US-68.  What is its' purpose?

It makes at least some sense in Kentucky.  But in Ohio it runs due north/south.  WTF?

US-24 runs north and south in Michigan. Why not end it in Toledo?

Better yet -- swap out US 24 and US 224 east of Huntington, IN.  Keeps 24 on its basic east-of-Peoria trajectory, and a 3dus can pretty much assume any configuration its planners want.  Seems like when US 24 was commissioned 80-odd years ago, the concept was to take it to Detroit -- but not exactly!  With I-75 taking over the major Toledo-Detroit task, the western bypass of Detroit that is the east/north end of US 24 can simply revert to M-24 without serious issue, with US 224 ending in Toledo.

The only issue I have is that Telegraph really is a high quality roadway that should be at least of some US Route.  Within Metro Detroit US 24 is different enough than I-75 to justify it still existing IMO.  Interestingly US 24 does a similar northward jog at it's western terminus in Colorado.

[Flint1979]

Speaking of M-185 maintenance it is currently closed and being rebuilt due to erosion and part of the highway being washed away. It was kind of funny to read that they have a detour for pedestrians, bikes and horses.

[Flint1979]

The one highway I've always thought insignificant was US-68.  What is its' purpose?

It makes at least some sense in Kentucky.  But in Ohio it runs due north/south.  WTF?

US-24 runs north and south in Michigan. Why not end it in Toledo?

Better yet -- swap out US 24 and US 224 east of Huntington, IN.  Keeps 24 on its basic east-of-Peoria trajectory, and a 3dus can pretty much assume any configuration its planners want.  Seems like when US 24 was commissioned 80-odd years ago, the concept was to take it to Detroit -- but not exactly!  With I-75 taking over the major Toledo-Detroit task, the western bypass of Detroit that is the east/north end of US 24 can simply revert to M-24 without serious issue, with US 224 ending in Toledo.

I was thinking it could be an extension of M-24 and I see where Max posted since you did saying that Telegraph is a high quality road that deserves a US highway I don't disagree with that but don't think it really matters. It's one of only two US highways to enter the city of Detroit currently when there use to be 5. Don't forget that I-75 between Toledo and Detroit was already part of scaling back a US highway with US-25 as well. Even though it's a bit further west it follows another US highway in US-23 as well. US-24 somehow survived being a route between Toledo and Clarkston.

I don't see why the US highways couldn't run next to the interstates serving more local traffic like US-41 and I-75 in Georgia.

[Flint1979]

I also believe that Telegraph is the busiest surface street in Metro Detroit. Even busier than Woodward.

[Max Rockatansky]

I also believe that Telegraph is the busiest surface street in Metro Detroit. Even busier than Woodward.

Not only that but Telegraph has some of the best traffic light flow of any major urban surface road you'll likely encounter.  Every once in awhile you can hit a full run through Detroit where you don't even stop once because the lights are managed so well.  It's one of the few surface expressways that can legitimately stand up to a freeway as an urban commuter route IMO.  Grand River/M-5 and Eight Mile/M-102 are very similar to how Telegraph is set up. 

[sparker]

The one highway I've always thought insignificant was US-68.  What is its' purpose?

It makes at least some sense in Kentucky.  But in Ohio it runs due north/south.  WTF?

US-24 runs north and south in Michigan. Why not end it in Toledo?

Better yet -- swap out US 24 and US 224 east of Huntington, IN.  Keeps 24 on its basic east-of-Peoria trajectory, and a 3dus can pretty much assume any configuration its planners want.  Seems like when US 24 was commissioned 80-odd years ago, the concept was to take it to Detroit -- but not exactly!  With I-75 taking over the major Toledo-Detroit task, the western bypass of Detroit that is the east/north end of US 24 can simply revert to M-24 without serious issue, with US 224 ending in Toledo.

The only issue I have is that Telegraph really is a high quality roadway that should be at least of some US Route.  Within Metro Detroit US 24 is different enough than I-75 to justify it still existing IMO.  Interestingly US 24 does a similar northward jog at it's western terminus in Colorado.

Then just deploy US 224 over existing US 24 from Toledo to Pontiac over Telegraph, which I agree is a main artery; whether its function deserves retention of US status in light of parallel I-275 is arguable.  But either a Toledo or Pontiac terminus would work; one or another is certainly not a dealbreaker.

[Max Rockatansky]

The one highway I've always thought insignificant was US-68.  What is its' purpose?

It makes at least some sense in Kentucky.  But in Ohio it runs due north/south.  WTF?

US-24 runs north and south in Michigan. Why not end it in Toledo?

Better yet -- swap out US 24 and US 224 east of Huntington, IN.  Keeps 24 on its basic east-of-Peoria trajectory, and a 3dus can pretty much assume any configuration its planners want.  Seems like when US 24 was commissioned 80-odd years ago, the concept was to take it to Detroit -- but not exactly!  With I-75 taking over the major Toledo-Detroit task, the western bypass of Detroit that is the east/north end of US 24 can simply revert to M-24 without serious issue, with US 224 ending in Toledo.

The only issue I have is that Telegraph really is a high quality roadway that should be at least of some US Route.  Within Metro Detroit US 24 is different enough than I-75 to justify it still existing IMO.  Interestingly US 24 does a similar northward jog at it's western terminus in Colorado.

Then just deploy US 224 over existing US 24 from Toledo to Pontiac over Telegraph, which I agree is a main artery; whether its function deserves retention of US status in light of parallel I-275 is arguable.  But either a Toledo or Pontiac terminus would work; one or another is certainly not a dealbreaker.

Considering how infamously bad I-275 has been, in particular when was partially shut down for reconstruction I would say the corridor of Telegraph has plenty of redundant utility.  It certainly was my favored route out of West Bloomfield coupled with the Northwest Highway (current M-10) over I-275.  I-275 has the misfortune of carrying a ton of traffic tied to I-96 going to downtown Detroit in addition to the Metro Airport traffic. 

[Flint1979]

I also believe that Telegraph is the busiest surface street in Metro Detroit. Even busier than Woodward.

Not only that but Telegraph has some of the best traffic light flow of any major urban surface road you'll likely encounter.  Every once in awhile you can hit a full run through Detroit where you don't even stop once because the lights are managed so well.  It's one of the few surface expressways that can legitimately stand up to a freeway as an urban commuter route IMO.  Grand River/M-5 and Eight Mile/M-102 are very similar to how Telegraph is set up.

Woodward is setup like that for a little while too where it's at it's busiest in Oakland County. I agree about Telegraph. I've taken that from the Ohio line to the end of US-24 instead of I-75 and the Telegraph stretch was great. Honestly it seemed like no time making it from Flat Rock to Pontiac.

[Flint1979]

The one highway I've always thought insignificant was US-68.  What is its' purpose?

It makes at least some sense in Kentucky.  But in Ohio it runs due north/south.  WTF?

US-24 runs north and south in Michigan. Why not end it in Toledo?

Better yet -- swap out US 24 and US 224 east of Huntington, IN.  Keeps 24 on its basic east-of-Peoria trajectory, and a 3dus can pretty much assume any configuration its planners want.  Seems like when US 24 was commissioned 80-odd years ago, the concept was to take it to Detroit -- but not exactly!  With I-75 taking over the major Toledo-Detroit task, the western bypass of Detroit that is the east/north end of US 24 can simply revert to M-24 without serious issue, with US 224 ending in Toledo.

The only issue I have is that Telegraph really is a high quality roadway that should be at least of some US Route.  Within Metro Detroit US 24 is different enough than I-75 to justify it still existing IMO.  Interestingly US 24 does a similar northward jog at it's western terminus in Colorado.

Then just deploy US 224 over existing US 24 from Toledo to Pontiac over Telegraph, which I agree is a main artery; whether its function deserves retention of US status in light of parallel I-275 is arguable.  But either a Toledo or Pontiac terminus would work; one or another is certainly not a dealbreaker.

Telegraph and the Southfield Freeway both are good alternates to I-275 which gets very congested especially along the multiplex with I-96.

Another good parrellel street to take there is the Middlebelt/Orchard Lake combo. It's not setup as good as Telegraph but it's a good route to take.

[Flint1979]

The one highway I've always thought insignificant was US-68.  What is its' purpose?

It makes at least some sense in Kentucky.  But in Ohio it runs due north/south.  WTF?

US-24 runs north and south in Michigan. Why not end it in Toledo?

Better yet -- swap out US 24 and US 224 east of Huntington, IN.  Keeps 24 on its basic east-of-Peoria trajectory, and a 3dus can pretty much assume any configuration its planners want.  Seems like when US 24 was commissioned 80-odd years ago, the concept was to take it to Detroit -- but not exactly!  With I-75 taking over the major Toledo-Detroit task, the western bypass of Detroit that is the east/north end of US 24 can simply revert to M-24 without serious issue, with US 224 ending in Toledo.

The only issue I have is that Telegraph really is a high quality roadway that should be at least of some US Route.  Within Metro Detroit US 24 is different enough than I-75 to justify it still existing IMO.  Interestingly US 24 does a similar northward jog at it's western terminus in Colorado.

Then just deploy US 224 over existing US 24 from Toledo to Pontiac over Telegraph, which I agree is a main artery; whether its function deserves retention of US status in light of parallel I-275 is arguable.  But either a Toledo or Pontiac terminus would work; one or another is certainly not a dealbreaker.

Considering how infamously bad I-275 has been, in particular when was partially shut down for reconstruction I would say the corridor of Telegraph has plenty of redundant utility.  It certainly was my favored route out of West Bloomfield coupled with the Northwest Highway (current M-10) over I-275.  I-275 has the misfortune of carrying a ton of traffic tied to I-96 going to downtown Detroit in addition to the Metro Airport traffic.

I remember that they wanted to route I-96 down the Grand River corridor but went with Schoolcraft Road instead. The traffic probably would have funneled better through there if they would have been able to complete I-275.

[roadman65]

The US 319 concurrency with US 98 is useless. End US 319 at Medart which will fix that.

US 25 should be relocatedbto GA 57 south of Ludwici GA as its overlap with US 84 and 341 are ignored by locals.

[Flint1979]

An idea for US-24 would be to switch that highway and US-224 at Huntington, Indiana and have 224 go to Toledo and Detroit and 24 go to New Castle, Pennsylvania. It would be kind of pointless to do because it's just a route number but routes have been switched before. Just like my idea of switching US-27 and US-127 in Cincinnati just so 27 could still enter Michigan.

[silverback1065]

SR 340 in indiana, it serves no purpose and is literally a few hundred feet from US 40 it's entire route.

[Flint1979]

SR 340 in indiana, it serves no purpose and is literally a few hundred feet from US 40 it's entire route.

Wow I don't think I've seen a highway in that nature before. What really is the purpose of it? I've been clinching counties in Indiana lately and haven't come across this highway yet.

[NWI_Irish96]

SR 340 in indiana, it serves no purpose and is literally a few hundred feet from US 40 it's entire route.

Wow I don't think I've seen a highway in that nature before. What really is the purpose of it? I've been clinching counties in Indiana lately and haven't come across this highway yet.

It's a former alignment of US 40. In, Indiana, for INDOT to decommission a highway, a local jurisdiction has to agree to take over the road, and apparently Clay County didn't want to do it.

[bing101]

CA-77 in Oakland is not decommissioned even though its a tiny segment of a city street

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_185

CA-185 is not decommissioned too, CA-123, CA-238, CA-262, CA-61, CA-112, CA-260 and CA-114 should be handed over to the Cities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_114

CA-2 Santa Monica BLVD should truncated due to the fact that its unlikely that the Beverly Hills Freeway would be constructed and one of the most gentrified areas of Los Angeles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica_Boulevard

CA 77 for what is built is actually a freeway.  The Posey Tubes aren't getting relinquished to Alamdea and Oakland.  CA 262 is a major connector route between I-880 and I-680 that keeps getting state upgrades.  CA 185, CA 2, and CA 238 have been gradually relinquished just not completely.  Considering how much traffic used CA 114 and CA 119 to get to the Dumbarton Bridge there is no way the State will be able to get rid of those two.  CA 123, CA 61, and CA 112 can probably be handled locally. 

There's a high-maintenance drawbridge on 61 in Alameda between the main island and Bay Farms; that city isn't terribly keen on assuming the upkeep.   And San Mateo County would rather not deal with the state-owned portion of 109 or 114; the former is built on fill land and tends to occasionally settle, requiring sporadic rebuilding, while the latter is actually overused now that Facebook's HQ is adjacent to it.  But former through routes like 185, 77, and 112 east of I-880 are no longer vital connectors -- it's just that cities are generally in worse fiscal shape than the state in general, so assuming any more road maintenance that they currently have isn't in the cards -- they just don't sign the relinquishment agreements.  But Caltrans is persistent -- eventually they'll prevail -- or, in the case of the surface CA 238 -- simply let signage go to hell.  Kind of a sad and ignominious end for what in days of yore was US 101E!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasco_Road

But its also crazy that Caltrans never took over Vasco Road though given that it is a major commuter road in recent years from Brentwood to Livermore and its used as a bypass to I-680.

[Max Rockatansky]

CA-77 in Oakland is not decommissioned even though its a tiny segment of a city street

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_185

CA-185 is not decommissioned too, CA-123, CA-238, CA-262, CA-61, CA-112, CA-260 and CA-114 should be handed over to the Cities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_114

CA-2 Santa Monica BLVD should truncated due to the fact that its unlikely that the Beverly Hills Freeway would be constructed and one of the most gentrified areas of Los Angeles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica_Boulevard

CA 77 for what is built is actually a freeway.  The Posey Tubes aren't getting relinquished to Alamdea and Oakland.  CA 262 is a major connector route between I-880 and I-680 that keeps getting state upgrades.  CA 185, CA 2, and CA 238 have been gradually relinquished just not completely.  Considering how much traffic used CA 114 and CA 119 to get to the Dumbarton Bridge there is no way the State will be able to get rid of those two.  CA 123, CA 61, and CA 112 can probably be handled locally. 

There's a high-maintenance drawbridge on 61 in Alameda between the main island and Bay Farms; that city isn't terribly keen on assuming the upkeep.   And San Mateo County would rather not deal with the state-owned portion of 109 or 114; the former is built on fill land and tends to occasionally settle, requiring sporadic rebuilding, while the latter is actually overused now that Facebook's HQ is adjacent to it.  But former through routes like 185, 77, and 112 east of I-880 are no longer vital connectors -- it's just that cities are generally in worse fiscal shape than the state in general, so assuming any more road maintenance that they currently have isn't in the cards -- they just don't sign the relinquishment agreements.  But Caltrans is persistent -- eventually they'll prevail -- or, in the case of the surface CA 238 -- simply let signage go to hell.  Kind of a sad and ignominious end for what in days of yore was US 101E!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasco_Road

But its also crazy that Caltrans never took over Vasco Road though given that it is a major commuter road in recent years from Brentwood to Livermore and its used as a bypass to I-680.

Not really, it really has never been Caltrans MO to adopt roadways they weren't pressured into assuming control of.  The last real run of new highway mileage additions in the 1970s generally had the stipulation that they had to be built to state standards first.  Since then State standards haven't really aligned with what local authorities want hence why you get stuff like Vasco Road. 

[mrcmc888]

Almost all of US 41 south of Evansville parallels an interstate and should be axed.

Not only is US 46 a short intrastate route, it also parallels an interstate as well.

US 70 could also easily be cut back on the East Coast.

[Flint1979]

SR 340 in indiana, it serves no purpose and is literally a few hundred feet from US 40 it's entire route.

Wow I don't think I've seen a highway in that nature before. What really is the purpose of it? I've been clinching counties in Indiana lately and haven't come across this highway yet.

It's a former alignment of US 40. In, Indiana, for INDOT to decommission a highway, a local jurisdiction has to agree to take over the road, and apparently Clay County didn't want to do it.

That's interesting. I've got Clay County clinched I see with I-70 going through it but this is the first time I've ever seen SR-340's existence.

[sparker]

Not really, it really has never been Caltrans MO to adopt roadways they weren't pressured into assuming control of.  The last real run of new highway mileage additions in the 1970s generally had the stipulation that they had to be built to state standards first.  Since then State standards haven't really aligned with what local authorities want hence why you get stuff like Vasco Road. 

Vasco is indeed an odd beast; the improvements -- which have brought it out to better than state 2-lane criteria but yet still inadequate for the peak traffic flow -- are solely in Contra Costa County; the last 4 miles or so from the Alameda/Contra Costa county line south to I-580 in east Livermore are either unimproved 2-lane rural highway or a multilane suburban arterial hosting both through traffic north to Brentwood and Discovery Bay and local commuters from the subdivisions lining the road.   Fortunately, that's generally 3+3 -- although the sheer number of signals makes that section a slog.  It's the 2 miles of rural unimproved road on the SE slope of the Diablo range that is the "gauntlet" here.  The only thing seeming to move at all SB in the morning and NB in late afternoon is the KCBS traffic drone taking pix of the mess.  Alameda County doesn't seem interested in doing much about it, preferring to sit tight until such time as a new arterial from the I-580/CA 84 (Isabel Ave.) junction can be built northeast to intersect the improved Vasco at or near the county line.  But such plans haven't seen the light of day re funding or study; current Alameda County politicos see little or no benefit to expediting long-distance commuting out to the far eastern Contra Costa reaches -- leaving the slog along 580 as part of the daily ordeal.  Of course, the problem is that most of that commute traffic only crosses Alameda County en route to and from San Jose and environs -- they have no political clout within that county.  So expect the Vasco commute to be a major PITA for the foreseeable future.   

[KCRoadFan]

I'm surprised that in 6 pages of this thread, no one yet has mentioned US 1 in northern Maine between Madawaska and Fort Kent. Indeed, that was the route that came to mind for me when I saw the thread title.

Anyway, having traveled the entire length of US 1 from Fort Kent to Key West, Florida in Street View, I cannot for the life of me understand why US 1 was not truncated in Madawaska. That town connects to a much more important highway in New Brunswick than Fort Kent does, and the road from Madawaska to Fort Kent goes opposite its nominal direction (i.e. US 1 "north" actually goes southwest). To me, it would make a lot more sense to extend ME 11 from Fort Kent to Madawaska, while the north end of US 1 would be at the border bridge in Madawaska, as opposed to Fort Kent where it actually is.

[ChiMilNet]

Unless the connection to Peoria is ever finished (something I don't see happening in this lifetime given that IDOT is many higher priorities!), Interstate 180 Illinois. Pretty much a road to nowhere!
I would have also said the Elgin-O'Hare until the tollway took over and actually started extending it to at least O'Hare and gave it a number (IL 390)! I don't hold out any similar optimism for I-180.

[NWI_Irish96]

Unless the connection to Peoria is ever finished (something I don't see happening in this lifetime given that IDOT is many higher priorities!), Interstate 180 Illinois. Pretty much a road to nowhere!
I would have also said the Elgin-O'Hare until the tollway took over and actually started extending it to at least O'Hare and gave it a number (IL 390)! I don't hold out any similar optimism for I-180.

I just drove 180 Sunday as part of a trip to clinch some IL interstate mileage. Was it designed to go to Peoria? That would make sense. The best I could figure is that it had something to do with the power plant at the end.

[CoreySamson]

I think US-96, especially the Beaumont-Port Arthur section where it needlessly runs with 287 and 69, should be axed.

Make the remaining parts northward to Tenaha SH-13.

[ChiMilNet]

Unless the connection to Peoria is ever finished (something I don't see happening in this lifetime given that IDOT is many higher priorities!), Interstate 180 Illinois. Pretty much a road to nowhere!
I would have also said the Elgin-O'Hare until the tollway took over and actually started extending it to at least O'Hare and gave it a number (IL 390)! I don't hold out any similar optimism for I-180.

I just drove 180 Sunday as part of a trip to clinch some IL interstate mileage. Was it designed to go to Peoria? That would make sense. The best I could figure is that it had something to do with the power plant at the end.

I think it was actually for that mill at the end, which closed almost immediately after it was opened. Had they decided to use the mileage as a route to Peoria, at least it would be salvaged as something.