Freeways that shouldn't be extended

[mcdonaat]

I was driving along the Pineville Expressway, at the northern extreme of it, and took the ramp for US 71 North. I thought to myself, "I'm glad that they never extended this highway north along US 167, because it would completely tear up the communities." I thought the same about I-110 being extended north along US 61 in Baton Rouge, where it would create a mess of access roads to and from ExxonMobil facilities and Chevron facilities all along the coast.

Any highways that gracefully bow out, and shouldn't be extended?

[Bruce]

I-90's unfinished segment between the soon-to-be-demolished Alaskan Way Viaduct and 4th Avenue in SODO, Seattle. It would create a large wall south of Safeco Field.

[hbelkins]

I-26. A full freeway through southwestern Virginia is unnecessary.

[roadman65]

Having both I-69E and I-69C is totally redundant as both alignments are too close to each other.  Have one or the other.

Then I-73 and I-74 is another one where only one freeway should be built.  Namely only I-73 south of Rockingham as I-74 should only go to Wilmington.  Looping back around to Myrtle Beach is too crazy and idea as north of Greensboro is as well. 

[Kacie Jane]

I-90's unfinished segment between the soon-to-be-demolished Alaskan Way Viaduct and 4th Avenue in SODO, Seattle. It would create a large wall south of Safeco Field.

But it's in a part of the city (mostly industrial, warehouses, etc.) where "building a wall" doesn't have as much of a downside, and would have provided an extremely useful connection so people from, say, the northwestern quadrant of the city wouldn't have to sit through a bunch of lights to get from 99 to I-5.

[TEG24601]

I-90's unfinished segment between the soon-to-be-demolished Alaskan Way Viaduct and 4th Avenue in SODO, Seattle. It would create a large wall south of Safeco Field.

But it's in a part of the city (mostly industrial, warehouses, etc.) where "building a wall" doesn't have as much of a downside, and would have provided an extremely useful connection so people from, say, the northwestern quadrant of the city wouldn't have to sit through a bunch of lights to get from 99 to I-5.

Better yet, it would have also provided direct access between the port and the Interstate Highway Network, instead of using city streets.

[Henry]

I-83 through Baltimore, because how would you connect Fayette Street to I-95 now? It would be better to reroute this around I-695 to absorb I-97, given how ridiculously short it is, and give the in-town route an I-x83 number, like I-183 or I-383. And I wouldn't be surprised if they went through with the plans to tear down the elevated portion downtown and truncate it further back.

[Avalanchez71]

The northern belt of TN SR 840.  The terrain is rocky and hilly.  It would bust up tons of farms in the area as well.  There is just no need for it and it appears it never had wide support.  The northern loop has no support and it is all but dead.

[roadman65]

Should I-99 be extended?  Many of us already think it is a waste of the interstate numbering system, so to extend it further south into MD really is useless.  I have driven US 220 between Bedford and Cumberland, and so no heavy traffic.  The two lane country road of US 220 was more than enough to handle what little traffic was using it.

What about from I-80 to Williamsport?  Is I-99 to be built for the sake of having it a freeway corridor from South Central PA to Rochester, NY really feasible as well?

[Mr_Northside]

Should I-99 be extended?  Many of us already think it is a waste of the interstate numbering system, so to extend it further south into MD really is useless.  I have driven US 220 between Bedford and Cumberland, and so no heavy traffic.  The two lane country road of US 220 was more than enough to handle what little traffic was using it.

VERY long term it would be rather logical to extend it south toward Cumberland... but since the $$ is being focused on the US-219 corridor (which is in more need of improvement) a ridge over in Somerset county for now, and US-220 isn't that bad there, that might be up to the next generation.

What about from I-80 to Williamsport?  Is I-99 to be built for the sake of having it a freeway corridor from South Central PA to Rochester, NY really feasible as well?

Most of it is already freeway.  PA-287 to west of Williamsport has been in limbo for some time, and still is.  I recall reading PennDOT is building an interchange (or at least an overpass) on US-220 just north of I-80, but haven't read anything about it recently.

[TheOneKEA]

I-83 through Baltimore, because how would you connect Fayette Street to I-95 now? It would be better to reroute this around I-695 to absorb I-97, given how ridiculously short it is, and give the in-town route an I-x83 number, like I-183 or I-383. And I wouldn't be surprised if they went through with the plans to tear down the elevated portion downtown and truncate it further back.

The final plan for I-83 to I-95 involved a six-lane tunnel under the eastern side of the Inner Harbor to bypass Fells Point. Given the age and condition of the elevated structure, one conceptual solution would be to tear down the elevated segment anyway and replace it with a longer tunnel. You might even be able to minimize the underwater segments of the tunnel with better geometry.

My vote for a freeway that shouldn't be extended is US 29, north of I-70. There's no point in doing so, as the furthest it could go is MD 26, and for that short a distance, a four-lane divided surface route is more than enough.

[hbelkins]

Since the federal funding (Appalachian Regional Commission) went away for US 220 and was transferred elsewhere in Pennsylvania, I'd say the prospects for extending I-99 south to Cumberland are not only dead, but extinct and being used as fossil fuels somewhere up on US 322.

[Alps]

I-5.

[Strider]

Having both I-69E and I-69C is totally redundant as both alignments are too close to each other.  Have one or the other.

Then I-73 and I-74 is another one where only one freeway should be built.  Namely only I-73 south of Rockingham as I-74 should only go to Wilmington.  Looping back around to Myrtle Beach is too crazy and idea as north of Greensboro is as well.

I-74 in NC. Their routing is ridiculous. I think I-74 should be renumbered to something else.

[Strider]

I-26. A full freeway through southwestern Virginia is unnecessary.

I-26 doesn't enter Virginia. it ends at the TN/VA state line. Perhaps you mean in Tennessee?

[on_wisconsin]

WIS 26 to the north.

[Brandon]

I-5.

Tell that to FritzOwl.

[hbelkins]

I-26. A full freeway through southwestern Virginia is unnecessary.

I-26 doesn't enter Virginia. it ends at the TN/VA state line. Perhaps you mean in Tennessee?

Actually, it ends short of the state line, at the US 11W interchange, and the freeway from there to the state line carries only US 23. My comment was meant for those who think it would be a good idea to turn 23 into a full freeway through Virginia and into Kentucky.

[Henry]

I-5.

Tell that to FritzOwl.

That doesn't count, because it hits both the Canadian and Mexican borders.

[vdeane]

I-81.  As much as I'd like to fix the border breezewoods, I don't want to see Hill Island paved over.

[hotdogPi]

The Atlantic City Expressway should not be extended east.

[bugo]

The BA.

[Henry]

The Atlantic City Expressway should not be extended east.

Again, that would be impossible anyway, because of the ocean. That's like saying I-264 in Virginia Beach should not be extended east.

[bugo]

The Atlantic City Expressway should not be extended east.

Again, that would be impossible anyway, because of the ocean. That's like saying I-264 in Virginia Beach should not be extended east.

And it flies right over Henry's head...

[jakeroot]

The Atlantic City Expressway should not be extended east.

Again, that would be impossible anyway, because of the ocean. That's like saying I-264 in Virginia Beach should not be extended east.

And it flies right over Henry's head...

Not once but twice...

I-5.

Tell that to FritzOwl.

That doesn't count, because it hits both the Canadian and Mexican borders.