Interchanges That Never Were

[Brandon]

While driving along the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) the other day, I noted something very odd about the overpass for East Avenue in Oak Park, Illinois.  The eastern face of the overpass was built such that it flares out as if it was intended for an interchange.  I did some research, and there was never an interchange of any sort at East Avenue and the Ike.  However, it does appear to have been built to have a partial interchange to/from the east.

Google Maps
Street View on the Ike
Street View from East Avenue

Any other interchanges were the groundwork was laid, but never came to fruition?

[abefroman329]

I noticed that stretch recently too. I just figured it had to flare like that somewhere.

[inkyatari]

Hmm.  It's not in the correct place to be considered for the hypoten---

OUCH!

[Brandon]

I noticed that stretch recently too. I just figured it had to flare like that somewhere.

It's a bit off that the Ike should be so wide for the whole stretch between East and Austin as well, considering that it only widens for a short distance for Harlem.  The other bridges with interchanges (Harlem and Austin) flare the same way the East Avenue bridge does.

[paulthemapguy]

The only thing I can recall that's close to this is something I know you're familiar with, Brandon:  the I-72/US51 interchange on the north side of Decatur anticipating an I-39 extension.  The ghost ramps have been removed, but you can still see the separation of the carriageways to allow for the flyover ramps.

[abefroman329]

I noticed that stretch recently too. I just figured it had to flare like that somewhere.

It's a bit off that the Ike should be so wide for the whole stretch between East and Austin as well, considering that it only widens for a short distance for Harlem.  The other bridges with interchanges (Harlem and Austin) flare the same way the East Avenue bridge does.

It might have something to do with the location of the railroad right-of-way.

[abefroman329]

Any other interchanges were the groundwork was laid, but never came to fruition?

Ultimately it depends on how you're defining "groundwork was laid."  There are instances where ghost ramps were actually built, instances where land was graded for the interchange, instances where the road was merely built to accommodate the interchange...There are numerous instances of those. Hell, there were (are?) ghost roadways at KSC for the Mobile Launcher Platform to travel to a launchpad that was never built.

[bzakharin]

It seems like NJ 18 had a fully built interchange including movements for south of NJ 138. I don't know if they were ever fully open, but the road itself was never extended and probably never will be.

[Mapmikey]

I noticed that stretch recently too. I just figured it had to flare like that somewhere.

It's a bit off that the Ike should be so wide for the whole stretch between East and Austin as well, considering that it only widens for a short distance for Harlem.  The other bridges with interchanges (Harlem and Austin) flare the same way the East Avenue bridge does.

The structure is clearly visible on 1962 and 1963 historic aerials and there was a little more structure to the stub present back then...

[Revive 755]

It might have something to do with the location of the railroad right-of-way.

Maybe there were plans to add aux lanes in the median between the East Avenue ramps and the Austin Avenue ramps?

[Bickendan]

Two examples I can think of, one, where an interchange was intended but never built, and the other, I have no idea.

US 26/ORH 26 between Gresham and Sandy, where the never built Mt Hood Freeway was to tie into the Mt Hood Hwy:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/45.4728/-122.3972

AB 201, northeast of Calgary: https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=14/51.1740/-113.9170

[Big John]

I-41 and County A near Appleton WI.  The sound walls were pushed back to show where the right-of-way was bought and to accommodate the ramps that were never built.

[1995hoo]

This in New Jersey comes to mind:

https://goo.gl/maps/Hz1ecLFHknD2

[Henry]

I can think of two more East Coast examples:

The I-84/CT 9 stack interchange west of Hartford, where a planned but never built extension of the latter highway was once envisioned to connect to the north of there.

Also, the I-95/I-70 interchange in Baltimore, which featured a long ghost ramp for the EB/SB movement that was removed in the late 90s.

[ipeters61]

I-84 Exit 46 in Hartford, CT was intended for the CT-189 expressway, I believe.  No long ramps but definitely some stubs.

[US 89]

Here's something similar in Utah: I-215, Exit 25.

The canal and street to the east of the interstate were rerouted to allow for a loop ramp from eastbound 2100 North to northbound I-15. This was associated with the proposed Bangerter Highway, which would have run north along what was then the west side of the airport and east along 2100 North. The proposed extension past I-80 never happened, and it's no longer possible because the airport expanded west in the early 1990s, when Bangerter was built to tie directly into the airport access loop. Contrary to what many maps (Rand McNally, for one) continue to show, there has been no way to drive around the west side of the airport on public roads for at least 25 years.

[kurumi]

I-680 at future/cancelled CA 238 in Fremont, CA. An unused overpass was demolished about 10 years ago.

I-91 at I-291 in Rocky Hill, CT: same situation, where an unused overpass was removed when I-91 was widened.

CT 15 at exit 43 (Sherwood Island Connector extension) in Westport, CT. No ghost ramps exist -- this i/c was never built

Supposedly a section of CT 8 was designed in anticipation of a CT 72 freeway connection; but I've never found exactly where that was.

[bzakharin]

This in New Jersey comes to mind:

https://goo.gl/maps/Hz1ecLFHknD2

Google lists it as a historical landmark. Read the reviews.

Had some of the best times in high school in the 80s dragging kegs of beer thru the woods and drinking on top of this bridge. Good times. HP 85.

[roadman]

Several years before the current I-93 Salem to Manchester widening work began, some of the bridges south of Exit 4 in Londonderry were replaced with new ones that were wider.  This wasn't advance work for the roadway widening project, but was done in anticipation of a new exit that would have been built off of I-93 had the Mall of New Hampshire been constructed in Londonderry (the original proposed site) instead of in Manchester.

[sparker]

US 101/Hollywood Freeway near the Melrose Ave. interchange in east Hollywood: the carriageways, each on viaducts at that location, were widely spread to accommodate the CA 2/Glendale/Beverly Hills freeway (long deleted), which was to cross US 101 on a more or less E-W axis, complete with LH entrances and exits to minimize property taking on the perimeter.  Of course, it never came to pass with the CA 2 freeway's truncation to its present SW end at Glendale Blvd. in Echo Park and the cancellation of the Beverly Hills Freeway (primarily due to both expense and NIMBY factor).  The space under the freeway -- at least the last time I came through there circa 2012 -- was occupied by a storage facility. 

[TheStranger]

I-280 at the ramps for Cesar Chavez (Army) Street in San Francisco has wider spots on the structures for where the proposed Route 87 (later Route 230) Hunters Point Freeway connection would have been made (which also would have been part of the Southern Crossing bridge project to Alameda).
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7459959,-122.3941165,455m/data=!3m1!1e3

[ErmineNotyours]

Proposed SR 7 interchange with SR 512, south of Tacoma.  Definitely dead now that there is development immediately north and south of the area.  The condos on the south east side used to be the site of a drive-in movie theater.

[Revive 755]

Probably one for US 50 at Russland Road near Aviston, IL

[kevinb1994]

This in New Jersey comes to mind:

https://goo.gl/maps/Hz1ecLFHknD2

Google lists it as a historical landmark. Read the reviews.

Had some of the best times in high school in the 80s dragging kegs of beer thru the woods and drinking on top of this bridge. Good times. HP 85.

On a related note, the Eisenhower Parkway (CR 609) dead-ends just north of Exit 4 on I-280 in Roseland.

[Beltway]

Also, the I-95/I-70 interchange in Baltimore, which featured a long ghost ramp for the EB/SB movement that was removed in the late 90s.

Also, the I-95/I-83 interchange in Baltimore, where the lane drops were visible on the viaduct where the ramps would enter and leave I-95; now the viaduct is being widened to 4 thru lanes each way thru the unbuilt interchange area.