Freeways / Expressways given ordinary street names

[doorknob60]

Beltline Rd. in Eugene, OR is a freeway (other than the last mile or 2 before OR-126) from I-5 to OR-126 on the west side of Eugene. It now has a state route number, OR-569 (it used to not), but Beltline Rd. is the most common name for it.

Just looked on Wikipedia, and apperantly its official name is now "Randy Papé Beltline", but whatever, it'll always be Beltline Rd. to me

[agentsteel53]

I almost ran out of gas once when I took the Beltline Rd. exit off I-5 and tried to find access to businesses.

[Pete from Boston]

Don't forget MD-200, the "Inter-County Connector".  Of course, "connector" isn't really an ordinary street name, but it seems a little unsung for a TOLL expressway.  Same could be said about the "Dulles Greenway", part of VA-267 and also a toll road.

Georgia seems to like " xxx Connector"   Around Atlanta they seem to be at least expressways. I know here in Jacksonville we have the "Wonderwood Connector" which is at least an expressway for much of the route.  ( here in Jacksonville Expressway=Freeway for natives, but I mean expressway in the the California sense)

There are a few of these in New England.  There's the Lowell Connector, which connects Lowell to the highway network, and the Loop Connector (recently disappeared from 93 signs) which connects 93 and 495.  Loop Connector is one of those name that doesn't tell you very much but I always liked its oddness.  I have no idea how much or if it's used.

[deathtopumpkins]

Don't forget MD-200, the "Inter-County Connector".  Of course, "connector" isn't really an ordinary street name, but it seems a little unsung for a TOLL expressway.  Same could be said about the "Dulles Greenway", part of VA-267 and also a toll road.

Georgia seems to like " xxx Connector"   Around Atlanta they seem to be at least expressways. I know here in Jacksonville we have the "Wonderwood Connector" which is at least an expressway for much of the route.  ( here in Jacksonville Expressway=Freeway for natives, but I mean expressway in the the California sense)

There are a few of these in New England.  There's the Lowell Connector, which connects Lowell to the highway network, and the Loop Connector (recently disappeared from 93 signs) which connects 93 and 495.  Loop Connector is one of those name that doesn't tell you very much but I always liked its oddness.  I have no idea how much or if it's used.

I've never heard anyone refer to it at all, so I don't really know how people call it, but as of yesterday (Saturday), when I drove it both directions in its entirety, signage on both I-93 and I-495 still refer to it as both MA 213 and the Loop Connector, with the small text next to the shields.


Other connectors in New England include the Mass Ave Connector in Boston, and the Biddeford and Scarborough connectors off the Maine Turnpike.

This reminded me of another notable name - the "Maine Turnpike Approach", which connects the Maine Turnpike to 295, the Maine Mall, the Scarborough Connector, and US 1 in South Portland. I've seen this name on multiple maps, and it is used in MaineDOT's 511 alerts, so I presume it's official.

[vtk]

On connectors, Columbus has a few.  They're surface streets.  There's Main St — Rich St Connector, one way northbound, which may have at one time carried US 33 n-westbound.  There's also the Goodale — Neil Connector, but I think that's just signed as Vine St now.  I want to say there's a third example but I can't remember where.

So I suppose Connector is an "ordinary" street name suffix after all, as central Ohio has more of those as surface streets than as freeways.  But I would also consider this to be a different phenomenon from state route spurs like Georgia state route CONN 347.

[sandwalk]

-North 2nd Street in Rockford is partially freeway / expressway with 3/4 lanes each direction for about 2 miles north of the downtown. IL-251 (formerly US 51) runs on this alignment, which also has the honorary name 'Martin Luther King Memorial Drive' (never used).

-Roosevelt Road (IL-38) freeway near Elmhurst, Illinois between IL-83 and the Tri-State Tollway (I-294).

-Not really all that ordinary, but parts of I-90 and State Route 2 near Cleveland are named the 'Shoreway' (also carries US 20 for a bit).

-State Route 21 in Massillon, Ohio is known as Great Lakes Boulevard, which has freeway and expressway segments.

-Fort Wayne has a tiny section of Goshen Road as a freeway near its interchange with I-69 and US 30 / US 33.

[ET21]

IL-83 (Kingery Highway): Between 63rd street and I-88.

US 12-20-45 (LaGrange Road): Between 87th Street and I-55

Illinois 171 (Archer Ave/1st Ave): Between 55th Street and Plainfield Road/US-34 Ogden Avenue intersection.

[vtk]

Kingery Highway is an ordinary street name? To me it sounds more fit for a freeway than for every north-south county road (most of which are gravel) in Lenawee County, Michigan.

[agentsteel53]

Kingery Highway is an ordinary street name? To me it sounds more fit for a freeway than for every north-south county road (most of which are gravel) in Lenawee County, Michigan.

"kingery" sounds like some archaic crime.  "he was arrested for allegedly committing three counts of kingery, and one count of affray, all with the same goat."

[kphoger]

For some of the Chicago area examples, I should point out that the segments mentioned are simply controlled-access portions of otherwise surface-level roads.  I hardly think we should expect them to rename, for example, that 2.5-mile portion of Roosevelt Road just because there happen to be no cross-streets or entrances along there.  The Roosevelt Road name, after all extends 34 miles, from Lake Shore Drive to the Geneva village line.

[Brandon]

Kingery Highway is an ordinary street name? To me it sounds more fit for a freeway than for every north-south county road (most of which are gravel) in Lenawee County, Michigan.

There's also a Kingery Expressway in the Chicago area to add to some confusion.  It's a part freeway, part divided highway road.

"kingery" sounds like some archaic crime.  "he was arrested for allegedly committing three counts of kingery, and one count of affray, all with the same goat."

It's actually a name, Robert Kingery, former Director of Illinois Public Works (forerunner of IDOT), Regional Director of the Chicago Regional Planning Association, and a proponent of the current Illinois Tollway configuration around Chicago.  He died in 1951, and his name was applied to the Kingery Expressway (I-80/94) in 1953, and also applied to the highway in DuPage County (IL-83).

[31E]

In Middle Tennessee, the freeway portion of TN 386 is designated "Vietnam Veteran's Blvd" for its entire length.

[ET21]

Kingery Highway is an ordinary street name? To me it sounds more fit for a freeway than for every north-south county road (most of which are gravel) in Lenawee County, Michigan.

It's the actual street name, combination of both surface and freeway. There's Southwest Highway and Northwest Highway as well in Chicagoland, but both don't have any freeway characteristics.

[Brandon]

Kingery Highway is an ordinary street name? To me it sounds more fit for a freeway than for every north-south county road (most of which are gravel) in Lenawee County, Michigan.

It's the actual street name, combination of both surface and freeway. There's Southwest Highway and Northwest Highway as well in Chicagoland, but both don't have any freeway characteristics.

Don't forget about Skokie Highway (US-41) which also has a combination of surface and freeway characteristics.

[kphoger]

And don't forget the Lincoln Highway, which is not entirely expressway or freeway.

Seriously, guys, "highway" does not equal "freeway" or "expressway" (skyscrapercity be damned).



PS   we're now talking about the converse (??? - it's been a long time since logic class) of the OP.

[vtk]

And don't forget the Lincoln Highway, which is not entirely expressway or freeway.

Seriously, guys, "highway" does not equal "freeway" or "expressway" (skyscrapercity be damned).

PS   we're now talking about the converse (??? - it's been a long time since logic class) of the OP.

That's actually point of variation across the country in American English.  According to one of the maps at http://www.businessinsider.com/22-maps-that-show-the-deepest-linguistic-conflicts-in-america-2013-6, much of the country (including Ohio) tends to prefer the word "highway" as a general term for a major road for high-speed travel.  According to that same map, some places prefer "freeway" for that, and some places use both, but with a slight distinction in meaning between the two.

But yes, "highway" can also mean essentially any public road, even a gravel township-maintained road.  But clearly for many people, it implies an important road, possibly even a freeway.  For some people, on the other hand (perhaps many from Lenawee County, MI) "highway" is much more likely to be part of an ordinary road name like "road" or "pike".

[kphoger]

But the question "What is your general term for a big road that you drive relatively fast on?" doesn't even imply to me that it has to be four lanes, even.  US-400 between Wichita and Pittsburg is a big road that I drive relatively fast on, yet it is in no way an expressway or a freeway.  It is a highway, though.

[1995hoo]

But the question "What is your general term for a big road that you drive relatively fast on?" doesn't even imply to me that it has to be four lanes, even.  US-400 between Wichita and Pittsburg is a big road that I drive relatively fast on, yet it is in no way an expressway or a freeway.  It is a highway, though.

Part of the problem inherent in the point you raise is that they had to come up with a way to frame it without using a leading question.

[kphoger]

Indeed.  But that doesn't mean it's OK for the purpose of this thread to say that "Highway 50" in O'Fallon, Missouri, is erroneous because it's a two-lane road.

(As we all know, "Highway 50" in O'Fallon, Missouri, is erroneous because it's no longer 50.

[codyg1985]

There is MO 364 in metro St. Louis from I-270 west to MO 94 in St. Charles that is known locally as the "Page Avenue Extension" or just "Page Ave."

[national highway 1]

James Ruse Dr in North Parramatta
http://goo.gl/maps/lXIaw

[amroad17]

John Glenn Blvd. for the expressway around Liverpool, NY.

[kiwislark]

Some examples from New Zealand:

George Bolt Memorial Drive (State Highway 20A) - Auckland

https://maps.app.goo.gl/W3SmuQAefgD8TM5a6

Tamatea Arikinui Drive (State Highway 2) - Tauranga

https://maps.app.goo.gl/5wRBWZpfUTbtBhdD7

Takitimu Drive (State Highway 29/State Highway 2) - Tauranga

https://maps.app.goo.gl/FbRXD2FqX3RgBeQx6

Maunganui Road (State Highway 2) - Tauranga

https://maps.app.goo.gl/LvhV8q8LSgJEZn5s8

Mangaharakeke Drive (State Highway 1C) - Hamilton

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZuhJabY2wAsbhyMS8

Hutt Road (State Highway 2) - Wellington

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qPv41w6v3ZZzTX2r8

Whakatu Drive/Richmond Deviation (State Highway 6) - Nelson

https://maps.app.goo.gl/V2kL4rg4PuPF1saj9

Russley Road/Johns Road (State Highway 1) - Christchurch

https://maps.app.goo.gl/LeikiV6vS3S4iByFA

Tunnel Road (State Highway 74) - Christchurch

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9wNW67dUfxRfg2s16