Mid-country Trip musings.-- part 1

[thenetwork]

Began my Colorado-Ohio trip.  Yesterday, made it to Central Missouri via I-70.  Random Musings:

COLORADO:

-- Grand Junction:  Horizon Drive roundabout conversion almost complete.

-- Idaho Springs: Looks like BL-70 has been decommissioned, though the route is still noted on signs off the mainline 70.

--  Still cannot get.over the abrupt chanel in scenery and traffic flow between Pena and E-470.

KANSAS

For all those who are bored with the scenery west of Salina/Hayes, it is refreshing to see flat to rolling greenspace with frequent small towns coming from a high desert area with towns 20-40 miles apart.

So many noticicle font oddities/errors on BGSs.
Detachable text copy on the BGSs is slowly being eliminated.

Kansas Turnpike:  First sign of Clearview on trip near Lawrence. (Ugh).
Also, odd lane adds and drops.along I-70 portion.  Are they ultimately going to 3 lane it all???

Kansas City: Took the alphabet loop to clinch 70 thru MO.  All I can say is wow!  Definitely a driving challenge at night!  Nice.to drive by Royals stadium at night while game is playing.

Stuckeys lives.  But there are far more visible abandoned locations than there are actual open locations.


ILLINOIS: The Good -- Mostly 70 MPH now from I-255 to Indiana, except around Effingham.

The Bad:  Once off the new I-70 bridge alignment, youll know by the numerous sections of crappy pavement, numerous single lane construction zones that you are in illinois.

INDIANA:  Slightly better pavement on I-70 here than IL. 

I-70 in General from Kansas City to Dayton, OH:  This whole stretch needs one more lane in each direction,  and sadly, this will take decades to make happen.  The biggest issue is that you HAVE to ride the left lane and live with the caravan of cars doing 75-85 in times of good, or 55-65 in times of slow semis and left lane hogs. otherwise you are forever stuck in the right lane.  I'd probably do the I-64/I-71 route between STL & COLS due to less traffic.  I just wanted to clinch I-70 fom CO to OH.

OHIO -- From I-75 to Columbus,  with the exception  of around Springfield, it's a nice 3+-lane carriageway.

More later.