Widest section of freeway in your area

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Twin Cities is most likely along the 35E/694 duplex with 11 lanes (six eastbound, five westbound). There are a couple other spots with 10.

[vdeane]

For the Capital District, it would be a tie between all the 4:4 sections of freeways.  Nearest one to me is I-87 between NY 155 and NY 2/NY 7 (exits 5-6).

Actually, modifying to include c/d roadways, there is a brief 5:3:3 on I-87 between NY 7/NY 2 and NY 7 (exits 6-7).  Not sure why I didn't think of this one!

[jakeroot]

Interstate 5 caps out at 13 lanes just north of downtown Seattle: 5 southbound lanes (including the exit lane for Mercer Street), 4 reversible express lanes, and 4 northbound lanes.


I-5 from Lakeview Boulevard by SounderBruce, on Flickr

I-5 south of downtown is 15 lanes. 4+3+4+4:



I-5 between the 518 and 599 in Tukwila is also 13 lanes without any extra carriageways (7 SB, 6 NB).

[SSOWorld]

Widest section of freeway in your area

😄😅😂🤣

I'll apply that in my area too.

[froggie]

quote author=TheHighwayMan394 link=topic=23286.msg2342898#msg2342898 date=1532106814]
Twin Cities is most likely along the 35E/694 duplex with 11 lanes (six eastbound, five westbound). There are a couple other spots with 10.

For now.  Once the current 35W reconstruction south of downtown is completed, there will briefly be 12 between 31st and 35th, with 11 between Lake and the downtown split.

But if you include the SB C/D road approaching the Crosstown (since it's possible to get back to the SB mainline via WB 62), then 35W has 14 lanes between 60th and Diamond Lake Rd, since traffic from Diamond Lake must use that C/D road to access SB 35W.

[PHLBOS]

In my area (Philadelphia), it's probably I-95 between I-676 and Columbus Blvd./Exit 20 (aka the Bathtub section): eight mainline lanes with two long parallel ramps (one along each side).

There is a short section of I-95 by the PHL Airport with a 4:3:3:4 configuration (4 in the C-D lanes, 3 in the regular lanes)

If you want to include ramps and C-D roadways --

To be fair, the Penns Landing example I listed included ramps as well.  With such in mind, your I-95/PHL Airport example is definitely wider.

Even though it's closer to where I live than Penns Landing; I completely forgot about that stretch of I-95 at the airport area.  Such was designed with the long-dead I-695 Cobbs Creek Expressway in mind.

[Roadsguy]

The aforementioned I-95 4-3-3-4 configuration by the Airport is is the widest in Philly if you count C/D roads and ramps. (Though wide and high-volume, they function as C/D roads rather than express/local lanes like on I-270 in MD.) Not counting them, some sections of I-95 will be five lanes in each direction between a few of the interchanges once the 95revive project is finished. I'm not sure which of these sections will be the first.

[tdindy88]

I-70 near the Indianapolis International Airport is the widest in the Indy Metro area, probably the state of Indiana for that matter.

Using C/D ramps that connect I-70 with interchanges at I-465 and the Airport the highway reaches a width of 14 lanes with four lanes on each C/D ramp and 3 lanes each on the mainline.

I-465 just north of I-70 on the east side is the widest without any C/D ramps, at one spot it's 13 lanes wide, six southbound and seven northbound.

[Bickendan]

Interstate 5 caps out at 13 lanes just north of downtown Seattle: 5 southbound lanes (including the exit lane for Mercer Street), 4 reversible express lanes, and 4 northbound lanes.


I-5 from Lakeview Boulevard by SounderBruce, on Flickr

I-5 south of downtown is 15 lanes. 4+3+4+4:



I-5 between the 518 and 599 in Tukwila is also 13 lanes without any extra carriageways (7 SB, 6 NB).

This is almost creepier than the pic of the lone SUV on ON 401 when it was completely shutdown

[jakeroot]

This is almost creepier than the pic of the lone SUV on ON 401 when it was completely shutdown

Yeah, those slow-mo captures from Google helicopters really get some cool road photos, since they never have cars (unlike satellite shots). Kind of creepy, though!

Where you do see cars is when traffic is sitting still. Take traffic turning right at this intersection. No movement (they're giving way to oncoming traffic, ergo no movement), so they make it into the shot. Apparently light timing isn't too great, as other cars make it in as well:

[froggie]

^ I'm wondering if they're using some sort of LIDAR to create those 3D renditions.

[ftballfan]

In Grand Rapids area, US 131 expands to 11 lanes at the M-6 interchange. 5 northbound lanes, 4 southbound, and an enter/exit lane on each side.

US-131 also widens to nine lanes briefly between exits 86 and 87 (five northbound, four southbound).

Non-freeway, but M-37 between 60th St and M-6 is very briefly seven lanes southbound (two left turn lanes to NB M-37 [and 60th St], three through lanes, two right turn lanes to WB M-6). NB M-37 only gets up to 4 lanes in the same area. What's more remarkable is that two miles south of this, SB M-37 is one lane.

[jakeroot]

^ I'm wondering if they're using some sort of LIDAR to create those 3D renditions.

That's actually a good point, since LIDAR has that same funky look. They must be capturing photos and LIDAR imagery at the same time.

[adwerkema]

Non-freeway, but M-37 between 60th St and M-6 is very briefly seven lanes southbound (two left turn lanes to NB M-37 [and 60th St], three through lanes, two right turn lanes to WB M-6). NB M-37 only gets up to 4 lanes in the same area. What's more remarkable is that two miles south of this, SB M-37 is one lane.

I also find the 7 lanes down to 1 remarkable. Google street view:


It's funny to think that a driver could turn right from 60th onto M-37 and cross 6 lanes if they wanted to.

Two miles later...

[jeffandnicole]

In a similar example of lane reductions, the NJ Turnpike sounbound narrows from 6 lanes to 2 lanes in a span of just 2 exits. Both exits are single lane exits, none of which are 'Exit Only' exits!

[adwerkema]

In a similar example of lane reductions, the NJ Turnpike sounbound narrows from 6 lanes to 2 lanes in a span of just 2 exits. Both exits are single lane exits, none of which are 'Exit Only' exits!

I'm curious - what portion is this?

[ipeters61]

Dover area: DE-1 is our only full expressway and it gets to 6 lanes at the toll booths in Central Dover



Northern Delmarva Peninsula (I consider it to start at the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal south to the bottom of Kent County, DE): DE-1 at the Roth Bridge over the Canal at 6 lanes (with potential for expansion to 8).



All of Delaware: I-95 at the I-295/I-495/DE-141/US-202 interchange at 10 lanes for I-95 with another 2 lane C/D road southbound to access DE-141 and an extra 2 lanes for I-295 northbound exiting.

[jakeroot]

In a similar example of lane reductions, the NJ Turnpike sounbound narrows from 6 lanes to 2 lanes in a span of just 2 exits. Both exits are single lane exits, none of which are 'Exit Only' exits!

I'm curious - what portion is this?

WSDOT has a fetish for drop-lanes after an exit, to reduce the number of cars stopping to merge in an exit-only lane (preferring cars went down to the end of the lane to merge). But this sounds like it's on another level.

[Buck87]

For my immediate area it's the Ohio Turnpike, which is 6 total lanes

[jeffandnicole]

In a similar example of lane reductions, the NJ Turnpike sounbound narrows from 6 lanes to 2 lanes in a span of just 2 exits. Both exits are single lane exits, none of which are 'Exit Only' exits!

I'm curious - what portion is this?

In this area, south of Interchange 6, it drops from 6 lanes to 3 lanes.  Zoom in to see the actual reductions. https://goo.gl/maps/RyRLrfLVZTP2

And in this area, adjacent to Interchange 4, it drops again from 3 lanes to 2 lanes, completing the 6 to 2 lane reduction.  https://goo.gl/maps/LFF7rUPUWJx

[webny99]

In a similar example of lane reductions, the NJ Turnpike sounbound narrows from 6 lanes to 2 lanes in a span of just 2 exits. Both exits are single lane exits, none of which are 'Exit Only' exits!

I'm curious - what portion is this?

In this area, south of Interchange 6, it drops from 6 lanes to 3 lanes.  Zoom in to see the actual reductions. https://goo.gl/maps/RyRLrfLVZTP2
And in this area, adjacent to Interchange 4, it drops again from 3 lanes to 2 lanes, completing the 6 to 2 lane reduction.  https://goo.gl/maps/LFF7rUPUWJx

Because Philadelphia.
I wonder if a case has ever been made for widening to six lanes all the way from there to the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Only ever driven that stretch once, and it was early morning. Traffic seemed to be light enough and flowing quite well.

[ET21]

For a single freeway: Dan Ryan (I-90/94), 17 lanes. 3 locals, 4 express
For multiple freeways: I-355/I-88 side by side, 16 lanes at the widest point. I-88 has 5 eastbound, 4 west. I-355 has 3 northbound, 4 south.

[ipeters61]

In a similar example of lane reductions, the NJ Turnpike sounbound narrows from 6 lanes to 2 lanes in a span of just 2 exits. Both exits are single lane exits, none of which are 'Exit Only' exits!

I'm curious - what portion is this?

In this area, south of Interchange 6, it drops from 6 lanes to 3 lanes.  Zoom in to see the actual reductions. https://goo.gl/maps/RyRLrfLVZTP2
And in this area, adjacent to Interchange 4, it drops again from 3 lanes to 2 lanes, completing the 6 to 2 lane reduction.  https://goo.gl/maps/LFF7rUPUWJx

Because Philadelphia.
I wonder if a case has ever been made for widening to six lanes all the way from there to the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Only ever driven that stretch once, and it was early morning. Traffic seemed to be light enough and flowing quite well.

I think the bigger issue there is that the NJ Turnpike, more or less, serves as the through route to the Delaware Memorial Bridge and I-295 serves as the local route (from about I-195).  Being the cheapskate that I am, I usually take I-295 instead even though it's much more stressful to drive (once north of Woodbury).

[jeffandnicole]

In a similar example of lane reductions, the NJ Turnpike sounbound narrows from 6 lanes to 2 lanes in a span of just 2 exits. Both exits are single lane exits, none of which are 'Exit Only' exits!

I'm curious - what portion is this?

In this area, south of Interchange 6, it drops from 6 lanes to 3 lanes.  Zoom in to see the actual reductions. https://goo.gl/maps/RyRLrfLVZTP2
And in this area, adjacent to Interchange 4, it drops again from 3 lanes to 2 lanes, completing the 6 to 2 lane reduction.  https://goo.gl/maps/LFF7rUPUWJx

Because Philadelphia.
I wonder if a case has ever been made for widening to six lanes all the way from there to the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Only ever driven that stretch once, and it was early morning. Traffic seemed to be light enough and flowing quite well.

The NJ Turnpike definitely needs a widening in the 2 lane section to 3 lanes per direction.  When the PA Turnpike/I-95 interchange opens up it'll give it a slight reprieve, but it's going to be needed eventually.

Early mornings are generally quite light.  Even mid-day traffic can move well.  But rush hours (especially the afternoon) between Interchanges 4 - 3 Southbound, Friday - Sunday weekend traffic, and holiday traffic can bog it down pretty good.

[cl94]

The widest in New York outside of a toll booth is I-278 at the west end of the Verrazano Bridge. No idea about the current configuration, but it's no fewer than 12 lanes across, possibly 14-15. The George Washington Bridge is technically 14 lanes, but across 2 levels, so it and the approaches are never more than 9 lanes wide in New York.

Widest Upstate is the aforementioned I-87/NY 7 concurrency with 11 lanes. 10+ lanes is actually pretty rare statewide, with only a handful of instances. Anything with above 8 lanes (and most cases of 8 lanes, in fact) involves a bridge, auxiliary lanes, or a C/D road.