Longest Road Segments Where Opposing Traffic Is Not Visible

[webny99]

I-64 between Williamsburg and Richmond, VA, has a stretch of about 25 miles where the opposing direction of traffic is not visible at all, at least in the summer.

Are there any other such stretches of road that are that long, or longer?

[kphoger]

27 mi

[plain]

I-85 in VA from Exit 15 (US 1) to just south of Exit 42 (VA 40), except it has a very brief section where one could easily see the other side at the weigh station.

[BridgesToIdealism]

If we're just talking United States, I-8 across SoCal, where it starts winding through the mountains and the two roadbeds are over a half mile apart in some locations.

If we expand internationally, yes Mexico definitely has a ton of contenders, both along the Autopistas (toll roads) and the Federal Highways (their equivalent of Interstates, although not all of them are limited-access).

[sprjus4]

I-64 between Williamsburg and Richmond, VA, has a stretch of about 25 miles where the opposing direction of traffic is not visible at all, at least in the summer.

Are there any other such stretches of road that are that long, or longer?

I-64 between Richmond and Charlottesville is largely the same, having a wide forested median, though here and there opposing traffic is visible.

[Big John]

I-24 near Monteagle TN?

[roadman65]

The Garden State Parkway in Ocean County, NJ south of Beachwood has long stretches where only at the Barnegate Toll Plaza the two sides come together.

[Jmiles32]

I-64 between Williamsburg and Richmond, VA, has a stretch of about 25 miles where the opposing direction of traffic is not visible at all, at least in the summer.

Are there any other such stretches of road that are that long, or longer?

I-64 between Richmond and Charlottesville is largely the same, having a wide forested median, though here and there opposing traffic is visible.

In addition, I-95 also used to mostly have a wide forested median between Fredricksburg and Occoquan. Oh how things have changed. The section between Exit 140 and 143 is pretty much the only remnant left:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4353266,-77.4058403,5398m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&aut

However, I think the winner is probably indeed international and IMO would be Mexico route 180D on the Yucatan Penisula. If not the longest stretch where opposing traffic is not visible, definitely the longest continuous tree median:
https://www.google.com/maps/@20.7913619,-88.0248376,51536m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&authuser=0

[Mapmikey]

In addition, I-95 also used to mostly have a wide forested median between Fredricksburg and Occoquan. Oh how things have changed. The section between Exit 140 and 143 is pretty much the only remnant left:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4353266,-77.4058403,5398m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&aut

This is on its way out as well...

[Jmiles32]

In addition, I-95 also used to mostly have a wide forested median between Fredricksburg and Occoquan. Oh how things have changed. The section between Exit 140 and 143 is pretty much the only remnant left:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4353266,-77.4058403,5398m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&aut

This is on its way out as well...

All of it? Looking at the HOT lane extension plans, it appears that the express lanes will be built right next to the existing northbound lanes so that most of the median will be saved. as someone who really doesn't even like tree medians, even I don't see the logic of cutting down the entire thing considering how wide it is.

[sprjus4]

In addition, I-95 also used to mostly have a wide forested median between Fredricksburg and Occoquan. Oh how things have changed. The section between Exit 140 and 143 is pretty much the only remnant left:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4353266,-77.4058403,5398m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en&aut

This is on its way out as well...

All of it? Looking at the HOT lane extension plans, it appears that the express lanes will be built right next to the existing northbound lanes so that most of the median will be saved. as someone who really doesn't even like tree medians, even I don't see the logic of cutting down the entire thing considering how wide it is.

Bits and pieces will still exist where the median is extra wide, but for the most part will likely be torn down.

I prefer tree medians to some extent, especially at night time to eliminate oncoming headlight glare.

[formulanone]

27 mi

Wow, I thought that twisty section of 2D near La Rumorosa was longer, but it's only about 22km.

[kphoger]

27 mi

Wow, I thought that twisty section of 2D near La Rumorosa was longer, but it's only about 22km.

Same here, as well as the part of 145(D) between Puebla and Orizaba, where the carriageways cross over one another.

[webny99]

I prefer tree medians to some extent, especially at night time to eliminate oncoming headlight glare.

I don't know, I almost dislike treed medians more at night. I find the oncoming headlights help keep me awake, both because of the lights and the fact that it's something to observe / pay attention to. Plus I just like to know what's going on over there!

[webny99]

US 15 north of Williamsport, PA, is another interesting one. There's no individual examples of more than 5 miles or so, but there's several stretches of about that length, and it's the opposite of I-64 in terms of character and scenery.

It's got to have some of the biggest elevation differentials between directions, too: Most examples of oncoming traffic not being visible are caused by trees, distance, or both, but here is a unique example caused by elevation. Speaking of which...

[kinupanda]

27 mi

Any insight on what the rationale for this is? Offhand, I don't see any terrain issues, development preventing both directions from following the route of the eastbound lanes, or any appreciable development on the westbound lanes to necessitate access.

[KCRoadFan]

I-35 in Minnesota, north of Faribault, has a stretch like that.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.3779743,-93.2932013,3a,75y,8.51h,76.65t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sCAIXLZqf4v5EPbKlu46kwg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DCAIXLZqf4v5EPbKlu46kwg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D98.42636%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

[kphoger]

27 mi

Any insight on what the rationale for this is? Offhand, I don't see any terrain issues, development preventing both directions from following the route of the eastbound lanes, or any appreciable development on the westbound lanes to necessitate access.

My suspicion is that the eastbound carriageway is the original highway, then the westbound carriageway was built when the highway was four-laned.

[sprjus4]

27 mi

Any insight on what the rationale for this is? Offhand, I don't see any terrain issues, development preventing both directions from following the route of the eastbound lanes, or any appreciable development on the westbound lanes to necessitate access.

My suspicion is that the eastbound carriageway is the original highway, then the westbound carriageway was built when the highway was four-laned.

Should've just built both carriageways on the new alignment, and converted the old one into a business / alternate route or equivalent.

[kphoger]

Should've just built both carriageways on the new alignment, and converted the old one into a business / alternate route or equivalent.

Why build two new carriageways instead of only one?  What advantage would there be?  In other words, what's wrong with the way it is?



Edited to add:  The two ejidos along what I'm assuming is the original alignment have a total population of 335 between them (I'm not counting a third one, with a population of 7), and each has access to both carriageways.

[TheGrassGuy]

Exit 89 for... itself?? 

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I-35 in Minnesota, north of Faribault, has a stretch like that.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.3779743,-93.2932013,3a,75y,8.51h,76.65t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sCAIXLZqf4v5EPbKlu46kwg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DCAIXLZqf4v5EPbKlu46kwg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D98.42636%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

There are longer stretches like this north of Hinckley.

[kphoger]

Exit 89 for... itself?

https://www.google.com/maps/@-22.5556746,-43.2360965,16.95z

Exit 89 for... itself?? 

OK, so you keep bringing this up.  I've taken a close look at the interchange, and I don't see what the big deal is.  That exit is just an opportunity for traffic in either direction to turn around.  Exits in both directions are even signed as "RETORNO".  It's just a mountain version (and therefore a more complicated version) of a median crossover.  Basically a more tangled version of this.

[vdeane]

It's also worth noting that that road is not a freeway.  There are houses, private businesses, local streets, and even a school along that road with no other ability to turn around and go the other way.  There's also a turnaround at the north end of that section.  What's weird is that there isn't one on the south end; traffic needing to turn around there has to pay a toll.  Twice.

[CtrlAltDel]

It's not necessarily continuous, but there's a good bit of distance on I-40 in Arizona, between Kingman and Flagstaff, where opposing traffic is not visible. It's pretty scenic, too, in my opinion.