America's Most Beautiful City Highways and Interstates?

[berberry]

How 'bout two categories for this one:  nominate something(s) for most beautiful interstate route, and something(s) else for most beautiful US highway route.

In each case, I'd like to limit responses to cities of at least moderate size.  So if no one objects, let's impose the rule in the interstate category that the roadway must maintain three or more lanes in each direction for at least a mile through the nominated city.  For U.S. highways, the route must maintain at least two lanes in each direction for at least, let's say, three miles.  Since so many great U.S. city highways have been decommissioned during the interstate era, let's allow those former routes to be nominated.  

For each category, please ignore any design flaws and nominate candidates purely for aesthetic qualities.

For my own ideas: in the interstate category, I'd nominate I-59 through downtown Birmingham and I-40 through a couple different towns:  Albuquerque, NM and Knoxville, TN.  I-405 in Los Angeles would also make my list.  I'm sure I'll think of others later.

For US Highways, I don't remember what the number was but I think there was an important one (61 maybe?) that ran along Lakeshore Drive in Chicago - I'd definitely go for that one.  US 90 along the Mississippi Gulf is another.  I also love the old US 98 routing through Mobile and Daphne, AL.  It's been a long time since I've been to Miami, but I seem to remember that Hwy 1 ran right along a very beautiful stretch of beach.

 

[agentsteel53]

okay, most beautiful interstate... I-70 west of Denver is a perennially popular choice, but I will go with I-280 in the bay area... sweeping curves, lush scenery, and no cops!  I also really like I-90 across Snoqualmie Pass, and I-80 between Green River, WY and Park City, UT.

as for the most beautiful US route... a really tough one, since there are so many spectacular ones.  For an urban example, US-395 aka CA-163, through Balboa Park in San Diego, built in 1948, a lovely two-lane-each-way freeway.  Also you can't beat US-10 in rural Idaho and Washington, US-395 all the way between its new terminus of Adelanto, CA and Reno, NV, US-99 between Mountain Gate, CA and Grants Pass, OR, US-212 Beartooth Pass heading into Yellowstone, US-12 across Lolo Pass, into Idaho, and across the deserts of southeast Washington, US-20 through Wind River Canyon in Wyoming, US-5 in rural Vermont, US-2 across Glacier National Park, and US-89 and US-89A in northern Arizona and southern Utah... and of course the Alaska Highway, which was briefly signed as US-97 in that state.

[agentsteel53]

and how could I forget US-89 heading from Utah into southeast Idaho ... US-97 along the eastern ridge of the Cascades... US-101 from the 1/101 join at Leggett all the way through northern California, Oregon, and the Olympic coast of Washington, US-40 where it separates from I-70 in Denver and crosses Berthoud Pass into Utah.

oh and hey, the entire US-191, the most scenic highway in the system.  Coronado Trail, Arches National Park, the Tetons and the Snake River as photographed by Ansel Adams, etc etc!!!

just so many great highways under the US label, all worth driving!

[agentsteel53]

I think there was an important one (61 maybe?) that ran along Lakeshore Drive in Chicago

 

you are thinking of US-41.

and I totally misread your post and labeled far too many rural routes!  

I really love the I-110 Harbor Fwy approach northbound into Los Angeles, where you get a great city skyline view, as an example of an urban freeway.  

I-5 between the Orange/LA county line and the East LA interchange is great for its historic value (hasn't been upgraded since 1956) even if it is a nightmare of traffic - just drive slowly and check out how much there is to see... a couple of 1947 highway sign gantries are still around!  

I mentioned I-280 which skirts the suburbs before heading into downtown San Francisco.

US-101 officially does not contain the Golden Gate Bridge (due to some legal vaguery between the bridge and the road administrative departments) but seriously, you can't beat that bridge for the scenic view.  Same with I-80 (and old US-40/50) for the Bay Bridge view.

for something outside of California, I recommend the Alaskan Way viaduct (old US-99) in Seattle.

[berberry]

I really love the I-110 Harbor Fwy approach northbound into Los Angeles, where you get a great city skyline view, as an example of an urban freeway.

I totally forgot that one, even after having driven it a couple years ago; yes, I very much agree this is a strong choice in the US highway catagory.

[agentsteel53]

yes, I very much agree this is a strong choice in the US highway catagory.

yep, was signed as US-6 from 1956-1964 or so!

[Grzrd]

I'm not sure, but I think this meets 3-lane requirement:

I've always enjoyed cresting the bridge over the canal in New Orleans on I-10 W, admiring the New Orleans skyline, and then driving into the city.

[nexus73]

I-215 on the east side of SLC sits high enough to give a spectacular night view of that area at night.

In PDX, I-5 between the Terwilliger Curves and the I-5/I-405/US 26 interchange has a spot where east Portland really gets a wide open view to check out.

For a beautiful modern freeway highlight instead of just the view, I-10 in downtown Phoenix has very attractive designs in the concrete.

Rick

[Scott5114]

As a kid, the view right after I-635 goes under the Gibbs Road bridge in Kansas City, KS always appealed to me. You can see across the Kansas River valley.

[mgk920]

Most beautiful US highway?  US 41 (Lake Shore Drive) in Chicago.



Mike

[v35322]

For Interstates ... I-24 coming into Nashville from the north is definitely a contender, along with I-70 through Kansas City, I-40 through Little Rock and I-15 through Las Vegas ... but I'll have to go with the combination of I-65, I-20 and I-459 south/southeast of Birmingham.

As for U.S. Highways (since it's technically still one as of now), I like the small-town feel of U.S. 78 coming into Birmingham. U.S. 24 on the west side of Colorado Springs has the same feel to it.

[Duke87]

BQE (I-278) through downtown Brooklyn. You've got the semi-double-decker freeway along the promenade, with Lower Manhattan visible off to the northwest (view more effective eastbound), and then you go right under the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

LIE (I-495) westbound approaching the Queens-Midtown Tunnel is also a good choice. I tell you, if you like looming skylines...

[Grzrd]

For an Honorable Mention, I'll nominate Atlanta's I-75/85 from the 17th Street Bridge/I-75/85 split down to the Civic Center MARTA station.  From the interstate, great views of Midtown & Downtown skylines.  From surface street perspective, the interstate is in a quasi-trench that makes its 12-14 lanes less overwhelming.  Also, several of the bridges have received some aesthetic enhancements for better connectivity between the two sides of the interstate.  Many of the enhancements are relatively recent and somewhat in conjunction with the relatively new 17th Street bridge.

Case example for Bruce Watkins Drive in KC?

[triplemultiplex]

Best we can do in Milwaukee is probably on I-794 coming across the Hoan Bridge.  You got the lake and the skyline, plus the bridge itself is aesthetically appealing (but it's appeal to one's suspension is another matter).

[agentsteel53]

BQE (I-278) through downtown Brooklyn. You've got the semi-double-decker freeway along the promenade, with Lower Manhattan visible off to the northwest (view more effective eastbound), and then you go right under the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

plus, the speed of traffic in the evening is low enough that you can set up a tripod and get some shots of the skyline!

[Interstate Trav]

I'd have to say for Interstate, 15 north going up the Cajon Pass.  You go from the San Bernardino Valley to the High Desert, and a great view of the Big Bear Mountians.  Plus the freeway is 5 lanes wide going northbound.
Design wise I'd say the I-215 in Nevada between the 15 and I-515.  Really nice design.

US Highway, I have to say 101 South going over Cahenga Pass, especially just after sunset, so you see the lit up Sky line of Downtown Los Angeles.

[BigMattFromTexas]

I stick with mainly Texas roads in most posts.
I have some thoughts;
For city urban, not talking about any landscape:
Interstate 10 - San Antonio
Interstate 410 - San Antonio
Katy Freeway - Houston

Now some nice scenery! (Not three lanes...)
Loop 375 in El Paso. Built through the Franklin Mountains. Amazing.
U.S. 385 in Big Bend
R.M. 170 outside of Big Bend, beautiful road along the Rio Grande. I think this is the most amazing road I've been on..
BigMatt

[xcellntbuy]

Taconic State Parkway
Interstate 77 from Mt. Airy, NC to Galax, VA preferably at dawn, northbound.
US 1 the Overseas Highway, Florida City to Key West, FL

[Beeper1]

I-15 through the Virgin River gorge in AZ.
I-87 through the Adirondacks.

For urban highways: Hutchinson River Pkwy near NYC and Soldiers Field Road in Boston.

[ctsignguy]

I-279 at night coming out of the tunnel and seeing downtown Pittsburgh all lit up....spectacular

[Ian]

I agree on both the Taconic State Parkway and I-87 through the Adirondacks. I'll also add to the list...

I-93 in downtown Boston
I-95 in Providence
I-95 in Philadelphia (the only road I actually like in my area)
A-720 in Montreal
I-84 in Hartford
I-787 in Albany
I-293 in Manchester
I-295 in Portland, ME

Some of these may not be "beautiful", but these are some neat urban freeways.

[ftballfan]

I-24 between Manchester, TN and I-75 (hills, hills, hills)
US-31 between Hart and Shelby in Michigan (I think it won an award for beauty when the freeway was first built)
Overseas Hwy (lots of water and lots of time to enjoy the views due to the slow moving traffic)
Mackinac Bridge
I-196 east of Lake Michigan Dr in Grand Rapids (has a 1960s feel to it)
US-31 through Muskegon (see I-196)

[sandiaman]

There  are many   that come to mind:   I-84  east of Portland ,OR  with the Columbia  River on one  side and the spectacular  cliffs with waterfalls  on the other side.  AZ 260  through  the Mogollon Rim  in  Northern Arizona  is  great  in any weather.  US  550  through  Ouray  to Durango, scary and beautiful.  US 7  from Bennington  to Burlington VT.  US  84  from Chama,NM  to Espanola, NM  is gorgeous  too.  And  US  191  from  Monticello  to Moab UT. 

[Revive 755]

* Probably doesn't count since it's not the core city, but I kind of like the descent on westbound I-44 into Fenton, MO:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=38.556678,-90.41112&spn=0.025304,0.082397&z=15&layer=c&cbll=38.558068,-90.411204&panoid=wcRSA4pwPDFFxVKGRtu2vg&cbp=12,237.82,,0,-4.09

* A couple good ones around Pittsburgh, PA.  WB I-376 seems to be the one  I remember the most:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=40.427414,-79.953175&spn=0.049264,0.164795&z=14&layer=c&cbll=40.427703,-79.954323&panoid=TYXVD9OwUKib0J4_SV9b-w&cbp=12,303.08,,0,-0.53

[Tarkus]

US-26 between Sylvan and the Vista Ridge Tunnel in Portland, OR.  It's in a heavily-forested canyon, and once you're on the other side of the tunnel--boom, city skyline.  It's a 7-lane-wide freeway for much of that segment (3 eastbound lanes, 4 westbound).

US-97 both north and south of Bend, Oregon is quite nice, too.  ODOT is in the process of upgrading the segment from Bend to Sunriver to a 4-lane freeway.  I got to drive a substantially complete stretch of it back in October--you can't beat ponderosa-filled medians (image courtesy of the ODOT project page):