Freeways That End at STOP Signs

[US71]

US 67 Freeway in Arkansas ends at a STOP sign (for now, until it's extended)

[hbelkins]

Isn't there a merge for traffic heading north on US 61?

The Bluegrass Parkway ends at a stop sign for traffic wishing to turn left onto westbound US 60. Eastbound traffic has a merge into 60 but there's a light a few hundred feet down the road. All the other Kentucky parkways end at traffic lights or interchanges, or transition into a surface route.

[bugo]

Historically, the Kansas Turnpike, at the Oklahoma border, right?

Yes.  I have confirmed this against the original signing plans for the Turnpike (KTA contract no. SD-1).  Southbound traffic saw two STOP signs on either side of the carriageway, with lead-in signing as follows:  "STOP 600 FEET," "SPEED LIMIT 35," "TURNPIKE ENDS 1/2 MILE," "35 M.P.H. ZONE AHEAD," and "TURNPIKE ENDS 1 MILE."  This signing (which at first blush looks like everything that is necessary to give motorists plenty of warning of the upcoming end of the road) was soon amended after the famous sequence of run-off-the-road accidents in 1956-57.

The Turnpike is paved.  In contradistinction, the state line road where the Turnpike ended was then, and still is, unpaved.  Considering their respective traffic volumes and states of improvement, it would have been arguably more logical for the STOP signs to face traffic on the state line road, but the Turnpike Authority nevertheless put them on the southbound Turnpike.

Why didn't they force traffic off of the Turnpike at the last southbound exit?

[brad2971]

The current freeway bypass of Scottsbluff/Gering (N-71/Heartland Expressway) ends at a STOP sign @US26.

[bugo]

The US 67 freeway used to end at Newport, AR at AR 18 at a stop sign.  Not an exit ramp - but the freeway itself ended at an at-grade.  That freeway has now been extended and a bridge has been built.  

[bugo]

How many of those mentioned are actually the permanent end of the freeway and not just the end of a ramp?

It wasn't permanent, but the US 67 example that I posted about was the freeway itself that ended, there were no ramps at the time.

[bugo]

Since this thread has drifted into freeways that end at traffic lights, I-630 ends at a traffic light in west Little Rock.  A bridge is being built over Shackleford Road and 630 is being extended to the west slightly.

[Scott5114]

Historically, the Kansas Turnpike, at the Oklahoma border, right?

Yes.  I have confirmed this against the original signing plans for the Turnpike (KTA contract no. SD-1).  Southbound traffic saw two STOP signs on either side of the carriageway, with lead-in signing as follows:  "STOP 600 FEET," "SPEED LIMIT 35," "TURNPIKE ENDS 1/2 MILE," "35 M.P.H. ZONE AHEAD," and "TURNPIKE ENDS 1 MILE."  This signing (which at first blush looks like everything that is necessary to give motorists plenty of warning of the upcoming end of the road) was soon amended after the famous sequence of run-off-the-road accidents in 1956-57.

The Turnpike is paved.  In contradistinction, the state line road where the Turnpike ended was then, and still is, unpaved.  Considering their respective traffic volumes and states of improvement, it would have been arguably more logical for the STOP signs to face traffic on the state line road, but the Turnpike Authority nevertheless put them on the southbound Turnpike.

Why didn't they force traffic off of the Turnpike at the last southbound exit?

They did, eventually, but only after Gov. Milward Simpson of Wyoming ran off the end of the road. I think the idea was that Oklahoma would come through with a turnpike on our side of the border fairly quickly (which was planned but fell through due to the state of Oklahoma's poor credit rating) and start construction at the border. At the very least, I'm guessing KTA expected ODOT's predecessor agency to build an interim continuation to US-177 as soon as possible. In short: KTA grossly overestimated Oklahoma's competence in the matter.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Interstate 110 in Baton Rouge ends at a stop sign on US 61 (Scenic Highway) when heading Northbound.  Rather abrupt end too.  You go around a sharp curve to the left and BAM stop sign... no "FREEWAY ENDS SIGNS

The Stop sign is for those who want to double back into Scotlandville by way of US 61 South. There have been 'freeway ends' signs along I-110 NB after the exit for La 19 (Scotland Ave) exit since 2008.

[Kacie Jane]

Just looked at Google Street View.  Looks to me like the north end of I-110 has two "Freeway Ends" signs (one on each side) and not one, not two, but three "Stop ahead" signs (one on the left side prior to the split for US 61 North, then one on each side afterwards).

Not knowing anything about the traffic counts, it seems that a stop sign could probably suffice for this movement.  Looking at a map, there seems to be little benefit to taking US 61 South from here rather than one of the prior two exits.

[achilles765]

The area is rather lightly travelled, so the stop sign does serve its purpose.  And I have not lived or driven in BR for a long time so I was not aware of the signs.  I do remember there being just one stop ahead sign when I lived there in 2008, though they were resigning alot of 110 before and after I moved away.  Most traffic that is still on the freeway at its end is probably heading north on US 61 to St. Francisville or Natchez, so they flow seemlessly into the northbound traffic.  Coming from the north there is a flyover for traffic to southbound I-110. 

[bugo]

The US 70 freeway in Hot Springs, AR basically ends at a stop sign.  There is a ramp from WB 70 to WB 70 but to go from WB 70 to EB 70B you have to stop at a stop sign.

[elsmere241]

The (then) southern end of I-176 outside Morgantown, Pennsylvania did in 1987.  By 1990 there was a light.