Ugliest Highways

[webny99]

I would submit the restriped portion of NY 590 north of NY 104 as one of the ugliest highways in the US. The striping makes it a terrible eyesore, not to mention the weeds growing in the median and aging bridges and pavement. It's honestly an embarrassment to drive on this stretch with guests from out of town, what a terrible impression it must leave on them. The least that could be done is a restriping to bring it back to two lanes, as it used to be.

[SkyPesos]

Before the recent repaving project, I'll nominate I-71 between Red Bank Rd (exit 9) and Kenwood Rd (exit 11) as the ugliest segment of highway in my area. Weed in the jersey barrier median, lots of those black "glue" things to fill in cracks (not sure what it's officially called), bumps in the road from potholes, and occasional rusted gantries.

It's much better now though, besides the weed part.

[Max Rockatansky]

When I was growing up M-10 and the Lodge Freeway were pretty haggard looking.  It's been substantially cleaned up in the intervening decades but it is still a very brutalist design. 

I think in California is title would have to go to the Terminal Island Freeway (CA 103 and CA 47).  The Long Beach maintained segment between Willow Street and CA 1 is absolutely hideous:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/s20JC7

This photo really captures it for me where Long Beach maintenance suddenly becomes Caltrans:

https://flic.kr/p/2mUUVJv

[JayhawkCO]

KY 199 if we're doing the highway (pavement quality, etc.) itself.

For ambience? I-270 in Colorado. It runs through the most industrial area of the Denver metro.

[OCGuy81]

I-5 from Sacramento to the Grapevine.

Unless, one considers flat terrain and power lines "pretty" .

[NWI_Irish96]

A couple stretches of US 12/20 in Lake County, IN, are really not fun to look at:

Gary between Grant and Colfax
East Chicago/Whiting between Columbus Dr and New York Ave

[Max Rockatansky]

I-5 from Sacramento to the Grapevine.

Unless, one considers flat terrain and power lines "pretty" .

To Wheeler Ridge you mean, there is nothing ugly approaching Grapevine Canyon and Tejon Pass.  The West Side Freeway is incredibly boring, but definitely not ugly once you get to CA 145 north to I-580 during/after a wet winter.  The Diablo Range in particular looks really nice covered in greenery. 

[TheHighwayMan3561]

All of them </urbanists>

[seicer]

KY 199 if we're doing the highway (pavement quality, etc.) itself.

What the heck? It's called "Dinky Road"! I had no idea this existed.

[JayhawkCO]

KY 199 if we're doing the highway (pavement quality, etc.) itself.

What the heck? It's called "Dinky Road"! I had no idea this existed.

If I ever get out that way with my Rubicon, it looks like a fun drive.

[Max Rockatansky]

All of them </urbanists>

Problem is all Urbanists have ugly souls.

[HighwayStar]

All of them </urbanists>

Problem is all Urbanists have ugly souls.

Not only that, they complain highways are ugly, as if their glass and concrete apartment complexes housing people like laying hens are any more attractive.

[Max Rockatansky]

All of them </urbanists>

Problem is all Urbanists have ugly souls.

Not only that, they complain highways are ugly, as if their glass and concrete apartment complexes housing people like laying hens are any more attractive.

Yes, that particular crowd sure has a love affair with ironically soulless modernist architecture. 

[tradephoric]

When I was growing up M-10 and the Lodge Freeway were pretty haggard looking.  It's been substantially cleaned up in the intervening decades but it is still a very brutalist design. 

I think in California is title would have to go to the Terminal Island Freeway (CA 103 and CA 47).  The Long Beach maintained segment between Willow Street and CA 1 is absolutely hideous:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/s20JC7

This photo really captures it for me where Long Beach maintenance suddenly becomes Caltrans:

https://flic.kr/p/2mUUVJv

Full drive of the Lodge with historical pictures at the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ-HBC6QGHo

[wanderer2575]

When I was growing up M-10 and the Lodge Freeway were pretty haggard looking.  It's been substantially cleaned up in the intervening decades but it is still a very brutalist design. 

Certainly the section of the Lodge Freeway in the plain-walled "concrete canyon" isn't scoring any scenery points.  But I still say the worst and ugliest freeway in the Metro area is I-94 through downtown Detroit.  Horrendous pavement, permanently littered, eroding slopes washing onto the road, any bridge that hasn't yet been reconstructed is rusted out and covered in plywood to catch falling concrete, even with no walls to hide anything there is absolutely nothing of interest to look at while driving through.  You just want to get out of there ASAP.  M-10 may be brutalist, but I-94 is ugly beyond the point of embarrassment.

[ozarkman417]

One that comes to mind is IL 251 between US 51 and Rockford when I had to drive that stretch several times in 2018. Combine mundane terrain with atrocious pavement quality, and you get a pretty ugly section of highway that has fortunately since been repaved.

[Max Rockatansky]

When I was growing up M-10 and the Lodge Freeway were pretty haggard looking.  It's been substantially cleaned up in the intervening decades but it is still a very brutalist design. 

Certainly the section of the Lodge Freeway in the plain-walled "concrete canyon" isn't scoring any scenery points.  But I still say the worst and ugliest freeway in the Metro area is I-94 through downtown Detroit.  Horrendous pavement, permanently littered, eroding slopes washing onto the road, any bridge that hasn't yet been reconstructed is rusted out and covered in plywood to catch falling concrete, even with no walls to hide anything there is absolutely nothing of interest to look at while driving through.  You just want to get out of there ASAP.  M-10 may be brutalist, but I-94 is ugly beyond the point of embarrassment.

Amusingly I recall the Lodge being like that when I was growing up around Detroit and the Edsel Ford not being in quite as rough shape. 

[seicer]

Baltimore-Washington Parkway in the vicinity of Baltimore. Perhaps it's been cleaned up since then but it was a pretty rough and ugly drive:

- https://goo.gl/maps/RoZgJmUn14TxNEkj7
- https://goo.gl/maps/D3m4wmx6hvv4dQKR8
- Looks like they may have cleaned up the median but did they plant anything new? https://goo.gl/maps/VfdvLPwkHQttypAdA
-

[JREwing78]

One that comes to mind is IL 251 between US 51 and Rockford when I had to drive that stretch several times in 2018. Combine mundane terrain with atrocious pavement quality, and you get a pretty ugly section of highway that has fortunately since been repaved.

Thankfully it got resurfaced in 2020. Pavement quality is much better now.

[bing101]

I-5 from Sacramento to the Grapevine.

Unless, one considers flat terrain and power lines "pretty" .

I know what you mean and also the cow manure smell is at the halfway point between Sacramento to Los Angeles around the Harris Ranch area.

I-880 Oakland to San Jose all due the Truck Traffic between San Jose to Port of Oakland can be viewed as an Ugly Freeway.

I-605 and I-710 can be argued as Ugly Freeways due to the industrial districts in the San Gabriel Valley the Freeway passes by plus Truck Traffic to Port of LA are factors here.

[zachary_amaryllis]

KY 199 if we're doing the highway (pavement quality, etc.) itself.

For ambience? I-270 in Colorado. It runs through the most industrial area of the Denver metro.

i second this, with the old i-70 getting honorable mention (the part that was on the viaduct)

iirc, i-25 in pueblo isn't winning any beauty contests either

[zachary_amaryllis]

i also nominate i-78 between njtp and the holland tunnel, and that part of nj-139 that parallels it..

[DandyDan]

I remember the one time I drove on Ayd Mill Road in St. Paul, MN, that road was horrible all the way around.

[Max Rockatansky]

I-17 south of The Stack on the Durango Curve isn't much of a looker.  Much of the Black Canyon Highway portion north I-10 was built as AZ 69 isn't doesn't have any design flair to it unlike the other freeways around Phoenix.

[Flint1979]

The Edsel Ford Freeway in Detroit. Very ugly freeway.