My Top 5 Most Exciting Highway Projects in the US

[kernals12]

5. I-10 Broadway Curve- Phoenix, AZ
Adding 2 General Purpose lanes from Loop 202 to US 60, 4 General Purpose Lanes and 2 HOV lanes from US 60 to I-17, and adding frontage roads from US 60 to SR 143

4. I-66 Express Lanes- Fairfax/Loudoun Counties, VA
Adding 4 HOT Lanes over 22 miles from Gainesville, VA to the Capital Beltway

3. Loop 1604- San Antonio, TX
Adding 4 General Purpose Lanes and 2 HOV lanes over 23.5 miles along with new auxiliary lanes, widened frontage roads, and redesigned interchanges

2. I-4 Ultimate/Beyond the Ultimate- Orlando, FL
Adding 4 toll lanes along a 60 mile stretch of Interstate 4 and redesigning most of the interchanges, including a replacement of the existing viaduct in Downtown Orlando

1. Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel- Hampton Roads, VA
Constructing a new 1 mile 4 lane tube to expand the current Bridge Tunnel from 4 lanes to 8

What are yours?

EDIT: The project needs to be ongoing.

[Max Rockatansky]

This is why the past with highway development is so much more subjectively interesting to me than the present.  All of these freeway/limited access projects feel too much the same for my tastes.  Flipping through as many 1910s-1950s era highway development articles as I do you can see how excited people were (include the DOTs involved).  Everything kind of settled into a same old same old mentality once freeways weren't new by the 1960s.  I don't know, it feels rare (emphasis subjectively to me) that necessary expansions of limited access highways is exciting. I don't even know if I could honestly pick a top five that would meet the scale of what one probably one would expect in a General thread.  I guess that I'm kind of interested to see how Sequoia National Park handles resurfacing Mineral King Road and if that might impact its old school stage road feel. 

Edit:  One limited access improvement I'll note because it would aid my own escape from home and help my wife during her commute is the upcoming expansion of CA 99 from the Fresno County Line to Madera to six lanes.

I'm very happy that money is being put into fixing the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road.  This is a awesome single lane road that needs to be preserved in Big Sur:

https://www.ksbw.com/article/federal-money-to-repair-nacimiento-fergusson-road/38727374#

Seeing the new CA 99/CA 132 interchange being in built in Modesto over the last year has been intriguing since it is where I-5W was original was supposed to branch towards the Bay Area.  The new alignment of CA 132 west of CA 99 I believe has been held as right-of-way by the Division of Highways since the 1950s.  We had a debate a long time ago on Pacific Southwest if it was the oldest retained right-of-way held by Caltrans that wasn't developed.

And finally, the Mosquito Road Bridge replacement project which presumably is preserving the current wooden suspension span for recreational use:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2021/04/mosquito-road-bridge.html?m=1

I guess that's retroactively a top five...

[Rothman]

I-81 Viaduct.  Held a set of plans the other day. 

$2 billion...

[sprjus4]

1. Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel- Hampton Roads, VA
Constructing a new 4 mile 4 lane tube to expand the current Bridge Tunnel from 4 lanes to 8

The new tunnel is only around 1 mile long, then around a mile of new 8 lane viaduct over the water.

Most of the distance will be landside widening to 8 lanes.

Not saying the few miles of bridge-tunnel isn't the most extensive, it certainly is, but it's not 4 miles of tunnel.

[webny99]

I-81 Viaduct.  Held a set of plans the other day. 

$2 billion...

Exciting for some, but probably not very many roadgeeks.

Personally, I'd put CSVT light years ahead of I-81 in Syracuse.

[kernals12]

1. Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel- Hampton Roads, VA
Constructing a new 4 mile 4 lane tube to expand the current Bridge Tunnel from 4 lanes to 8

The new tunnel is only around 1 mile long, then around a mile of new 8 lane viaduct over the water.

Most of the distance will be landside widening to 8 lanes.

Not saying the few miles of bridge-tunnel isn't the most extensive, it certainly is, but it's not 4 miles of tunnel.

my mistake

[DenverBrian]

Third bore tunnel for I-70 at the Continental Divide in Colorado...if it ever happens.

[achilles765]

Interstate 45 rebuild in Houston
elevated express lanes on IH 35 in San Antonio

[kernals12]

Interstate 45 rebuild in Houston
elevated express lanes on IH 35 in San Antonio

I was referring to projects already under construction

[Rothman]

I-81 Viaduct.  Held a set of plans the other day. 

$2 billion...

Exciting for some, but probably not very many roadgeeks.

Personally, I'd put CSVT light years ahead of I-81 in Syracuse.

I-81's twice the size and includes more than one major interchange reconstructions.

[sprjus4]

I-81 Viaduct.  Held a set of plans the other day. 

$2 billion...

Exciting for some, but probably not very many roadgeeks.

Personally, I'd put CSVT light years ahead of I-81 in Syracuse.

I-81's twice the size and includes more than one major interchange reconstructions.

The project involves demolishing an existing highway and reconstructing two system interchanges to flip continuity.

It will strain the existing capacity on I-481 and not provide an adequate widening.

IMO, it's not that exciting of a project and puts the system overcapacity more and removes redundancies in an urban freeway network. It will also remove the direct connection between I-81 North and I-690 West.

CSVT provides a much needed freeway extension southward and bypasses a busy choke point on a major north-south highway, and features the construction of a new bridge over the Susquehanna River.

Easily a more exciting project and will have a much more positive impact on the highway network as a whole, as opposed to I-81 which will have a negative impact for a much higher amount of money.

[Rothman]

I-81 Viaduct.  Held a set of plans the other day. 

$2 billion...

Exciting for some, but probably not very many roadgeeks.

Personally, I'd put CSVT light years ahead of I-81 in Syracuse.

I-81's twice the size and includes more than one major interchange reconstructions.

The project involves demolishing an existing highway and reconstructing two system interchanges to flip continuity.

It will strain the existing capacity on I-481 and not provide an adequate widening.

IMO, it's not that exciting of a project and puts the system overcapacity more and removes redundancies in an urban freeway network. It will also remove the direct connection between I-81 North and I-690 West.

CSVT provides a much needed freeway extension southward and bypasses a busy choke point on a major north-south highway, and features the construction of a new bridge over the Susquehanna River.

Easily a more exciting project and will have a much more positive impact on the highway network as a whole, as opposed to I-81 which will have a negative impact for a much higher amount of money.

In addition to the interchanges, just given the number of bridge replacements and the reconfiguration of connections to I-690, as well as the improvements coming to downtown Syracuse, it's definitely exciting.

[Bruce]

1. Alaskan Way restoration in Seattle
2. Scajaquada Expressway removal in Buffalo, NY
3. Rething81 in Syracuse, NY
4. I-980 Removal in Oakland, CA
5. Iway in Providence, RI (relocating I-195)

[kernals12]

1. Alaskan Way restoration in Seattle
2. Scajaquada Expressway removal in Buffalo, NY
3. Rething81 in Syracuse, NY
4. I-980 Removal in Oakland, CA
5. Iway in Providence, RI (relocating I-195)

Very funny

Especially since 2 of them were completed almost a decade ago, one of them hasn't started yet, and 2 of them are only proposals.

[Bruce]

The original post had no limit on timing.

Surely I could add the Embarcadero and Harbor Freeway removal in there too. 

[sprjus4]

4. I-980 Removal in Oakland, CA

Not happening... and would cause a serious strain to the network. It's worse than any of the other examples.

Next, you'll say we should remove I-35 in Austin.

[Great Lakes Roads]

1. I-69 Finish Line
2. I-69 Ohio River Crossing (ORX)
3. I-65/I-70 North Split
4. I-465 Northeast
5. I-465/I-865 Interchange Reconstruction

[Scott5114]

This is why the past with highway development is so much more subjectively interesting to me than the present.  All of these freeway/limited access projects feel too much the same for my tastes.

I can see where you're coming from, but it depends a lot on the area. Pretty much any sort of freeway expansion in Oklahoma is attention-getting because it happens so rarely and is always a big step up over what was there before. Additionally, a lot our major freeways are expanding far-outdated interchange designs like cloverleaves with high-powered interchange designs that you previously had to go out-of-state to see.

[Max Rockatansky]

This is why the past with highway development is so much more subjectively interesting to me than the present.  All of these freeway/limited access projects feel too much the same for my tastes.

I can see where you're coming from, but it depends a lot on the area. Pretty much any sort of freeway expansion in Oklahoma is attention-getting because it happens so rarely and is always a big step up over what was there before. Additionally, a lot our major freeways are expanding far-outdated interchange designs like cloverleaves with high-powered interchange designs that you previously had to go out-of-state to see.

I don't know, in my case I'll use the I-4 Ultimate example Kernals used.  That project was overdue for a very long time given how substandard the freeway in Orlando was (I'm a former resident).  To me the end result of Ultimate is just another freeway that is the same as any of generic segment of modern Interstate.  The haggard stretch through downtown Orlando won't be able to spawn Mad Max FWJ memes anymore because it will too efficient and boring.

[mgk920]

Third bore tunnel for I-70 at the Continental Divide in Colorado...if it ever happens.

I would be more excited about resurrecting and drilling the Red-Buffalo Tunnel. Bonus points if it is two theee-lane tubes

Mike

[Scott5114]

This is why the past with highway development is so much more subjectively interesting to me than the present.  All of these freeway/limited access projects feel too much the same for my tastes.

I can see where you're coming from, but it depends a lot on the area. Pretty much any sort of freeway expansion in Oklahoma is attention-getting because it happens so rarely and is always a big step up over what was there before. Additionally, a lot our major freeways are expanding far-outdated interchange designs like cloverleaves with high-powered interchange designs that you previously had to go out-of-state to see.

I don't know, in my case I'll use the I-4 Ultimate example Kernals used.  That project was overdue for a very long time given how substandard the freeway in Orlando was (I'm a former resident).  To me the end result of Ultimate is just another freeway that is the same as any of generic segment of modern Interstate.  The haggard stretch through downtown Orlando won't be able to spawn Mad Max FWJ memes anymore because it will too efficient and boring.

Right, but if you've never had a modern interstate in your town before...

People from Dallas would find the new I-44/I-235 interchange lame as hell but we're just thrilled to have a new interchange with two flyovers. Wow!

[SkyPesos]

Brent Spence Bridge second span, whenever that happens.

[kernals12]

This is why the past with highway development is so much more subjectively interesting to me than the present.  All of these freeway/limited access projects feel too much the same for my tastes.

I can see where you're coming from, but it depends a lot on the area. Pretty much any sort of freeway expansion in Oklahoma is attention-getting because it happens so rarely and is always a big step up over what was there before. Additionally, a lot our major freeways are expanding far-outdated interchange designs like cloverleaves with high-powered interchange designs that you previously had to go out-of-state to see.

I don't know, in my case I'll use the I-4 Ultimate example Kernals used.  That project was overdue for a very long time given how substandard the freeway in Orlando was (I'm a former resident).  To me the end result of Ultimate is just another freeway that is the same as any of generic segment of modern Interstate.  The haggard stretch through downtown Orlando won't be able to spawn Mad Max FWJ memes anymore because it will too efficient and boring.

Right, but if you've never had a modern interstate in your town before...

People from Dallas would find the new I-44/I-235 interchange lame as hell but we're just thrilled to have a new interchange with two flyovers. Wow!

And with the ramps on the right.

[Rick Powell]

Around my neighborhood -
I-80 reconstruction/add lanes in Joliet
Jane Byrne interchange in Chicago
I-294 reconstruction/add lanes western suburbs of Chicago
I-69 Finish Line Martinsville to Indianapolis
Longmeadow Parkway toll bridge, Kane County IL

I guess the I-74 Quad Cities bridge would qualify too but all lanes are now open to traffic.

[tolbs17]

For me, Winston-Salem Northern Beltway, Complete 540, East End Connector, I-26 Asheville connector and the I-87 corridor here in NC.