Freeways that were formerly signed Interstates but now are not in the system?

[TheStranger]

Something I thought about last night: freeways that either were once grandfathered into the system OR were built as signed Interstates, only to be signed as a non-Interstate freeway in more recent times.

(Kinda a gray area for routes that have hidden interstate designations, i.e. I-305 in Sacramento or I-124 in Chattanooga)

Some examples:

CALIFORNIA
- Orange Freeway in San Dimas from I-10 to I-210, formerly a part of I-210 until several years ago, but now Route 57's northernmost extension.
- former Route 480 in San Francisco (now demolished), was Interstate until 1968 or so.
- Not sure if this counts: US 101 between I-5 and the San Bernardino Freeway was part of a mid-1960s I-105 designation that as far as I know was never signed
- Route 99 between Stockton and Sacramento was at one point Temp I-5
- The segment of Business 80/Route 51 between Route 99 and E Street in Sacramento was built as I-80 in the mid-1960s (unlike the 1950s segment of what had been US 99E from E Street to Arden Way, and the 1940s portion through the Marconi Curve)
- Although Route 1 in the Presidio and in the southernmost parts of San Francisco were both intended as part of I-280, not sure that was ever signed as such (likewise, Doyle Drive segment of US 101 was planned to be added to I-480)
- The Central Freeway between I-80 and Fell Street in San Francisco was supposed to be part of the I-80 western extension (though built right before the Interstate designations came into being) and was marked as such in mid-1960s Rand McNally insets...not sure if it was signed, though I think it may have been (1980s signage for I-80 west on the San Francisco Skyway were for "I-80/US 101 Civic Center" as opposed to today's "US 101 San Jose/Golden Gate Bridge")

NEW JERSEY
- Route 495 is the former (until 1989) I-495 to the Lincoln Tunnel

PENNSYLVANIA
- I-378 was demoted to Route 378 (but was built as an Interstate) once I-78 was rerouted to bypass Allentown/Bethlehem to the south; concurrently, the US 22 Lehigh Valley Thruway had been I-78 until then.

[OCGuy81]

Orange Freeway in San Dimas from I-10 to I-210, formerly a part of I-210 until several years ago, but now Route 57's northernmost extension.

I've often wondered about something similar.  Was CA-15 south of I-8 ever part of Interstate 15?  Same with the section of CA-110.  Was it ever part,or intended to eventually be part of I-110?

[Revive 755]

* US 80 in TX between I-20 and I-30 - formerly part of I-20
* US 75 in Omaha, NE, between I-480 and the interchange with the Storz Expressway - Once signed as I-580?

[agentsteel53]

US-395 between Carson City and Reno was, at one point, signed I-580.  It will be so again.  I believe the first time was an error.

I-75 used to terminate on Florida's gulf coast and followed a route which is now some three-digit state highway.  FL-638 or something equally obscure.

CA-110 and CA-15 were never interstates.  CA-15 might one day get the upgrade, but CA-110 is quaintly substandard, having been built in 1939-40 as the first freeway in California.

[NE2]

I-75 used to terminate on Florida's gulf coast and followed a route which is now some three-digit state highway.  FL-638 or something equally obscure.

SR 681, but I'm not sure that it was ever signed.

The SR 13 freeway in Atlanta was once I-85.

[FLRoads]

I-75 used to terminate on Florida's gulf coast and followed a route which is now some three-digit state highway.  FL-638 or something equally obscure.

SR 681, but I'm not sure that it was ever signed.

I-75 never terminated at FL 681, as the interstate opened between the River Road exit (Exit 191) near North Port and U.S. 301 near Ellenton (Exit 224) in 1980. I distinctly remember as a kid that my parents would use this open portion of I-75 and there was never a time that we had to default onto FL 681 when we headed southbound. I also remember when they built the partial interchange of FL 681 and U.S. 41 and I want to say that that was sometime after 1980 (maybe 1981 or 1982), though on this fact I could be a year or two off...

[mgk920]

-GA 13 ('Spring Buford Connector'), formerly I-85, now essentially the I-85 'local' lanes between I-75 and GA 400 in Atlanta, GA.

Mike

[DTComposer]

Sorta kinda counts: what was originally CA-17 between I-280 and US-101 in San Jose was to be the extension of I-280. Was marked as such on maps, not sure if it was signed (although I remember a BGS around First Street that had room for a second shield). Similarly, the same freeway between US-101 and CA-262 was going to be the end of I-680. Those routes were moved off that freeway and it reverted to being CA-17, only to rejoin the Interstate system as I-880 in 1984.

[kurumi]

US 6 bypass at Willimantic was signed as I-84 from its opening (1971) to the 84/86 swap in 1984.

[1995hoo]

I-170 in Baltimore, aka the Highway to Nowhere, was signed but was decommissioned after I-70 through the city was deleted. It doesn't connect to anything important and there have been proposals to rip up the road, re-fill the depressed corridor where it was built, and then either build a park, run a transit line through, or reconstruct houses.

VA-895 near Richmond, also called the Pocahontas Parkway, was once planned as an Interstate, but Interstate status was denied because it was built as a toll road. So it doesn't qualify for this list, but I list it as an honorable mention.

BTW, I assume for purposes of this thread that "temporary Interstates" don't count, given that those markers were used for convenience and were never intended to denote "true" Interstates. Temporary I-95 was once designated on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway until the portion between those cities was constructed, for example.

[OCGuy81]

I-75 used to terminate on Florida's gulf coast and followed a route which is now some three-digit state highway.  FL-638 or something equally obscure.

Wasn't the route that used to follow what is now I-75 (the east-west segment through the Eveglades) the old US 94?

[NE2]

Wasn't the route that used to follow what is now I-75 (the east-west segment through the Eveglades) the old US 94?

No. US 94 is now US 41; Alligator Alley was built later as SR 84.

[NE2]

I think SR 315 west of downtown Columbus was once signed as I-70/71.

[formulanone]

Wasn't the route that used to follow what is now I-75 (the east-west segment through the Eveglades) the old US 94?

Actually, it was State Road 84. Now it exists in two distant pieces, since I-75 (Alligator Alley) doesn't even use it as a secret route number. US 94 was the portion of Tamiami Trail between Naples and Miami, and then became part of US 41, when US 94 was deprecated.

(tree'd)

There is also a "CR 94" (Loop Road) that was supposed to be the original alignment of the Tamiami Trail, but when money ran dry, the story goes that Barron Collier footed the bill with the pretext that it remains fully in Collier County (until reaching Dade County). CR 94 is nothing but a bumpy, muddy (but scenic) route through the Everglades. Personally not recommended by me for exploring unless you have an SUV, don't try it by car unless it's been dry for a few weeks. But worth the view...

I-75 used to terminate on Florida's gulf coast and followed a route which is now some three-digit state highway.  FL-638 or something equally obscure.

SR 681, but I'm not sure that it was ever signed.

This is the closest thing to signed...on the overpass?

[OCGuy81]

Thanks for clarifying the old US 94 alignment. 

Quick question on that note.  Are I-75 and US-41 signed as East-West through the Everglades?  I swear I saw a photo on a message board long ago that read "75 West - Fort Meyers)

[formulanone]

It's both for I-75: I've seen all four directions in the field.

Southeast Roads to the Rescue:


The few blurry shots I have show "North" for heading west...love-bug infestations are bad for photos and car finishes. Naturally, the junction between I-75 and I-595 and SR 869 show it in it's "proper" orientation:



Tamiami Trail signs I have on file show US 41 as North/South, it does go gently northward from Miami towards Naples. But like I-75, there's also some East/West tabs as well:

Southeast Roads, again



Seems to be a common theme in Florida. US 98 is signed which ever way the wind blows.

[Michael]

If only this happened to I-99...nah, that'll never happen!  

[TheStranger]

CA-110 and CA-15 were never interstates.  CA-15 might one day get the upgrade, but CA-110 is quaintly substandard, having been built in 1939-40 as the first freeway in California.

The Harbor Freeway through downtown Los Angeles between 101 and 10 (ostensibly state route 110) IS signed as I-110 starting from the Four-Level Interchange save for two shields southbound.  It's not perfectly standard but it isn't part of the parkway segment and has always allowed truck travel.  I don't know if southbound Harbor Freeway was ever mostly state-route shields prior to the 90s, or if it was always signed as I-110 from 1984 on.

As for Route 15, I recall that the designation upgrade would only occur once some fixes were made to the Route 15/Route 94 junction.  Having said that, I DID see an Interstate 15 shield off of I-5 south - albeit on a temporary orange-background sign - about 11 days ago!  Prior to the early 2000s, the segment between I-805 and I-8 was a city street (40th Street).

[agentsteel53]

Having said that, I DID see an Interstate 15 shield off of I-5 south

there is a permanent one at the Adams St. on-ramp. should be CA-15, but is I-15. 

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I think SR 315 west of downtown Columbus was once signed as I-70/71.

Yep, the west innerbelt was signed as I-71. Never had signs on it for I-70 however.

[huskeroadgeek]

* US 75 in Omaha, NE, between I-480 and the interchange with the Storz Expressway - Once signed as I-580?

The North Freeway in Omaha was apparently signed as I-580 in the late 1970s(although I've never seen any pictures to confirm it-it was marked on maps however), but only about the southernmost 2 miles of it would have been signed as I-580 because the last mile or so that includes the interchange with the Storz Expwy. wasn't finished until the late 1980s, and the I-580 designation was removed in 1980 due to the necessity of converting the I-480 interchange with the North Expwy. to interstate standards.

[TheStranger]

Having said that, I DID see an Interstate 15 shield off of I-5 south

there is a permanent one at the Adams St. on-ramp. should be CA-15, but is I-15. 

I remember seeing another one at Harbor Drive/old US 101 back in 1998, I think it's still there but not sure.

[vtk]

I think SR 315 west of downtown Columbus was once signed as I-70/71.

Yep, the west innerbelt was signed as I-71. Never had signs on it for I-70 however.

Wasn't there a period of a few years when I-70 was planned to be added to the West Innerbelt (and presumably the other three legs as well) before they decided to route it directly to the Mound-Sandusk Interchange?

[jemacedo9]

PENNSYLVANIA
- I-378 was demoted to Route 378 (but was built as an Interstate) once I-78 was rerouted to bypass Allentown/Bethlehem to the south; concurrently, the US 22 Lehigh Valley Thruway had been I-78 until then.

I don't think the Lehigh Valley Thruway had ever been signed as I-78...unless maybe in it's first few years of being open?  At least in the early 80's, I-78 just disappeared west of Allentown.  PA 378 though I do believe was numbered in anticipation of the LVT becoming I-78 at some point, which would then change PA 378 to I-378.  The hold up was the Delaware River Crossing and the portion just east of that, and as stated, the eventual southern routing resolved that.

There was also a planned I-178 spur from the LVT into downtown Allentown that was never built.

[roadman65]

PENNSYLVANIA
- I-378 was demoted to Route 378 (but was built as an Interstate) once I-78 was rerouted to bypass Allentown/Bethlehem to the south; concurrently, the US 22 Lehigh Valley Thruway had been I-78 until then.

I don't think the Lehigh Valley Thruway had ever been signed as I-78...unless maybe in it's first few years of being open?  At least in the early 80's, I-78 just disappeared west of Allentown.  PA 378 though I do believe was numbered in anticipation of the LVT becoming I-78 at some point, which would then change PA 378 to I-378.  The hold up was the Delaware River Crossing and the portion just east of that, and as stated, the eventual southern routing resolved that.

There was also a planned I-178 spur from the LVT into downtown Allentown that was never built.

I do remember for a long time that US 22 through the Allentown Bethlehem area was only signed "TO I-78" and a guide sign west of PA 100 used to say "END I-78- Follow US 22." It was never signed as I-78 proper and even the section from PA 100 to PA 61 had its ramps only signed US 22 until the section of I-78 was completed.  US 22 was primary with small confirmation I-78 shields to the side of it.

Originally I-78 and US 22 were to split west of the Lehigh Valley Brewery (former Schaefer, I do not know who owns it now) and it was never to be concurrent with PA 309. It was to have its own freeway to the south, and meet up with the current alignment at the I-78, PA 309, and PA 145 interchange.