Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[sparker]

I personally love New Orleans. It’s one of my favorite cities. They just need to figure out how to widen I-10 through the city.

It's unlikely, considering the locally-initiated drumbeat for teardown, that I-10 will see any widening efforts in the near future.  It's pretty much a given that I-610 is there to shunt traffic to and from each end of town to the other in order to avoid the city center (and the 90-degree alignment shift on I-10).  And, of course, for really long-range bypassing, there's I-12!  What the I-10 alignment does adequately is funnel tourist traffic to the city center from each end -- although some local activists certainly don't see that as a benefit that outweighs the physical presence of the freeway.  N.O. has always been high on my own "must stop over" list when traveling cross-country; IMO the present freeway configuration is adequate, especially considering the population decrease since 2005.  The only thing that needs attention in that respect is the completion of I-49 over on the west bank.     

[froggie]

Wikipedia's Interstate 185 (Georgia) page says this (see Future section): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_185_(Georgia). So extending 185 is a no-go. Personally, I'd extend 185 south to Interstate 10, and north to connect with Interstate 75 somewhere in northern Georgia. That would make it a decent bypass of Atlanta (in a Fictional Highways sense).

Or (while talking somewhat fictional) extend I-77 south from Columbia or Augusta to I-10/I-75/Suncoast extension to provide a more direct route to the west coast of Florida instead of the I-26/I-95/I-4 (or I-10/US 301) jog.

The 78k plan included this corridor, so it's not entirely fictional. However, it doesn't include I-77. I was actually looking for what I think is froggie's 78k map that labels each segment 2, 4, or 6+ lanes, and this segment is one of the few 2-lane corridors east of the Mississippi, but I can't find it.

Responding a bit late here, but this topic is probably the one you were looking for.  This also wasn't the full 78.8K system...it was a combination of the 48.3K system plus the real-life Interstate system as it existed ca. 2015.

[Plutonic Panda]

I personally love New Orleans. It’s one of my favorite cities. They just need to figure out how to widen I-10 through the city.

It's unlikely, considering the locally-initiated drumbeat for teardown, that I-10 will see any widening efforts in the near future.  It's pretty much a given that I-610 is there to shunt traffic to and from each end of town to the other in order to avoid the city center (and the 90-degree alignment shift on I-10).  And, of course, for really long-range bypassing, there's I-12!  What the I-10 alignment does adequately is funnel tourist traffic to the city center from each end -- although some local activists certainly don't see that as a benefit that outweighs the physical presence of the freeway.  N.O. has always been high on my own "must stop over" list when traveling cross-country; IMO the present freeway configuration is adequate, especially considering the population decrease since 2005.  The only thing that needs attention in that respect is the completion of I-49 over on the west bank.   

Yeah this is true. I’m just hoping at this point they don’t decide to tear the thing down. How much life does she have left in her? This freeway segment is showing its age and will need replacement soon even if no new lanes.

[The Ghostbuster]

I thought the Interstate 10 teardown proposal in New Orleans, first initiated in 2010, had died out in the decade since then. I'm not sure whether or not the viaduct will be reconstructed in the future, although I doubt it will be expanded. I would have advocated replacing the Claiborne Expressway with a deep bored tunnel, but with the expense of building such a tunnel, and the fact that New Orleans was completely flooded during 2005's Hurricane Katrina, a tunnel is probably not an option.

[sparker]

I thought the Interstate 10 teardown proposal in New Orleans, first initiated in 2010, had died out in the decade since then. I'm not sure whether or not the viaduct will be reconstructed in the future, although I doubt it will be expanded. I would have advocated replacing the Claiborne Expressway with a deep bored tunnel, but with the expense of building such a tunnel, and the fact that New Orleans was completely flooded during 2005's Hurricane Katrina, a tunnel is probably not an option.

With NO's water table being just below the surface, a sunken tunnel is likely a non-starter.  If the viaduct is indeed rebuilt after the service life of the present structure (given the regional humidity, it's a wonder it hasn't deteriorated to a greater degree by now), it'll likely be as physically small as feasible to placate local critics -- probably no more than 6 lanes/minimal shoulders + slips as needed.  Wouldn't be surprised to see a full (but hopefully temporary!) "teardown" of the existing I-10 structure and replacement with a more compact facility -- with through traffic routed over I-610 (which will be a logistical nightmare) in the interim.

[codyg1985]

I thought the Interstate 10 teardown proposal in New Orleans, first initiated in 2010, had died out in the decade since then. I'm not sure whether or not the viaduct will be reconstructed in the future, although I doubt it will be expanded. I would have advocated replacing the Claiborne Expressway with a deep bored tunnel, but with the expense of building such a tunnel, and the fact that New Orleans was completely flooded during 2005's Hurricane Katrina, a tunnel is probably not an option.

With NO's water table being just below the surface, a sunken tunnel is likely a non-starter.  If the viaduct is indeed rebuilt after the service life of the present structure (given the regional humidity, it's a wonder it hasn't deteriorated to a greater degree by now), it'll likely be as physically small as feasible to placate local critics -- probably no more than 6 lanes/minimal shoulders + slips as needed.  Wouldn't be surprised to see a full (but hopefully temporary!) "teardown" of the existing I-10 structure and replacement with a more compact facility -- with through traffic routed over I-610 (which will be a logistical nightmare) in the interim.

There would be no doubt in my mind that reconstruction of the I-10 viaduct would require a complete closure in order to rebuild it, especially since I-610 and the western leg of I-10 is a viable detour route.

[Plutonic Panda]

It would be very nice if they expanded it to 10-12 lanes. But we’ll see. At this point I just hope it gets rebuilt even if just six lanes.

[edwaleni]

An alternate capacity that avoids Atlanta would be preferable, a route south from Montgomery AL to the gulf coast would help take the pressure off I-75.

A Montgomery-Tallahassee-Tampa corridor would indeed be a nice relief for I-75 traffic. I do wish Alabama would get on board with such a proposal, but Alabama doesn't seem t have the appetite to build many new freeway corridors anymore, except for the Birmingham Northern Beltline. Widening I-65 north of Montgomery would need to be in the cards too.

Hopefully, in a few years, opinions might change in Alabama, and they might get some funding going to upgrade US231 down from Montgomery.  The only other way would be to go down the US27 corridor in western Georgia, but that would be much more expensive, since more interstate would be needed.

Alabama DOT has had public hearings on an interstate grade between Montgomery and Marianna, FL.  Unfortunately it turned into a Hatfield-McCoy brawl between Enterprise and Dothan with Fort Rucker used as the pawn. Fort Rucker sits in between and the Feds own a lot of vacant land around it. With both sides refusing to give way it was shelved. US-231 is 4 lane all the way with many segments having a center left turn lane instead of a median. But the current routing in Dothan is foobar. The US 231-431 bypass ring of the city may have worked in 1966, but now it is a congested ring of strip malls, retail  and fast food with all of the traffic lights to boot. I got stuck in that Dothan ring once. Still beats going through Atlanta, but its not always smooth sailing.

[Jaxrunner]

An alternate capacity that avoids Atlanta would be preferable, a route south from Montgomery AL to the gulf coast would help take the pressure off I-75.

A Montgomery-Tallahassee-Tampa corridor would indeed be a nice relief for I-75 traffic. I do wish Alabama would get on board with such a proposal, but Alabama doesn't seem t have the appetite to build many new freeway corridors anymore, except for the Birmingham Northern Beltline. Widening I-65 north of Montgomery would need to be in the cards too.

Hopefully, in a few years, opinions might change in Alabama, and they might get some funding going to upgrade US231 down from Montgomery.  The only other way would be to go down the US27 corridor in western Georgia, but that would be much more expensive, since more interstate would be needed.

Alabama DOT has had public hearings on an interstate grade between Montgomery and Marianna, FL.  Unfortunately it turned into a Hatfield-McCoy brawl between Enterprise and Dothan with Fort Rucker used as the pawn. Fort Rucker sits in between and the Feds own a lot of vacant land around it. With both sides refusing to give way it was shelved. US-231 is 4 lane all the way with many segments having a center left turn lane instead of a median. But the current routing in Dothan is foobar. The US 231-431 bypass ring of the city may have worked in 1966, but now it is a congested ring of strip malls, retail  and fast food with all of the traffic lights to boot. I got stuck in that Dothan ring once. Still beats going through Atlanta, but its not always smooth sailing.

I suppose in an ideal world you build an elevated freeway on the Ross Clark Circle in Dothan AL with Frontage roads ie something similar to what you see in Texas. That way you could have your freeway and still support the local business. Unless there some huge change in the way Alabama taxes and builds roads I don't see that happening in my lifetime.
US 231 south of Dothan is a nice and fast rural expressway that gets you to I 10 quickly . I would like to see Alabama and Florida work together to widen FL sr 79 north of I 10 and Alabama 167 from the state line to Troy. That would create a nice new four lane corridor between Troy, Enterprise  down to I 10 and further to the Gulf Coast Beaches.

[I-55]

An alternate capacity that avoids Atlanta would be preferable, a route south from Montgomery AL to the gulf coast would help take the pressure off I-75.

A Montgomery-Tallahassee-Tampa corridor would indeed be a nice relief for I-75 traffic. I do wish Alabama would get on board with such a proposal, but Alabama doesn't seem t have the appetite to build many new freeway corridors anymore, except for the Birmingham Northern Beltline. Widening I-65 north of Montgomery would need to be in the cards too.

Hopefully, in a few years, opinions might change in Alabama, and they might get some funding going to upgrade US231 down from Montgomery.  The only other way would be to go down the US27 corridor in western Georgia, but that would be much more expensive, since more interstate would be needed.

Alabama DOT has had public hearings on an interstate grade between Montgomery and Marianna, FL.  Unfortunately it turned into a Hatfield-McCoy brawl between Enterprise and Dothan with Fort Rucker used as the pawn. Fort Rucker sits in between and the Feds own a lot of vacant land around it. With both sides refusing to give way it was shelved. US-231 is 4 lane all the way with many segments having a center left turn lane instead of a median. But the current routing in Dothan is foobar. The US 231-431 bypass ring of the city may have worked in 1966, but now it is a congested ring of strip malls, retail  and fast food with all of the traffic lights to boot. I got stuck in that Dothan ring once. Still beats going through Atlanta, but its not always smooth sailing.

I suppose in an ideal world you build an elevated freeway on the Ross Clark Circle in Dothan AL with Frontage roads ie something similar to what you see in Texas. That way you could have your freeway and still support the local business. Unless there some huge change in the way Alabama taxes and builds roads I don't see that happening in my lifetime.
US 231 south of Dothan is a nice and fast rural expressway that gets you to I 10 quickly . I would like to see Alabama and Florida work together to widen FL sr 79 north of I 10 and Alabama 167 from the state line to Troy. That would create a nice new four lane corridor between Troy, Enterprise  down to I 10 and further to the Gulf Coast Beaches.

The most likely way Alabama would approach said freeway option (if they do) is to do it like Memorial Parkway or AL-255 north of US-72. 4 lane freeway with one way frontage roads.

[Plutonic Panda]

I’ll say this again, they need to at least purchase the ROW for these projects so their paths don’t get eaten up by development.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2021/03/03/floridas-toll-road-projects-a-fiscal-cliff-in-serious-trouble-lawmakers-say/

[Plutonic Panda]

Well this sucks, it seems this entire plan is “shelved” as we like to say. Sprawl will continue and land will be eaten up. Should have compromised and at least purchased ROW.

https://www.equipmentworld.com/business/article/15066328/controversial-florida-toll-road-projects-killed