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Author Topic: Most and/or biggest buildings between opposite directions of a divided highway?  (Read 2640 times)

KCRoadFan

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As for places where the two directions of a divided highway separate widely enough to accommodate buildings within the median, several examples come to mind near where I live, in the KC Metro: US 40 in Blue Springs and MO 350 in Raytown (the latter of which is wide enough to fit a Walmart).

However, when it comes to examples I've seen on Google Maps, the area between the two directions of US 20/NY 5 in Auburn, NY, has to take the cake, when it comes to the sheer number of things crammed in there: namely, two hotels, a number of other businesses including a few office buildings, as well as an entire residential street with nine houses along it.

I'm not sure if any road can top that. However, I will ask nonetheless: where else throughout the country have you seen a lot of buildings, or one or two big buildings, in the median or between the directions of traffic on a divided highway or road?
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ilpt4u

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Soldier Field and The Field Museum used to be between the NB and SB lanes of Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, but the NB lanes have since been rerouted to also be west of the stadium and museum

Of current roads, I-75 just north of Cincy has a city neighborhood between the NB and SB lanes - several blocks, houses, businesses, etc
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oscar

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    • my Hot Springs and Highways pages

It's fairly common for county courthouses, and any associated jails and county offices, to be located in the median of a divided highway. I've seen several such examples, in widely-scattered states, in the past year.
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my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
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thspfc

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Doesn’t quite fit, but I’ve always wondered what it would be like to live in the west Chicago neighborhood wedged between I-90, I-294, I-190, and Mannheim Rd, right next to O’Hare.
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SEWIGuy

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Just west of the Mississippi River on the border between WI and MN, the I-90 "median" is about a quarter mile wide with a couple farms in between.  The highway lanes run on top of a couple of ridges with the farms in a valley in between.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.9266385,-91.4061571,1241m/data=!3m1!1e3
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Mapmikey

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MD 3 between MD 424 and MD 175 has numerous businesses within its median...
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7/8

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US 12 in Wayne, MI is a good example: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LxrocspyZm7hbmBY8

dfilpus

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Not near as big as US 12 in Wayne, but US 202 in Glen Mills PS fits the bill.
https://goo.gl/maps/otZvT7GbeHfhGmPr9
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CardInLex

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Of current roads, I-75 just north of Cincy has a city neighborhood between the NB and SB lanes - several blocks, houses, businesses, etc

Link to Arlington Heights, Ohio. The entire city (or village as Ohio defines it) is located within the median of I-75. Definitely the best example I know of:
https://goo.gl/maps/7F2ZkQEcLjEvGNR69
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SectorZ

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Of current roads, I-75 just north of Cincy has a city neighborhood between the NB and SB lanes - several blocks, houses, businesses, etc

Link to Arlington Heights, Ohio. The entire city (or village as Ohio defines it) is located within the median of I-75. Definitely the best example I know of:
https://goo.gl/maps/7F2ZkQEcLjEvGNR69

Is that the city known for using 75 as a giant speed trap for revenue?
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CardInLex

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Of current roads, I-75 just north of Cincy has a city neighborhood between the NB and SB lanes - several blocks, houses, businesses, etc

Link to Arlington Heights, Ohio. The entire city (or village as Ohio defines it) is located within the median of I-75. Definitely the best example I know of:
https://goo.gl/maps/7F2ZkQEcLjEvGNR69

Is that the city known for using 75 as a giant speed trap for revenue?

Yes, according to Wikipedia, there were calls for the city to be disbanded because it basically only exists to write tickets and generate revenue. But, I don’t think that has happened.
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Rothman

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As for places where the two directions of a divided highway separate widely enough to accommodate buildings within the median, several examples come to mind near where I live, in the KC Metro: US 40 in Blue Springs and MO 350 in Raytown (the latter of which is wide enough to fit a Walmart).

However, when it comes to examples I've seen on Google Maps, the area between the two directions of US 20/NY 5 in Auburn, NY, has to take the cake, when it comes to the sheer number of things crammed in there: namely, two hotels, a number of other businesses including a few office buildings, as well as an entire residential street with nine houses along it.

I'm not sure if any road can top that. However, I will ask nonetheless: where else throughout the country have you seen a lot of buildings, or one or two big buildings, in the median or between the directions of traffic on a divided highway or road?
Meh.  Lots of one way splits in NY.
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Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

TEG24601

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I wouldn't think we include one-way couplets, but if we do, basically the entire city of Pontiac, MI is within the center of the giant roundabout which is the end of M-1 (formerly known as "Widetrack")


I've always thought that turning a freeway beltway, especially the tighter ones, into basically a freeway roundabout, would be awesome, and so good for traffic flow.  I usually think about Portland, OR when I think of this idea, but a few other places, like downtown KCMO, would be perfect candidates for such a change.
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They said take a left at the fork in the road.  I didn't think they literally meant a fork, until plain as day, there was a fork sticking out of the road at a junction.

Bruce

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I've always thought that turning a freeway beltway, especially the tighter ones, into basically a freeway roundabout, would be awesome, and so good for traffic flow.  I usually think about Portland, OR when I think of this idea, but a few other places, like downtown KCMO, would be perfect candidates for such a change.

I'm imaging trying to go from the Pearl District to the Rose Quarter and being "forced" to loop all the way around. Yikes.

(I know there's surface alternatives, but they're not suitable for trucks)
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ilpt4u

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If One-Way pairs count, there is a long list

I-78’s surface street approach to/departure from the Holland Tunnel in NJ has quite a bit going on between the EB and WB lanes

Much closer to home for me, both IL 13 and US 51 are One-Way Pairs thru much of Carbondale, IL, with plenty of houses, businesses, etc between the lanes, and a couple of blocks in the median of both IL 13 & US 51, where the One-Way pairs cross downtown
« Last Edit: April 16, 2022, 03:16:11 PM by ilpt4u »
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Ned Weasel

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US 22 in New Jersey has quite a few places with buildings/businesses in the middle.
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Disclaimer: Views I express are my own and don't reflect any employer or associated entity.

Tom958

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This high-rise Marriot and two less-lofty motels are in the median of US 72 Poplar Avenue at I-240 in Memphis. There are some food places and a bank of the other side of 240, too.
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Rothman

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I wouldn't think we include one-way couplets, but if we do, basically the entire city of Pontiac, MI is within the center of the giant roundabout which is the end of M-1 (formerly known as "Widetrack")


I've always thought that turning a freeway beltway, especially the tighter ones, into basically a freeway roundabout, would be awesome, and so good for traffic flow.  I usually think about Portland, OR when I think of this idea, but a few other places, like downtown KCMO, would be perfect candidates for such a change.
The Auburn example is a one-way couplet.
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Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

DandyDan

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Downtown Mason City is largely between NB and SB US 65. Amongst other buildings, there's a mall, hockey arena, the historic Park Inn Hotel, city hall, the insurance office I go to, a grocery store I don't go to and many businesses and residential buildings and at least one church between NB and SB US 65.
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NoGoodNamesAvailable

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hbelkins

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Some decent sized buildings in the blocks between Main and Vine (US 25/US 60/US 421) in Lexington and Main and Market (US 31E/US 60 and US 31W/US 60) in Louisville.

But if you're not counting them, there used to be a big fireworks stand in the median of I-24 outside Chattanooga that appears to have been replaced by a Speedway truck stop.

https://goo.gl/maps/fcU34ueEAej1UQ2r6
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CtrlAltDel

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Doesn’t quite fit, but I’ve always wondered what it would be like to live in the west Chicago neighborhood wedged between I-90, I-294, I-190, and Mannheim Rd, right next to O’Hare.

Closer to me is this, which is similarly jammed, in between 88, 290, and 294. The part south of Butterfield Road used to be a farm up to about 25 years ago.
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Interstates clinched: 4, 57, 275 (IN-KY-OH), 465 (IN), 640 (TN), 985
State Interstates clinched: I-26 (TN), I-75 (GA), I-75 (KY), I-75 (TN), I-81 (WV), I-95 (NH)

Flint1979

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Of current roads, I-75 just north of Cincy has a city neighborhood between the NB and SB lanes - several blocks, houses, businesses, etc
That's called the Lockland Split. I've always thought it was pretty cool and an indication that I'm pretty much in Cincinnati now going SB.
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Flint1979

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I wouldn't think we include one-way couplets, but if we do, basically the entire city of Pontiac, MI is within the center of the giant roundabout which is the end of M-1 (formerly known as "Widetrack")


I've always thought that turning a freeway beltway, especially the tighter ones, into basically a freeway roundabout, would be awesome, and so good for traffic flow.  I usually think about Portland, OR when I think of this idea, but a few other places, like downtown KCMO, would be perfect candidates for such a change.
That's just downtown Pontiac not the entire city. That loop only takes up maybe a square mile, Pontiac is about 20 square miles in area.
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Flint1979

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It's fairly common for county courthouses, and any associated jails and county offices, to be located in the median of a divided highway. I've seen several such examples, in widely-scattered states, in the past year.
Norfolk County, Massachusetts is the first one to come to mind. In fact I have a thread about it somewhere on here.
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