I've shunned highways and roads to avoid particularly bad intersections. Best example I can think of in a non urban/suburban area is the ID-55/Banks-Lowman Rd intersection
here. We went rafting last summer in Lowman, ID, and using ID-55 and Banks-Lowman Rd is the fastest way to get there from the part of Boise we started, which is what we did on the way there.
But that intersection is controlled by a 2 way stop, and ID-55 gets heavy traffic at times, particularly in the summer on the weekends. Add to that that most people are wanting to turn left onto SB ID-55. Our rafting trip was on a Friday, so by the time we were leaving, I was worried the weekend traffic up to Cascade/McCall would be in full force on 55. I have no way to know for this specific day (no cell service in the area, so you can't check Google Maps for traffic), but my suspicion is that the intersection would have been super backed up on Banks-Lowman Rd there, and we would have been stuck there for 20+ minutes.
We instead took ID-21 through Idaho City. It's not that much longer depending on what part of Boise you're trying to get to, but it was a bit longer for us, plus it's a much curvier road and goes over a much higher pass, so your average speed is lower. Traffic was minimal the whole way, which is typical for that highway. My wife who occasionally gets motion sickness was not a fan of the decision, but I think it was the smart one. Plus, I'll always take advantage of the variety in scenery/roads when it makes sense.