Random facts about interstates and US routes

[HighwayStar]

A park n ride in a woodlot is not Baltimore.

[US20IL64]

I-94 is longest, non-principle, x0/x5 route.  and "is the only east—west Interstate to have a direct connection to Canada."

[I-35]

AADT Facts

Lowest (signed, not at a border) 2di: 1,700 in I-84 in Oregon just east of the I-82 intersection

This surprises me, as it suggests there is a higher amount of EB 84 traffic exiting towards 82 WB (and vice versa) - is there really more Tri Cities-PDX traffic than Boise-PDX traffic?

[JayhawkCO]

AADT Facts

Lowest (signed, not at a border) 2di: 1,700 in I-84 in Oregon just east of the I-82 intersection

This surprises me, as it suggests there is a higher amount of EB 84 traffic exiting towards 82 WB (and vice versa) - is there really more Tri Cities-PDX traffic than Boise-PDX traffic?

Yeah... I've been trying to verify it since it stood out to me also.  If only Oregon named things internally the same way they do externally.  Still looking at it.

Edit - Yeah, I'm not sure where OR Highway 2 branches off and I-84 becomes OR Highway 6, but looks like I read it wrong.  I'll update.

Chris

[I-35]

AADT Facts

Lowest (signed, not at a border) 2di: 1,700 in I-84 in Oregon just east of the I-82 intersection

This surprises me, as it suggests there is a higher amount of EB 84 traffic exiting towards 82 WB (and vice versa) - is there really more Tri Cities-PDX traffic than Boise-PDX traffic?

Yeah... I've been trying to verify it since it stood out to me also.  If only Oregon named things internally the same way they do externally.  Still looking at it.

Edit - Yeah, I'm not sure where OR Highway 2 branches off and I-84 becomes OR Highway 6, but looks like I read it wrong.  I'll update.

Chris

No problem - no doubt that it is desolate out there.  I figured the AADT was well under 10k.

[jlam]

All x0 interstates (including I-30) meet with the I-29 I-49 superinterstate.

[MCRoads]

The last piece of the interstate system (as planned in the 50s) was Glenwood Canyon, a spectacular stretch of highway that started giving designers in the 80s, possibly before that, and continues to give highway workers headaches to this day. There were several alternatives for the design, but there are 3 notable ones that were never built:

• There was a proposal's for a tunnel structure along the wall of the canyon. Similar to the Hanging Lake tunnel, but much longer.
• There was a design for a double decked highway with 4 lanes of truck traffic on the bottom, and 4 lanes + 2 parking shoulders on the top level for non commercial traffic. The truck lanes were in a tunnel that was mostly enclosed to keep noise down.
• The most absurd design was a viaduct along the rim of the canyon, with a 2-lane parkway in the canyon floor. Thankfully, that wasn't ever really seriously considered, because they found most traffic would rather take the canyon floor parkway. Oh, and also, it would destroy the views and environment, too.

[SkyPesos]

All x0 interstates (including I-30) meet with the I-29 I-49 superinterstate.

Isn't I-70 an exception, since I-29 starts at I-35 north of downtown KC, and I-49 starts at I-435/470 south of downtown KC?

[JayhawkCO]

AADT Facts

Lowest (signed, not at a border) 2di: 1,700 in I-84 in Oregon just east of the I-82 intersection

This surprises me, as it suggests there is a higher amount of EB 84 traffic exiting towards 82 WB (and vice versa) - is there really more Tri Cities-PDX traffic than Boise-PDX traffic?

Yeah... I've been trying to verify it since it stood out to me also.  If only Oregon named things internally the same way they do externally.  Still looking at it.

Edit - Yeah, I'm not sure where OR Highway 2 branches off and I-84 becomes OR Highway 6, but looks like I read it wrong.  I'll update.

Chris

No problem - no doubt that it is desolate out there.  I figured the AADT was well under 10k.

Actually no.  10,200 is the lowest it gets just SE of Baker City.

In case you were interested, a thread about the topic - https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=28578.msg2574297#msg2574297

Chris

[TheHighwayMan3561]

All x0 interstates (including I-30) meet with the I-29 I-49 superinterstate.

Isn't I-70 an exception, since I-29 starts at I-35 north of downtown KC, and I-49 starts at I-435/470 south of downtown KC?

I-29 duplexes with I-35 for 6 miles to end at I-70.

[jlam]

All x0 interstates (including I-30) meet with the I-29 I-49 superinterstate.

Isn't I-70 an exception, since I-29 starts at I-35 north of downtown KC, and I-49 starts at I-435/470 south of downtown KC?

I-29's southern terminus is I-70, right where the 70 turns westbound and heads for downtown Kansas City, KS.

[jlam]

All x0 interstates (including I-30) meet with the I-29 I-49 superinterstate.

Isn't I-70 an exception, since I-29 starts at I-35 north of downtown KC, and I-49 starts at I-435/470 south of downtown KC?

I-29 duplexes with I-35 for 6 miles to end at I-70.

Popped up while I was typing. But true.

[machias]

I-90 in New York is the only interstate to have a complete "set" of 3dis.  190-990. Aside from I-990, they're arranged in order west to east.

[ethanhopkin14]

Post whatever random facts about interstates or US routes you have that you find interesting here. They can be as obvious, or as obscure as you like. I had plenty of facts over the past few weeks, but forgot about what all of them are about. Here's two I thought of in the shower today:

Of the x0 interstates (excluding wannabe I-30), I-10 interchanges with the most x5 interstates, while I-70 interchanges with the least. And none of them meet all 10 of them.
90: 5, 15, 25, 35, 55, 65, 75, 95 (8)
80: 5, 15, 25, 35, 55, 65, 75, 95 (8)
70: 15, 25, 35, 55, 65, 75 (6)
40: 15, 25, 35, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95 (8)
20: 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95 (7)
10: 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 95 (9)

Speaking of I-70, it's the only x0 without a 5xx 3di, a common odd first digit for 3dis for some reason, and sometimes, the only odd first digit 3di an interstate has (516, 520, 530, 579, etc). Also, I-40 doesn't have a 3xx 3di, another common first digit.

Interesting.

I have always thought about how the I-35/I-10 interchanges in San Antonio are the most "connected" interchanges in the system (fitting since they share an alignment too).  Since the aforementioned I-10 intersects with the most I-X5s and I-35 is the only I-X5 to intersect with all I-X0 interstates (I am not going to fight about how I-35 is actually 3 separate interstates and that it doesn't intersect with I-20 or I-30 since they actually intersect I-35E and I-35W from east to west respectively).  Basically the only one missing is I-85, but a short jaunt up I-65 from Mobile gets you to I-85 so it can be easily forgiven.

Separately, I-30 and I-85 are cousins, as they are the only interstates to default on both ends onto another "like" interstate (I-85 from I-65 to I-95 and I-30 from I-20 to I-40), making their short or relatively short life being part of a much larger route. 

On that note, I am not in the boat of the I-30 and I-45 bashing.  I-30 is an important connection from Dallas to Chicago or New York, while I-45 is basically I-35EE, part of that important corridor.  Yes they are both short, but very important. 

[SkyPesos]

On that note, I am not in the boat of the I-30 and I-45 bashing.  I-30 is an important connection from Dallas to Chicago or New York, while I-45 is basically I-35EE, part of that important corridor.  Yes they are both short, but very important.

Every interstate can be important depending on how you look at it, not just x0s and x5s. I-81 is a popular trucking route for its diagonal routing and that it avoids most major cities. For a shorter route near me, I-71 is part of the routing between cities in the mid-south region like Dallas, Houston and New Orleans to cities in Ohio and the northeast. Some people on this forums (including me) see I-71 sort of like an "I-69E" to the whole I-69 system, continuing the SW-NE trajectory of I-69.

[HighwayStar]

On that note, I am not in the boat of the I-30 and I-45 bashing.  I-30 is an important connection from Dallas to Chicago or New York, while I-45 is basically I-35EE, part of that important corridor.  Yes they are both short, but very important.

Every interstate can be important depending on how you look at it, not just x0s and x5s. I-81 is a popular trucking route for its diagonal routing and that it avoids most major cities. For a shorter route near me, I-71 is part of the routing between cities in the mid-south region like Dallas, Houston and New Orleans to cities in Ohio and the northeast. Some people on this forums (including me) see I-71 sort of like an "I-69E" to the whole I-69 system, continuing the SW-NE trajectory of I-69.

As designed every interstate was important, the only way for them to be unimportant would be if there was a change in design that neutered them.

[ethanhopkin14]

On that note, I am not in the boat of the I-30 and I-45 bashing.  I-30 is an important connection from Dallas to Chicago or New York, while I-45 is basically I-35EE, part of that important corridor.  Yes they are both short, but very important.

Every interstate can be important depending on how you look at it, not just x0s and x5s. I-81 is a popular trucking route for its diagonal routing and that it avoids most major cities. For a shorter route near me, I-71 is part of the routing between cities in the mid-south region like Dallas, Houston and New Orleans to cities in Ohio and the northeast. Some people on this forums (including me) see I-71 sort of like an "I-69E" to the whole I-69 system, continuing the SW-NE trajectory of I-69.

As designed every interstate was important, the only way for them to be unimportant would be if there was a change in design that neutered them.

I can argue some are very less important. 

[SkyPesos]

On that note, I am not in the boat of the I-30 and I-45 bashing.  I-30 is an important connection from Dallas to Chicago or New York, while I-45 is basically I-35EE, part of that important corridor.  Yes they are both short, but very important.

Every interstate can be important depending on how you look at it, not just x0s and x5s. I-81 is a popular trucking route for its diagonal routing and that it avoids most major cities. For a shorter route near me, I-71 is part of the routing between cities in the mid-south region like Dallas, Houston and New Orleans to cities in Ohio and the northeast. Some people on this forums (including me) see I-71 sort of like an "I-69E" to the whole I-69 system, continuing the SW-NE trajectory of I-69.

As designed every interstate was important, the only way for them to be unimportant would be if there was a change in design that neutered them.

I can argue some are very less important.

I-180 serves the 3 people that lives in Hennepin, IL.

[US20IL64]

Is Breezewood PA the last 'gap' in the 1950's grid? And may "never" get filled? 

[I-35]

Actually no.  10,200 is the lowest it gets just SE of Baker City.

In case you were interested, a thread about the topic - https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=28578.msg2574297#msg2574297

Chris

Thanks, great thread!

[HighwayStar]

Is Breezewood PA the last 'gap' in the 1950's grid? And may "never" get filled? 

No, there are numerous other gaps. I-70, I-95, etc. that are even less likely to be filled, although all could be if we had some real leadership.

[Quillz]

Is Breezewood PA the last 'gap' in the 1950's grid? And may "never" get filled? 

I-40 through Texas has several at-grade intersections with ranch roads.

[JayhawkCO]

Is Breezewood PA the last 'gap' in the 1950's grid? And may "never" get filled? 

No, there are numerous other gaps. I-70, I-95, etc. that are even less likely to be filled, although all could be if we had some real leadership.

Where is the gap on I-95?  Obviously there used to be the one in Jersey...

Chris

[HighwayStar]

Is Breezewood PA the last 'gap' in the 1950's grid? And may "never" get filled? 

No, there are numerous other gaps. I-70, I-95, etc. that are even less likely to be filled, although all could be if we had some real leadership.

Where is the gap on I-95?  Obviously there used to be the one in Jersey...

Chris

DC, I-95 was never completed, they just slapped signs on I-495. However that is a beltway and thus was not the intent of the plan which was to serve DC.

[US 89]

DC, I-95 was never completed, they just slapped signs on I-495. However that is a beltway and thus was not the intent of the plan which was to serve DC.

Ah, but I-95 does serve DC...