Rural Freeways That Need Six Lanes

[webny99]

I was fairly certain we had a thread for rural freeways that need 8 lanes, but can't turn it up with a forum or Google search...

Anyways, I think there's a very strong case for 8 lanes on the Mass Pike between I-84 at Sturbridge and I-290 at Worcester. That one stretch carries basically all long distance traffic between Boston/points north and the rest of the country, and consistently backs up eastbound at the I-84 merge point and westbound at the I-290/I-395 merge point. It's just too much for 6 lanes to realistically handle when you consider that I-84 and I-290 are both busy enough for 6 lanes on their own.

[sprjus4]

I'll add one for eight lanes... I-95 between Ashland and Fredericksburg is a major contender. The same for I-95 between Baltimore and the Delaware state line.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I was fairly certain we had a thread for rural freeways that need 8 lanes, but can't turn it up with a forum or Google search...

Anyways, I think there's a very strong case for 8 lanes on the Mass Pike between I-84 at Sturbridge and I-290 at Worcester. That one stretch carries basically all long distance traffic between Boston/points north and the rest of the country, and consistently backs up eastbound at the I-84 merge point and westbound at the I-290/I-395 merge point. It's just too much for 6 lanes to realistically handle when you consider that I-84 and I-290 are both busy enough for 6 lanes on their own.

I agree. If anything, the Pike needs 8 Agnes from I-84 all the way to I-95. Any improvements, however, will have to overcome the same logistical, financial, environmental, and community opposition challenges that have doomed most post-1970 highway expansion plans.

[carbaugh2]

I would like to nominate I-70 between Pickerington and Zanesville. Going east to west, traffic counts start at 33k, increase to 50k at Etna, and are 98k by the time you pass the exit at Ohio 256, where 6 laning begins in the Columbus metro. This was made more pressing by the recent accident just east of Etna that took the lives of 6 people.

[webny99]

I would like to nominate I-70 between Pickerington and Zanesville. Going east to west, traffic counts start at 33k, increase to 50k at Etna, and are 98k by the time you pass the exit at Ohio 256, where 6 laning begins in the Columbus metro. This was made more pressing by the recent accident just east of Etna that took the lives of 6 people.

Agreed, at the very least it would make sense to extend 6 lanes to the existing 6 lane stretch near Buckeye Lake. When I drove that stretch coming from the east I exited at OH 13 and was surprised to see 6 lanes already, but was even more surprised to later learn that the 6 lanes there don't extend into Columbus.

[carbaugh2]

I would like to nominate I-70 between Pickerington and Zanesville. Going east to west, traffic counts start at 33k, increase to 50k at Etna, and are 98k by the time you pass the exit at Ohio 256, where 6 laning begins in the Columbus metro. This was made more pressing by the recent accident just east of Etna that took the lives of 6 people.

Agreed, at the very least it would make sense to extend 6 lanes to the existing 6 lane stretch near Buckeye Lake. When I drove that stretch coming from the east I exited at OH 13 and was surprised to see 6 lanes already, but was even more surprised to later learn that the 6 lanes there don't extend into Columbus.

The section between Buckeye Lake and Brownsville was widened back in the 1990s or 2000s to create a truck lane for the large hills through that stretch. It's been so long that I have forgotten what it looked like with only 4 lanes.

ODOT is currently reconstructing I-70 through Zanesville and is keeping it at 4 lanes due to right of way limitations (read as costs), so I have trouble believing it will ever be 6 lanes through there.


iPhone

[dbz77]

An easy one.

all of I-15 between Barstow and the junction with N US-93 near Apex.

[fillup420]

I-85 in NC, between the eastern I-40 split and the Durham county line.