Freeways that are now Interstates, but are still commonly known by a prior name

[KCRoadFan]

I-49 in the Kansas City area - and through western Missouri - is often called "Highway 71" or "71 Highway".

I-64 in St. Louis is still commonly referred to as "Highway 40".

Throughout the country, what are some other freeways that are now signed as Interstates, but where the local residents of the area still often call them by the number or name they were known as prior to the Interstate designation? I'm sure there are many such roads.

[Big John]

I-95 as route 128 - Boston.

[SkyPesos]

I imagine some of the pre-Interstate era toll roads (Ohio Turnpike, Pennsylvania Turnpike, NJ Turnpike, NY Thruway, Mass Pike, Chicago Skyway, etc) might apply here, either as its full name or a shortened name (like "The Turnpike") without the state or city name.

[gonealookin]

I don't have one that is known by its prior signage, but I have one that is not, and I was surprised at how quickly the new shield became the primary identification:  Interstate 580 from Reno to the south end of Carson City.

Prior to 2012 it was signed as US 395.  When the segment from Mt. Rose Highway in south Reno to Washoe Valley was completed in 2012, the I-580 shields went up, but alongside the US 395 shields.  I figured people would just keep referring to it as "395", but it became known locally as "580" pretty much immediately.

[mgk920]

I don't have one that is known by its prior signage, but I have one that is not, and I was surprised at how quickly the new shield became the primary identification:  Interstate 580 from Reno to the south end of Carson City.

Prior to 2012 it was signed as US 395.  When the segment from Mt. Rose Highway in south Reno to Washoe Valley was completed in 2012, the I-580 shields went up, but alongside the US 395 shields.  I figured people would just keep referring to it as "395", but it became known locally as "580" pretty much immediately.

Here in Wisconsin, I-41 is still often referred to as being 'Highway forty one'.

Mike

[Big John]

I don't have one that is known by its prior signage, but I have one that is not, and I was surprised at how quickly the new shield became the primary identification:  Interstate 580 from Reno to the south end of Carson City.

Prior to 2012 it was signed as US 395.  When the segment from Mt. Rose Highway in south Reno to Washoe Valley was completed in 2012, the I-580 shields went up, but alongside the US 395 shields.  I figured people would just keep referring to it as "395", but it became known locally as "580" pretty much immediately.

Here in Wisconsin, I-41 is still often referred to as being 'Highway forty one'.

Mike

or just "41"

[Henry]

This is very common on unsigned Interstates. Both I-595 in MD and I-305 in CA are known as US 50, and I-296 is still called US 131.

[KCRoadFan]

This is very common on unsigned Interstates. Both I-595 in MD and I-305 in CA are known as US 50, and I-296 is still called US 131.

Thanks, but when I said "Interstates" , I meant signed ones.

[hbelkins]

I-65 between Louisville and E-town is still referred to as "the Turnpike" as in its former identity of the Kentucky Turnpike.

I don't call any of the Kentucky parkways that are now interstates by their new numbers. They're still the WK, Purchase, Pennyrile and Green River parkways to me.

[hobsini2]

I-65 between Louisville and E-town is still referred to as "the Turnpike" as in its former identity of the Kentucky Turnpike.

I don't call any of the Kentucky parkways that are now interstates by their new numbers. They're still the WK, Purchase, Pennyrile and Green River parkways to me.

Yeah. I don't even refer to the Hal Rogers (Daniel Boone), Louie Nunn (Cumberland) or William Natcher (Green River) by those names let alone the Interstate number.

[OCGuy81]

I don't have one that is known by its prior signage, but I have one that is not, and I was surprised at how quickly the new shield became the primary identification:  Interstate 580 from Reno to the south end of Carson City.

Prior to 2012 it was signed as US 395.  When the segment from Mt. Rose Highway in south Reno to Washoe Valley was completed in 2012, the I-580 shields went up, but alongside the US 395 shields.  I figured people would just keep referring to it as "395", but it became known locally as "580" pretty much immediately.

Here in Wisconsin, I-41 is still often referred to as being 'Highway forty one'.

Mike

When I was recently visiting family in SE Wisconsin, I've also heard the Stadium Freeway (now WI-175) also referred to as 41.

Granted, my family are not roadgeeks, and it was 41 for a long time.

[1995hoo]

One logical example is a scenario where an existing road had a name and the new Interstate designation applies to only a portion of that road. The one that comes to my mind is the Durham Freeway in North Carolina, which is now partially designated as I-885. I suppose it helps that it wasn't generally referred to by its now-truncated route number, NC-147, such that it's just a situation continuing to use the existing name that still applies.

[Rothman]

I-65 between Louisville and E-town is still referred to as "the Turnpike" as in its former identity of the Kentucky Turnpike.

I don't call any of the Kentucky parkways that are now interstates by their new numbers. They're still the WK, Purchase, Pennyrile and Green River parkways to me.

Yeah. I don't even refer to the Hal Rogers (Daniel Boone), Louie Nunn (Cumberland) or William Natcher (Green River) by those names let alone the Interstate number.

I'm never going to get used to "Hal Rogers" or "Louie Nunn."

[TheHighwayMan3561]

You might find a few MSP old timers who still call I-394 "Highway 12"* or "Wayzata Blvd" but I think the vast majority of people even who drove in the 1970s-1980s have adopted 394 into their lexicon.

*well I mean that technically isn't wrong...

[Dough4872]

In Pennsylvania, we have Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-70, I-76, I-95, and I-276), Blue Route/Northeast Extension (I-476), and Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) where the name is more commonly used than route number.

[LilianaUwU]

While it's the opposite situation and it's not an Interstate but an Autoroute, Montréal's QC 136 is (rightfully) still referred to as A-720. (I shouldn't be deadnaming a freeway, but come on.)

[Some one]

I-69 in Houston is still referred to as 59 by locals, to the point where it's really easy to tell when someone isn't from Houston based on if they call it 59 or 69.

[roadman65]

You know in Florida, though not interstates, many toll roads that didn't have Route shields when they first started are still too referred by the name over the posted route number.

Only FL 408, that was just known and signed as the East- West Expressway, quickly was referred to by the new route shields after being installed especially by traffic reporters.

In addition, the name change on FL 528 from the Beeline Expressway to the Beachline Expressway was also done like 408 was. Traffic reporters and DJs such as Deano O' Neil on Z88 were all referring to the new name of FL 528 in no time after Jeb signed the bill changing the expressway name.

[oscar]

Hawaiians almost always prefer highway names to route numbers, but the Interstate numbers seem to have mostly caught on (even for Hawaiians, "Queen Liliuokalani Freeway" is a bit of a tongue-twister). The exception is H-201, which was and still is called the Moanalua Freeway rather than its present or past route numbers.

[SEWIGuy]

I don't have one that is known by its prior signage, but I have one that is not, and I was surprised at how quickly the new shield became the primary identification:  Interstate 580 from Reno to the south end of Carson City.

Prior to 2012 it was signed as US 395.  When the segment from Mt. Rose Highway in south Reno to Washoe Valley was completed in 2012, the I-580 shields went up, but alongside the US 395 shields.  I figured people would just keep referring to it as "395", but it became known locally as "580" pretty much immediately.

Here in Wisconsin, I-41 is still often referred to as being 'Highway forty one'.

Mike

Conversely, when I-39 was extended over US-51, it didn't take long at all before I-39 was the more common usage.

[1995hoo]

... Beeline Expressway ...

Our relatives continue to call it the Bee Line and they say everyone they know does as well. "Beachline" is a stupid name.

[Streetman]

Tolls were removed from the Connecticut Turnpike in 1985 but it is still sometimes called that, or just "the turnpike", at least the portion that is on I-95. It's still officially the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike, but not popularly called that.

[zzcarp]

I-25 through downtown Denver is still called the Valley Highway by many old-timers as well as traffic reporters.

[Quillz]

San Diego Freeway
Pasadena Freeway
Long Beach Freeway

[bing101]

San Diego Freeway
Pasadena Freeway
Long Beach Freeway

Don't forget Harbor Freeway too.