Longest distance between 3-color traffic lights on an undivided 2-lane?

[RM42]

There was a thread on this in 2011 but it was asking for personal experiences, not a definite answer. https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=4887.0

I assume the first place is Dalton Highway from where it splits into a divided freeway near Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay (497 miles).

[Bitmapped]

The longest distance I can think of is WV 16 between Harrisville, WV and Fayetteville, WV at 121 miles: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/39.213625,-81.041551/38.0587483,-81.1058265/@39.2100179,-81.0473404,16z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-81.0511372!2d39.2095933!3s0x88499169874d2ff1:0x29279e46838d1bf3!3m4!1m2!1d-81.0259502!2d38.543621!3s0x8849448ec6e148c9:0xe72d4bdcfff738ba!1m0!3e0?entry=ttu

US 250 between Staunton, VA and Beverly, WV is also quite long at 97 miles. It used to be over 100 miles, to Elkins in the west, before a new signal was installed outside a flooring plant about two years ago. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.1667299,-79.0886003/38.8197228,-79.8761925/@41.6865816,-78.2342702,10z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0?entry=ttu

US 50 between Grafton, WV and Romney, WV (crossing a slice of MD) is 86 miles: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/romney,+wv/39.3461647,-80.0031218/@39.3456975,-80.0160837,14z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b57be1cdc463d3:0x56b2aca33d0d8819!2m2!1d-78.7566839!2d39.3420431!1m0!3e0?entry=ttu

WV 28 between its end at WV 39 and Petersburg, WV is also 86 miles: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/39.0020344,-79.1308805/38.1983209,-80.0279215/@38.5781723,-79.8452094,10z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0?entry=ttu

I have several more examples from WV, VA, and PA in the 60-70 mile range but going beyond that is tricky. A longer distance route normally hits something of enough significance to have a traffic signal after a while.

[zachary_amaryllis]

SH 14, leaving Fort Collins, the last light is at US 85 in Ault. You won't encounter another light on 14 until you enter Sterling, at least 90-100 miles miles down the road.

[webny99]

The first one that came to mind for NY is NY 3 from Carthage to Tupper Lake, 80.5 miles.

But NY 28 is even longer, 107 miles from the south end of its NY 12 concurrency to NY 8 at Wevertown. That's probably NY's longest?




Some other noteworthy ones that aren't contenders...

NY 18, 60 miles from NY 93 to Hamlin interrupted by a single light at Olcott; from Olcott it's 43 miles.

NY 14 runs the length of Seneca Lake with no lights between Geneva and Watkins, 36 miles.

NY 104 also has some decent "interrupted" stretches...

• 41 miles from Wrights Corners to Clarkson, interrupted by a light at NY 98
• 34 miles from NY 14 to Oswego, interrupted by a light at Hannibal

[JayhawkCO]

SH 14, leaving Fort Collins, the last light is at US 85 in Ault. You won't encounter another light on 14 until you enter Sterling, at least 90-100 miles miles down the road.

Even longer, there is only one stop light on the entirety of CO71 (224.65 miles), which is in Rocky Ford @ Main Street. The length from that point to the Nebraska border is 216 miles. N-71 continues north from there and there isn't a stoplight until Scottsbluff for a total of 279 miles. Once in Nebraska, not all of it is only 2-lane, but either way, I think in the spirit of what the OP is asking for.

[kirbykart]

Some other noteworthy ones that aren't contenders...

NY 18, 60 miles from NY 93 to Hamlin interrupted by a single light at Olcott; from Olcott it's 43 miles.

NY 14 runs the length of Seneca Lake with no lights between Geneva and Watkins, 36 miles.

NY 104 also has some decent "interrupted" stretches...

• 41 miles from Wrights Corners to Clarkson, interrupted by a light at NY 98
• 34 miles from NY 14 to Oswego, interrupted by a light at Hannibal

How about US 62 from Gowanda to Kiantone (at NY-60) => ~40.75 miles

[kirbykart]

But NY 28 is even longer, 107 miles from the south end of its NY 12 concurrency to NY 8 at Wevertown. That's probably NY's longest?




Some other noteworthy ones that aren't contenders...

NY 18, 60 miles from NY 93 to Hamlin interrupted by a single light at Olcott; from Olcott it's 43 miles.

NY 14 runs the length of Seneca Lake with no lights between Geneva and Watkins, 36 miles.

NY 104 also has some decent "interrupted" stretches...

• 41 miles from Wrights Corners to Clarkson, interrupted by a light at NY 98
• 34 miles from NY 14 to Oswego, interrupted by a light at Hannibal

As long as I didn't miss one, NY 30 from Broadalbin to Tupper Lake is barely longer, at 111 miles.

[webny99]

Too bad there's a signal in Tupper Lake, or NY 30 would be even longer - and so would NY 3.

[kphoger]

SH 14, leaving Fort Collins, the last light is at US 85 in Ault. You won't encounter another light on 14 until you enter Sterling, at least 90-100 miles miles down the road.

Even longer, there is only one stop light on the entirety of CO71 (224.65 miles), which is in Rocky Ford @ Main Street. The length from that point to the Nebraska border is 216 miles. N-71 continues north from there and there isn't a stoplight until Scottsbluff for a total of 279 miles. Once in Nebraska, not all of it is only 2-lane, but either way, I think in the spirit of what the OP is asking for.

Even US-160 clocks in at 185 miles of stoplight-free undivided two-lane highway from US-350 (northeast of Trinidad) to the Ulysses (KS) city limit.

[Mapmikey]

Blue Ridge Pkwy/Skyline Drive = 574 miles

[hbelkins]

The longest distance I can think of is WV 16 between Harrisville, WV and Fayetteville, WV at 121 miles: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/39.213625,-81.041551/38.0587483,-81.1058265/@39.2100179,-81.0473404,16z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-81.0511372!2d39.2095933!3s0x88499169874d2ff1:0x29279e46838d1bf3!3m4!1m2!1d-81.0259502!2d38.543621!3s0x8849448ec6e148c9:0xe72d4bdcfff738ba!1m0!3e0?entry=ttu

No signal at Gauley Bridge (US 60/WV 39) or Clay (WV 4)?

[kphoger]

The longest distance I can think of is WV 16 between Harrisville, WV and Fayetteville, WV at 121 miles: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/39.213625,-81.041551/38.0587483,-81.1058265/@39.2100179,-81.0473404,16z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-81.0511372!2d39.2095933!3s0x88499169874d2ff1:0x29279e46838d1bf3!3m4!1m2!1d-81.0259502!2d38.543621!3s0x8849448ec6e148c9:0xe72d4bdcfff738ba!1m0!3e0?entry=ttu

No signal at Gauley Bridge (US 60/WV 39) or Clay (WV 4)?

Correct, no signal at either location.

[Rothman]

Blue Ridge Pkwy/Skyline Drive = 574 miles

Hmmmm...really?

[GaryV]

M-28 from Ishpeming area to Wakefield, nearly 120 miles.

US-45 from Ontonagon down into Wisconsin - I'm not sure how far south you go before it becomes 4 lanes - maybe outside Eagle River, about 70 miles?

[Mapmikey]

Blue Ridge Pkwy/Skyline Drive = 574 miles

Hmmmm...really?

So what aspect of this are you smarmally questioning?

[pderocco]

I can't think of anything else anywhere near as long as Skyline/Blue Ridge, but that's a special road built to be separate from everything else. It connects to various major roads with little parclos, so no lights.

As to "normal" roads, US-50 between Fallon and Ely, NV is 252 miles from where it necks down to two lanes to where it widens to four lanes, with no traffic lights along it. Tonopah to Ely is 168 miles on US-6. I haven't checked to see if there are any climbing lanes that might disqualify them, but I don't recall any terrain like that along US-6. Haven't driven US-50 though.

[kphoger]

I can't think of anything else anywhere near as long as Skyline/Blue Ridge, but that's a special road built to be separate from everything else.

If "special" is a disqualifier, then the OP's Dalton Highway should be out too.  Hard to think of a more "special" highway than that.

[JayhawkCO]

SH 14, leaving Fort Collins, the last light is at US 85 in Ault. You won't encounter another light on 14 until you enter Sterling, at least 90-100 miles miles down the road.

Even longer, there is only one stop light on the entirety of CO71 (224.65 miles), which is in Rocky Ford @ Main Street. The length from that point to the Nebraska border is 216 miles. N-71 continues north from there and there isn't a stoplight until Scottsbluff for a total of 279 miles. Once in Nebraska, not all of it is only 2-lane, but either way, I think in the spirit of what the OP is asking for.

Edit. Looks like I missed a light in Brush. So for Colorado and surrounds, I think kphoger's listing of US160 is probably accurate.

[kphoger]

So for Colorado and surrounds, I think kphoger's listing of US160 is probably accurate.

Oh, I have no idea if it's the longest in Colorado or not.  It's just the one that popped into my head because I've personally driven it recently.

[JayhawkCO]

So for Colorado and surrounds, I think kphoger's listing of US160 is probably accurate.

Oh, I have no idea if it's the longest in Colorado or not.  It's just the one that popped into my head because I've personally driven it recently.

Pretty sure it is. 185 miles is longer than all but 3 state highways in Colorado, and none of those have a stretch of longer than 185 without a stoplight.



For a near miss, also looking at Nebraska 61. From a brief divided segment with US26 near Ogallala all the way to the South Dakota border, there are no stoplights, for 146 miles. Once it hits the border, it continues as South Dakota 73, which goes another 12 miles until there's a light in Martin, SD.

[JayhawkCO]

Found a lower 48 one higher. MT200 goes from Lewistown to Sidney for 269 miles without a 3-color. A couple single signals along the way.

[kphoger]

I thought CO-96/K-96 might be a contender (199 miles from US-50 to Scott City), but there's an unnecessary four-lane section in Tribune, KS.

I also don't know if short sections of TWLTL disqualify a road as "undivided".

[webny99]

I can't think of anything else anywhere near as long as Skyline/Blue Ridge, but that's a special road built to be separate from everything else.

If "special" is a disqualifier, then the OP's Dalton Highway should be out too.  Hard to think of a more "special" highway than that.

Part of what makes Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Parkway "special", though, is that it was built as a scenic route that winds through the mountains and along the ridges. It's very intentionally not taking the straightest and most direct route, while also very intentionally not passing through cities and towns.. both items which make it feel a little bit like cheating in this exercise.

Case in point: Google's recommended route from Cherokee, NC to Front Royal, VA is 453 miles. Blue Ridge Pkwy/Skyline Drive adds about 120 miles between the same two endpoints. Meanwhile, the Dalton Highway is actually meant for through traffic and is generally the fastest/most direct route along the corridor it serves, so it feels like a better fit for the spirit of the thread.

[JayhawkCO]

Well, if we're counting the Dalton, then the Dempster gets second place at 458 miles. If you include the Inuvik-Tutktoyaktuk Highway which begins where the Dempster ends, then it goes longer than the Dalton at 544 miles. The James Bay road is probably 3rd at 385 miles.

[kphoger]

Well, if we're counting the Dalton, then the Dempster gets second place at 458 miles. If you include the Inuvik-Tutktoyaktuk Highway which begins where the Dempster ends, then it goes longer than the Dalton at 544 miles. The James Bay road is probably 3rd at 385 miles.

Honestly, we need to define what "2-lane" means, especially when it comes to gravel roads.  I don't think of them as having two lanes.