Most Exciting/Most Embarrassing Ends Of A Single Interstate

[jaehak]

I don't know about the southern end but I absolutely agree with Blue Outback on I-55's northern end at US 41 Desable Lake Shore Dr (especially the North LSD ramp) on the doorstep of Grant Park and McCormick Place.

This would be my pick too. Bonus points for it appearing in the opening credits of Married With Children.

And also, the original National Lampoon's Vacation.

I thought it was in that too, but on my 11,000th viewing of that movie I realized it was the Dan Ryan and 55. Mentioned that in the video I made about it, minute and a half in or so. https://youtu.be/zXb82RGlMyo

[SkyPesos]

I-494/I-694.  Just turn into the other for no good reason?

Could say the same about I-255/270 at both of their southern ends, but unlike 494/694, those two actually have a reason to be separate routes. I-270 continues east past its northern interchange with I-255, and 255 continues north past that interchange as IL 255, and you would be using 3 numbers instead of 2 (probably I-870 and an IL x67 number, assuming that a bump is avoided) if the beltway is under a single number

[1995hoo]

The eastern end of I-66 might be one of the most embarrassing. After you go over the Roosevelt Bridge (itself an embarrassment, but it does give you a good view of the Lincoln Memorial and the Kennedy Center), the mainline briefly narrows to one lane as it leaves the bridge but then expands into an exceptionally wide tunnel with four lanes going each way....and immediately after that, the road ends at this sad scene (traffic going left is immediately dumped onto 27th Street NW, traffic going right sees a ramp split where going left puts you on the Whitehurst Freeway and going right unceremoniously dumps you onto L Street NW). At least they cleaned up the homeless encampment (which grew much bigger than is seen in that image), although the chain-link fence they used to block off the location is hideous.

[abefroman329]

The eastern end of I-66 might be one of the most embarrassing. After you go over the Roosevelt Bridge (itself an embarrassment, but it does give you a good view of the Lincoln Memorial and the Kennedy Center), the mainline briefly narrows to one lane as it leaves the bridge but then expands into an exceptionally wide tunnel with four lanes going each way....and immediately after that, the road ends at this sad scene (traffic going left is immediately dumped onto 27th Street NW, traffic going right sees a ramp split where going left puts you on the Whitehurst Freeway and going right unceremoniously dumps you onto L Street NW). At least they cleaned up the homeless encampment (which grew much bigger than is seen in that image), although the chain-link fence they used to block off the location is hideous.

Speaking of embarrassing...way, way back before the days of Google Maps, when someone first told me how I could use Rock Creek Parkway as a shortcut to get from Rosslyn to Adams Morgan and points northwest, I very nearly ran my car off the road where the expressway ends at 27th St NW.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I-394 heading into downtown Minneapolis is pretty cool, though locally nowhere near as iconic as the I-35W northbound approach at the Franklin overpass.

Northern end of I-35 in Duluth MN, suddenly turns into an underground street, and then nothing.

A big drop-off into a Great Lake on your right seems pretty exciting to me.

[bassoon1986]

I don't know about the southern end but I absolutely agree with Blue Outback on I-55's northern end at US 41 Desable Lake Shore Dr (especially the North LSD ramp) on the doorstep of Grant Park and McCormick Place.

I-55's southern end may not be "city-exciting"  but it's definitely memorable as an elevated swamp highway transitioning into I-10 east.

The rural western interstates may not have embarrassing ends, they are just extremely remote. But I-20's western end qualifies. It doesn't truly exit to I-10 eastbound (obviously because traffic counts would be so minimal) but instead U-turns to return that direction.


iPhone

[HighwayStar]

To add a few more

I-95 de facto ends twice in the DC area. In the northern case it dead ends into a park and ride (the ultimate form of shame for an interstate). On the southern end it is effectively I-395 which dead ends into NY Avenue.

I-189 in VT is another example, it effectively ends at US 7 without going anywhere, though you do get to see the ghost ramps of failure.

[skluth]

The former west of of I-64 was exciting in that you watched the Arch get closer as you approached the Mississippi River. This is followed by the unpleasant excitement of suddenly finding yourself moving through a spaghetti of freeways coming into the left lane of I-55/I-70. Don't blink because you might have to deal with more traffic coming in from the left off IL 3. Make a wrong choice and you're embarrassingly in East St Louis. Actually, just I-64 formerly ending in ESL was embarrassing.

[cwf1701]

How about the northern end of I-69/eastern end of I-94? Both interstates end approaching the Blue Water Bridge going into Canada
I-96 in Detroit you are looking at the Bridge to Canada as you approach I-75.

[ilpt4u]

I always thought Chicago's I-290's/Eisenhower Expressway's Eastern End is pretty cool - traveling "thru"  the Old Post Office Building and then over a Drawbridge, to the Exit to Lower Wacker Drive, then transition onto the South Loop Blvd of Congress Parkway aka Ida Wells Drive - I think it is a pretty unique way for an Interstate to end. Throw in the Jayne Byrne Circle Interchange with I-90/94/Kennedy Expressway/Ryan Expressway as well as part of the ending features to I-290

[jaehak]

I don't know about the southern end but I absolutely agree with Blue Outback on I-55's northern end at US 41 Desable Lake Shore Dr (especially the North LSD ramp) on the doorstep of Grant Park and McCormick Place.

I-55's southern end may not be "city-exciting"  but it's definitely memorable as an elevated swamp highway transitioning into I-10 east.

The southern end of 55 is pretty cool and unique. I was on it as a kid during one of my first big trips and it still sticks out in my mind.

[invincor]

The most impressive one I've seen personally is the north end of I-75 in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.  It ends at customs just as you get to the International Bridge that takes you into Canada, and that bridge is over the Soo Locks and the St. Mary's River, a key point in the St. Laurence Seaway taking shipping east and west from Lake Superior into Lake Huron and eventually out to the Atlantic Ocean.  The sheer amount of commerce passing through that one area both east-west and north-south is staggering to think about.

[skluth]

The south end of I-41 ends embarrassingly with a small sign along the side of the interstate while I-94 continues on to Chicago and Detroit.

[MinecraftNinja]

I-93's south terminus is better the it's north terminus.

[Rothman]

I-93's south terminus is better the it's north terminus.

How do you figure?

I remember when the north terminus was finally completed.  It's actually a calm little spot in northern VT.

[fillup420]

I-40 hits a school zone right after its eastern terminus

[GenExpwy]

The south end of I-41 ends embarrassingly with a small sign along the side of the interstate while I-94 continues on to Chicago and Detroit.

Also interesting: Exit 1A for county route A1.

[Hobart]

This recently got promoted to an end with the creation of I-880 in Iowa, and the truncation of I-680 back to this cloverleaf (on paper, some of the signs are still up saying it continues).

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3546346,-95.899134,3a,15y,63.81h,88.06t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sZ4iCwCCTVdqw7dPz-HtRTw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DZ4iCwCCTVdqw7dPz-HtRTw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D354.71976%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

Interstate 680 just kind of... stops at a cloverleaf at I-29 and immediately runs into a railroad crossing without gates before turning into a two-lane road into Crescent, Iowa. It's abrupt, which I guess can mean exciting, but it's mostly an embarrassing way to end an interstate. No build up, no nothing, just, "get on this loop ramp to take I-29 to I-880, or quickly slow down from interstate speeds so you don't lose your lunch going over the somewhat poorly maintained railroad crossing".

[TheGrassGuy]

I-229's northern terminus (South Dakota) used to be a dirt road

[DandyDan]

I personally would find the north end of Iowa's I-380 embarrassing, as it ends at a traffic light for a rather inconsequential intersection in Waterloo.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I-93's south terminus is better the it's north terminus.

How do you figure?

I remember when the north terminus was finally completed.  It's actually a calm little spot in northern VT.

Agreed, 93'e in Vermontis prettier than it's southern ending in 95 (tho the latter is much improved from before).

[roadman65]

The north segment end of I-69 at. I-465 is embarrassing as it suddenly defaults into Binford Blvd.


Then the north end of I-65 used to have a stoplight at it, but they did improvements to remedy that one.

Both ends of I-99 of course with the way they exchange with other interstates is embarrassing.

I-95 in Miami has a neat terminus.

I-4 in Tampa with the poorly designed Malfunction Junction is embarrassing.

I-35 in Laredo, should connect to the International Bridge and not default into city streets.  Chalk one up to Texas, but at least I-45 in Galveston ends Gracefully.

I-14 west end has a sign saying it continues along US 190 instead of and END assembly as it does end there.

[thenetwork]

Probably one of the most pathetic ends to any notable Interstate is the western terminus of the western segment of I-76:

Traveling west on the last few miles, the upcoming exits BGS does not mention a junction or merge with I‐70 west, in fact there is NO mention of I-70 until it merges with I-70 at the Wadsworth Interchange -- on a reassurance shield next to the END I-70 assembly!!!

[JoePCool14]

The south end of I-41 ends embarrassingly with a small sign along the side of the interstate while I-94 continues on to Chicago and Detroit.

The sign on the right is now gone. If the one on the left goes, I don't think IDOT will bother to replace it.

Also interesting: Exit 1A for county route A1.

The 41 also looks like A1 if you don't look too closely at it!

[Chris19001]

I-370 in Maryland.  Now you see it, now you don't...