US 50 through Nevada is billed as The Loneliest Highway in the US...What highway in your state would you nominate as your loneliest?
I say this after driving CO-141 in Colorado from Whitewater (Grand Junction) to Dove Creek, and especially between Naturita and Dove Creek. on a recent Friday afternoon, I would say that if I passed 15 cars in an 80-mile stretch that would be pushing it.
Not to mention that CO-141 winds its way through Disappointment Valley, a name that fits the route well.
There's absolutely nothing on OR78. No towns and not even phone service for much of it. Having never driven it myself, I imagine OR205 would be a good candidate here as well.
As a side note I think US-6 is more deserving of that title than US 50 in NV! (Not to mention NV140...)
VA 14.
The loneliest roads in Utah are the four non-Interstate routes that cross the West Desert: US-6/50 and UT 30, 21, and 56. I’d say the loneliest is UT-21, since it has an AADT of less than 100. You could make a case for the others, but those all have AADTs in the 300-400 range.
Quote from: Takumi on April 29, 2018, 07:13:58 PM
VA 14.
Another Virginia nominee would be the southern and middle segments of VA 42.
For North Carolina I will nominate NC 94
In CA, it would almost certainly be one of the short state routes at or near the NV state line. I'd nominate, in no specific order, CA 266 -- the only CA route with both ends going into the adjoining state -- and out in a remote valley; the section of CA 299 east of US 395 -- it crosses into NV and becomes a unpaved route, and CA 182, simply because it isn't the most direct route anywhere except Yerington, NV. CA 167 might have been in a similar situation, but it's gotten some press as part of a more or less direct L.A. - Boise composite route, so it's apparently getting a bit more truck traffic than in previous years -- at least in fair-weather months.
Although I am sure that there are some highways in Southeast Indiana that might go down tho this level, I nominate IN-166 in Perry County (dead ends at the Ohio River serving a very small burg) and IN-154 in Sullivan County, which serves Graysville, IN (dead ends at the Wabash River and serves a burg that barely exists).
For Texas primary routes, I'd guess SH 54 between US 62/180 south of Pine Springs and Van Horn. Roughly 50 miles and I don't even remember anything coming off of it that was identifiable as a road that led to human habitation. There is absolutely nothing out there.
Quote from: pdx-wanderer on April 29, 2018, 06:54:09 PM
As a side note I think US-6 is more deserving of that title than US 50 in NV! (Not to mention NV140...)
I agree.
For Alaska's numbered routes (leaving aside other state-maintained highways), probably AK 8 between AK 3 and AK 4. It used to be the only road access to Denali National Park, but now there are better alternatives that at least are paved unlike most of AK 8. There's almost nothing along AK 8, and very little traffic.
Quote from: pdx-wanderer on April 29, 2018, 06:54:09 PM
There's absolutely nothing on OR78. No towns and not even phone service for much of it. Having never driven it myself, I imagine OR205 would be a good candidate here as well.
As a side note I think US-6 is more deserving of that title than US 50 in NV! (Not to mention NV140...)
OR 380 gets an honorable mention.
Maine has quite a few highways that one might consider lonely, but here's a list of what I consider to be the "loneliest."
- Most of ME 6
- ME 11 between Patten and Fort Kent
- ME 9 between Brewer and Calais
- US 201 north of Moscow
- All of the Macwahoc-Houlton segment of US 2A. Maine native Dick Curless even had a song about this stretch called "A Tombstone Every Mile."
CT
Interstate: I-395 (Norwich - MA Border)
US Route: US 44 east of Mansfield (except through Putnam), US 7 between New Milford and the village of Canaan
State: CT 14, CT 45, CT 63 north of CT 4, CT 183 between US 44 and MA border
RI:
Interstate: I-95 from CT border to RI 4
US: US 6 west of RI 116 or US 44 west of RI 102
State: RI 3, RI 14, and RI 117 west/south of RI 116. There's even a diner I ate at once on RI 3 called the Middle of Nowhere Diner.
MA:
Interstate: I-190 outside of Worcester city limits, I-395
US: US 7 except through Great Barrington and Pittsfield, US 20 west of Westfield (except Pittsfield), US 202 north of MA 33.
State: MA 43, MA 112, MA 183 (including MA 57 duplex) between CT border and MA 23
I'd put a vote in for CA 229. Apparently it gets less than 10 cars a day south of Creston according to a Caltrans crew I encounter out there in 2016.
To me, a "lonely" atmosphere is largely generated by the presence of open space. As such, there aren't going to be a lot of good examples east of the Mississippi.
However, up in Canada, ON 402 strikes me as lonely. Absolutely nothing between Sarnia and London, almost to the point of being eerie (no pun intended), especially in the winter. Not even services or buildings or anything, just vast swaths of undeveloped nothingness. Low traffic volumes, too.
Of all the US states, Montana is the state I perceive as "lonely" more than any other state. It's nicknamed Big Sky Country, which is quite fitting, as I think there's a correlation: the more sky you can see, the lonelier the atmosphere.
I can also see parts of Appalachia, particularly central PA and West Virginia, being described as lonely. I've been unsuccessful in trying to find better words to describe some of the rural roads in these areas. Mystical, maybe. Quiet. Jumbled. Sparsely populated. But I really hesitate to use lonely.
To bring it closer to home, I think the North Country is the best place to look in New York state. I-81 north of Syracuse and NY 28 north of Utica both strike me as somewhat lonely. The thruway doesn't, on the other hand. It will be interesting to see if there are any legitimate contenders agreed upon for New York.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on April 29, 2018, 09:31:09 PM
CT
Interstate: I-395 (Norwich - MA Border)
US Route: US 44 east of Mansfield (except through Putnam), US 7 between New Milford and the village of Canaan
State: CT 14, CT 45, CT 63 north of CT 4, CT 183 between US 44 and MA border
RI:
Interstate: I-95 from CT border to RI 4
US: US 6 west of RI 116 or US 44 west of RI 102
State: RI 3, RI 14, and RI 117 west/south of RI 116. There's even a diner I ate at once on RI 3 called the Middle of Nowhere Diner.
MA:
Interstate: I-190 outside of Worcester city limits, I-395
US: US 7 except through Great Barrington and Pittsfield, US 20 west of Westfield (except Pittsfield), US 202 north of MA 33.
State: MA 43, MA 112, MA 183 (including MA 57 duplex) between CT border and MA 23
Pfft. MA 8A. :)
CT 11... hands down.
VT.... hmmm.... any route north/east of St Johnsbury
NY would be NY 421. Hands down. If you want a through road, NY 3 between Carthage and Tupper Lake.
NY 22 north of Millerton is another contender. Outside of Plattsburgh, there's little development.
AZ 288 probably is the most lightly traveled route in Arizona. Much of the road is dirt and it goes to a really remote mountain village called Young. AZ 88 gets way more traffic due to the close proximity to Phoenix and it doesn't hurt pavement goes all the way to Tortilla Flat. AZ 83 also is very lightly traveled in some very remote territory.
For Michigan I'd say M-69 between west of Escanaba and M-95 or H-13 between M-28/94 and US-2.
MN 1 between Thief River Falls and the northern junction with MN 89.
AL 146, AL 62, and AL 140 appear to be all potential contenders here in Alabama.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 30, 2018, 02:33:10 AM
MN 1 between Thief River Falls and the northern junction with MN 89.
That, or MN-65 between MN-1 and Littlefork. Hard to say which is lonelier.
For Iowa, I imagine it's some section of either IA-3 or IA-9 in northwest Iowa. That area's pretty damn boring and repetitive.
OK-325.
Quote from: Life in Paradise on April 29, 2018, 08:38:59 PM
Although I am sure that there are some highways in Southeast Indiana that might go down tho this level, I nominate IN-166 in Perry County (dead ends at the Ohio River serving a very small burg) and IN-154 in Sullivan County, which serves Graysville, IN (dead ends at the Wabash River and serves a burg that barely exists).
SR 154 actually crosses the Wabash River and serves as the only crossing over the river between Terre Haute and Vincennes. And using local roads you can connect to Illinois Route 1 pretty easily.
Considering SR 166 it was interesting looking at the traffic counts on INDOT's website. Interestingly SR 66 east of SR 166 has even less traffic on it despite being the "thru" route. That whole stretch of 66 from Tell City to I-64 is quite winding and low in traffic. Great for motorcyclists I suppose.
Another contender for loneliest highway, SR 71 in far western Indiana, especially the norther segment from SR 26 north to US 24 in Benton County. That road looks dead quiet and the traffic counts never peak 300 vehicles a day on that stretch. The windmills might be the only thing interesting along that highway and you could travel on US 41 to get that view.
My speculative guess for Florida is that it might be US 441 between US 192 at Holopaw and FL 60 at Yeehaw Junction. I've driven that stretch several times where I've encountered less than five vehicles.
Quote from: djlynch on April 29, 2018, 08:55:58 PM
For Texas primary routes, I'd guess SH 54 between US 62/180 south of Pine Springs and Van Horn. Roughly 50 miles and I don't even remember anything coming off of it that was identifiable as a road that led to human habitation. There is absolutely nothing out there.
Maybes/honorable mentions:
* TX 87, the Newton Co. portion north of Orange (zzzzzz!)
* TX 302, only numbered road of any consequence in all of Loving Co. (the US' 2nd least populous county)
* Several FMs/RMs around the state, especially more rural portions
Quote from: djlynch on April 29, 2018, 08:55:58 PM
For Texas primary routes, I'd guess SH 54 between US 62/180 south of Pine Springs and Van Horn. Roughly 50 miles and I don't even remember anything coming off of it that was identifiable as a road that led to human habitation. There is absolutely nothing out there.
I drove it in 2002 and passed 6 cars. 3 of them were within a few miles of Van Horn.
https://www.statesman.com/news/local/have-you-ever-driven-texas-loneliest-road/AhdydeGRm4kK1M119u2feP/
Quote from: cl94 on April 29, 2018, 11:46:46 PM
NY would be NY 421. Hands down. If you want a through road, NY 3 between Carthage and Tupper Lake.
NY 22 north of Millerton is another contender. Outside of Plattsburgh, there's little development.
I was waiting for vdeane to come in here with an AADT analysis.
For NJ, I'd bet on the more southern reaches of NJ 55 (excluding summer weekends, of course.) Maybe NJ 94 through the Skylands?
Quote from: Rothman on April 30, 2018, 10:24:22 AM
Quote from: cl94 on April 29, 2018, 11:46:46 PM
NY would be NY 421. Hands down. If you want a through road, NY 3 between Carthage and Tupper Lake.
NY 22 north of Millerton is another contender. Outside of Plattsburgh, there's little development.
I was waiting for vdeane to come in here with an AADT analysis.
I wasn't going to, though you got me curious to look at this in GIS. I would have assumed that NY 421 is the lowest, but amazingly, it doesn't appear to be! The following is where RIS reports an actual AADT below 250 on a signed state highway:
-NY 30 north of NY 206 (233)
-US 9 south of I-87 at exit 30 (228)
-NY 168 between NY 167 and NY 80 (208-220)
-NY 171 south of Frankfort (206)
-NY 170 between NY 170A and NY 29 (190)
-NY 276 between the Canadian border and Rouses Point (161)
-NY 272 north of the Lake Ontario State Parkway (160)
-NY 189 (157)
-NY 421 (132)
-NY 344 east of Copake Falls (87)
The question with 421 is "where is the count station?" My guess is that it is just off of NY 30. I'd be willing to bet that at least 90% of traffic doesn't go past Warren Point.
I do not know where it was placed in 2015, but in 2009, it was indeed placed near NY 30. NY 344 was placed 50 yards from the state border.
Quote from: vdeane on April 30, 2018, 01:36:41 PM
I do not know where it was placed in 2015, but in 2009, it was indeed placed near NY 30. NY 344 was placed 50 yards from the state border.
Which is half a mile east of the main locations the route serves. Interesting.
If one were talking partial portions of a primary route, Virginia's would almost certainly be the unpaved part of VA 91 (about 6 miles) which has a 2017 AADT of 45.
NC 197's unpaved portion has an AADT of 260, and NC 90's unpaved portion doesn't even have an AADT on the interactive tool on the NCDOT website, so I'm going to assume that one's low too. One segment of NC 33 in Beaufort County has an AADT of 210.
Quote from: tdindy88 on April 30, 2018, 07:31:59 AM
Quote from: Life in Paradise on April 29, 2018, 08:38:59 PM
Although I am sure that there are some highways in Southeast Indiana that might go down tho this level, I nominate IN-166 in Perry County (dead ends at the Ohio River serving a very small burg) and IN-154 in Sullivan County, which serves Graysville, IN (dead ends at the Wabash River and serves a burg that barely exists).
SR 154 actually crosses the Wabash River and serves as the only crossing over the river between Terre Haute and Vincennes. And using local roads you can connect to Illinois Route 1 pretty easily.
Considering SR 166 it was interesting looking at the traffic counts on INDOT's website. Interestingly SR 66 east of SR 166 has even less traffic on it despite being the "thru" route. That whole stretch of 66 from Tell City to I-64 is quite winding and low in traffic. Great for motorcyclists I suppose.
Another contender for loneliest highway, SR 71 in far western Indiana, especially the norther segment from SR 26 north to US 24 in Benton County. That road looks dead quiet and the traffic counts never peak 300 vehicles a day on that stretch. The windmills might be the only thing interesting along that highway and you could travel on US 41 to get that view.
I've driven those sections of 66 and 166. Very scenic drive. I've never driven 71. Not entirely sure why it's even a state highway.
Quote from: djlynch on April 29, 2018, 08:55:58 PM
For Texas primary routes, I'd guess SH 54 between US 62/180 south of Pine Springs and Van Horn. Roughly 50 miles and I don't even remember anything coming off of it that was identifiable as a road that led to human habitation. There is absolutely nothing out there.
I would agree with this, in part. For the loneliest primary route, I'd nominate SH 166, which is a scenic loop through the Davis Mountains, and was initially proposed as a state park highway before land was acquired for a proper state park. It has an intersection with an RM road between its two ends, but goes entirely through open ranch country. For the loneliest direct through route, I'd nominate SH 54. It starts in a town on one end but intersects only gravel roads that either dead end or loop back to the highway. That it runs next to the Devil's Mountains adds to the ambience.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on April 30, 2018, 06:10:25 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 30, 2018, 02:33:10 AM
MN 1 between Thief River Falls and the northern junction with MN 89.
That, or MN-65 between MN-1 and Littlefork. Hard to say which is lonelier.
I wonder too about a road like MN 286, a short connector in Itasca County between MN 6 and MN 38.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 30, 2018, 09:05:22 PM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on April 30, 2018, 06:10:25 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 30, 2018, 02:33:10 AM
MN 1 between Thief River Falls and the northern junction with MN 89.
That, or MN-65 between MN-1 and Littlefork. Hard to say which is lonelier.
I wonder too about a road like MN 286, a short connector in Itasca County between MN 6 and MN 38.
Eh, MN-6 and 38 are fairly decently traveled, and while there aren't any incorporated cities on MN-286, there is a small unincorporated community at each end (Talmoon and Marcell).
The Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway. Very few cars and only a handful of exits with any services.
US-3 in far northern NH, especially between NH-26 and the Canadian border.
https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/03/americas-loneliest-roads-are-gems-hidden-in-plain-sight/555779/
Quote from: Beeper1 on April 30, 2018, 09:59:40 PM
US-3 in far northern NH, especially between NH-26 and the Canadian border.
It is beautiful up there. Not many people visit the headwaters of the Connecticut River?
Quote from: cl94 on April 30, 2018, 01:41:49 PM
Quote from: vdeane on April 30, 2018, 01:36:41 PM
I do not know where it was placed in 2015, but in 2009, it was indeed placed near NY 30. NY 344 was placed 50 yards from the state border.
Which is half a mile east of the main locations the route serves. Interesting.
I would have thought Bash-Bish Falls would have driven traffic higher on the route.
"Low volume" does not exactly translate to "lonely". They're related, but not interchangeable by any means.
Quote from: Rothman on April 30, 2018, 10:33:51 PM
Quote from: Beeper1 on April 30, 2018, 09:59:40 PM
US-3 in far northern NH, especially between NH-26 and the Canadian border.
It is beautiful up there. Not many people visit the headwaters of the Connecticut River?
It might be beautiful but it's very lonely. There's not even 1,000 people living in the northern 300 square miles of Coos County. US-3 is however probably the most well known highway in the state of New Hampshire due to it running the length of the state and goes through Concord, Manchester and Nashua.
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on April 30, 2018, 06:10:25 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 30, 2018, 02:33:10 AM
MN 1 between Thief River Falls and the northern junction with MN 89.
That, or MN-65 between MN-1 and Littlefork. Hard to say which is lonelier.
For Iowa, I imagine it's some section of either IA-3 or IA-9 in northwest Iowa. That area's pretty damn boring and repetitive.
I would have to give some consideration to IA 10. I don't know where one would go on that route unless you know someone in a town on that route. I could go along with IA 3 on the basis that the leaving town sign going west on IA 3 from Waverly has Cherokee on the bottom line. I would also consider IA 44 being that anyone who is doing any long distance driving is probably hopping on I-80.
In PA (going from personal experience, not AADT, so these could be debated):
Interstate: I-86 in the far NW corner of the state
US: US 6 in the northern tier, I'd say west of Wellsboro and east of Warren
PA: PA 44 north of Jersey Shore and south of Coudersport is wonderfully lonely and scenic. There are other routes I've been on that way that I'd say are equally lonely, but not quite as scenic; for example, PA 872, PA 146, PA 284, PA 154, PA 414, etc. I'm not familiar at all with roads in far SW PA, though.
Quote from: Rothman on April 30, 2018, 10:34:54 PM
Quote from: cl94 on April 30, 2018, 01:41:49 PM
Quote from: vdeane on April 30, 2018, 01:36:41 PM
I do not know where it was placed in 2015, but in 2009, it was indeed placed near NY 30. NY 344 was placed 50 yards from the state border.
Which is half a mile east of the main locations the route serves. Interesting.
I would have thought Bash-Bish Falls would have driven traffic higher on the route.
The count point is beyond Bash Bish Falls. Main access point for the falls is half a mile west of the state border.
Quote from: cl94 on May 02, 2018, 10:12:31 AM
Quote from: Rothman on April 30, 2018, 10:34:54 PM
Quote from: cl94 on April 30, 2018, 01:41:49 PM
Quote from: vdeane on April 30, 2018, 01:36:41 PM
I do not know where it was placed in 2015, but in 2009, it was indeed placed near NY 30. NY 344 was placed 50 yards from the state border.
Which is half a mile east of the main locations the route serves. Interesting.
I would have thought Bash-Bish Falls would have driven traffic higher on the route.
The count point is beyond Bash Bish Falls. Main access point for the falls is half a mile west of the state border.
Huh? Bash Bish Falls is in MA.
Quote from: Rothman on May 02, 2018, 10:43:46 AM
Quote from: cl94 on May 02, 2018, 10:12:31 AM
Quote from: Rothman on April 30, 2018, 10:34:54 PM
Quote from: cl94 on April 30, 2018, 01:41:49 PM
Quote from: vdeane on April 30, 2018, 01:36:41 PM
I do not know where it was placed in 2015, but in 2009, it was indeed placed near NY 30. NY 344 was placed 50 yards from the state border.
Which is half a mile east of the main locations the route serves. Interesting.
I would have thought Bash-Bish Falls would have driven traffic higher on the route.
The count point is beyond Bash Bish Falls. Main access point for the falls is half a mile west of the state border.
Huh? Bash Bish Falls is in MA.
Yes, but the easy way in is from NY. Park on the NY side and it's 3/4 mile each way of flat along the creek to walk to it. MA side requires you to hike down 250 feet and then reclimb it to get back to your car, because the parking is at the top of the cliff. Most people go in from NY
Plus the count was taken in early May and the AADT numbers would not include the weekend when I imagine most of the tourists would be there.
CT 11 in connecticut is very sad and lonely, even during rush hour.
AR-161 for sure. (Southern Part)
There's absolutely no reason to travel on it if you were going from Scott to England.
(https://vgy.me/yKjgWV.png)
The other 161 in Jacksonville is usually always really busy all the time.
In Illinois, the lowest AADT I could find on a state highway was 225 for a stretch of IL-100 south of Pearl, Illinois in Pike County, although there may be a stretch of state highway in Illinois with a lower AADT that I've not been able to find.
CA 62 east of Yucca Valley is pretty lonely.
(But a nice drive)
Quote from: catsynth on May 02, 2018, 06:04:34 PM
CA 62 east of Yucca Valley is pretty lonely.
(But a nice drive)
I'd say more so east of 29 Palms to 177. East of 177 traffic heading to Vegas or Laughlin makes the road substantially more lively.
Either WIS 17 or WIS 122.
^Is this the new "preferred alternative" for post editing? :bigass:
Quote from: webny99 on May 02, 2018, 09:35:08 PM
^Is this the new "preferred alternative" for post editing? :bigass:
what are you talking about? ;)
Quote from: SSOWorld on May 02, 2018, 09:38:30 PM
Quote from: webny99 on May 02, 2018, 09:35:08 PM
^Is this the new "preferred alternative" for post editing? :bigass:
what are you talking about? ;)
Darn, I wish I had it quoted. The second (deleted) post quoted the first, but slipped in an edit to clarify that WIS 17 was only a contender north(?) of Eagle River.
Just thought I'd throw that in there for the record :-P
Quote from: webny99 on April 29, 2018, 09:43:15 PM
However, up in Canada, ON 402 strikes me as lonely. Absolutely nothing between Sarnia and London, almost to the point of being eerie (no pun intended), especially in the winter. Not even services or buildings or anything, just vast swaths of undeveloped nothingness. Low traffic volumes, too.
Um, sure, except for the spots where you have small towns next to the highway at Delaware and Reeces Corners - the latter of which has a decent size truck stop right at the highway. Oh, and there's the stretch through Strathroy where there's homes and factories abutting the highway. Plus it takes over 20,000 vehicles per day.
Even taking the development out of the equation, in what reality is a road that busy lonely? Taking a look at the hourly counts, through the day you're going to have a vehicle go by you in one direction or another about every 2-3 seconds. Even the deadest time, from 3 to 4 am on a Sunday morning they'll still be a vehicle every 30 seconds.
There's plenty of sections of
freeway in the province that are a lot quieter and more remote than 402 (like 400, 69, 17), not to mention the thousands of kilometres of two lane highway in the middle of nowhere.
Quote from: cbeach40 on May 03, 2018, 01:00:09 PM
Quote from: webny99 on April 29, 2018, 09:43:15 PM
However, up in Canada, ON 402 strikes me as lonely. Absolutely nothing between Sarnia and London, almost to the point of being eerie (no pun intended), especially in the winter. Not even services or buildings or anything, just vast swaths of undeveloped nothingness. Low traffic volumes, too.
Um, sure, except for the spots where you have small towns next to the highway at Delaware and Reeces Corners - the latter of which has a decent size truck stop right at the highway. Oh, and there's the stretch through Strathroy where there's homes and factories abutting the highway. Plus it takes over 20,000 vehicles per day.
Even taking the development out of the equation, in what reality is a road that busy lonely? Taking a look at the hourly counts, through the day you're going to have a vehicle go by you in one direction or another about every 2-3 seconds. Even the deadest time, from 3 to 4 am on a Sunday morning they'll still be a vehicle every 30 seconds.
There's plenty of sections of freeway in the province that are a lot quieter and more remote than 402 (like 400, 69, 17), not to mention the thousands of kilometres of two lane highway in the middle of nowhere.
I agree with that. I don't see how 402 is a lonely highway either it's actually part of the suggested route between Toronto and Chicago. When you connect with I-69 in Port Huron and continue to Battle Creek that is quicker than taking 401 to Windsor and crossing over to the U.S. at Detroit considering that I-69 has another intersection in that area with I-94. My point is that it's part of a route between two major cities that is going to see traffic. If I was going from Toronto to Chicago or vice versa I would indeed break off I-94 at exit 108 and take I-69 to Port Huron and cross over the Bluewater Bridge.
Quote from: cbeach40 on May 03, 2018, 01:00:09 PM
Quote from: webny99 on April 29, 2018, 09:43:15 PM
However, up in Canada, ON 402 strikes me as lonely. Absolutely nothing between Sarnia and London, almost to the point of being eerie (no pun intended), especially in the winter. Not even services or buildings or anything, just vast swaths of undeveloped nothingness. Low traffic volumes, too.
There's plenty of sections of freeway in the province that are a lot quieter and more remote than 402 (like 400, 69, 17), not to mention the thousands of kilometres of two lane highway in the middle of nowhere.
For lonely (and mind-numbingly boring), try ON 11 between Nipigon and Cochrane. Nothing at all in the 130 miles between Longiac and Hearst except the road and the parallel rail line, and not much more (except in Kapuskasing) the rest of the route between Nipigon and Longiac, or Hearst and Cochrane.
Quote from: Bickendan on April 29, 2018, 08:59:17 PM
Quote from: pdx-wanderer on April 29, 2018, 06:54:09 PM
There's absolutely nothing on OR78. No towns and not even phone service for much of it. Having never driven it myself, I imagine OR205 would be a good candidate here as well.
As a side note I think US-6 is more deserving of that title than US 50 in NV! (Not to mention NV140...)
OR 380 gets an honorable mention.
I've driven on the full length of OR-78 probably 3-4 times and the full length or OR-380 once. 380 had a lot more traffic. On OR-78, I'd usually go the whole distance of the highway only seeing 5-10 cars (majority of those being between Burns and New Princeton; I've gone from New Princeton all the way to US-95 seeing no cars before). I'm not sure
why OR-380 had as much traffic as it did (it wasn't much, but it didn't feel super lonely), but it is what it is. Could have just been the day I went through. I'd be interested to see OR-140 east of Lakeview though, never been on it and I'd imagine it's a contender.
I'm not sure what I'd say for Idaho. A lot of the highways I've been on that feel remote/desolate, still get a reasonable amount of traffic since they're good routes to destinations. Like ID-22 and ID-33, US-20 (the stretches through the INL area feel very desolate and "Nevada-like", especially with the 70 MPH limits) being good routes from Boise to Idaho Falls or Montana. ID-21 goes through some very remote and mountainous terrain but it's a good route to some tourist-ish areas like Stanley. Out of the highways I've been on, ID-78 probably would be the most lonely. But I think ID-51 might be the winner (I have not driven on it). I'll have to check it out on my next trip to Vegas maybe (if I don't go in winter). US-95 north of Bonners Ferry (heading towards Canada) felt quite lonely too though, at least compared to the rest of US-95.
EDIT: Almost forgot about OR-27. That one almost feels like cheating though, since it shouldn't even be a state route.
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 03, 2018, 03:38:57 PM
Quote from: cbeach40 on May 03, 2018, 01:00:09 PM
Quote from: webny99 on April 29, 2018, 09:43:15 PM
However, up in Canada, ON 402 strikes me as lonely. Absolutely nothing between Sarnia and London, almost to the point of being eerie (no pun intended), especially in the winter. Not even services or buildings or anything, just vast swaths of undeveloped nothingness. Low traffic volumes, too.
Um, sure, except for the spots where you have small towns next to the highway at Delaware and Reeces Corners - the latter of which has a decent size truck stop right at the highway. Oh, and there's the stretch through Strathroy where there's homes and factories abutting the highway. Plus it takes over 20,000 vehicles per day.
Even taking the development out of the equation, in what reality is a road that busy lonely? Taking a look at the hourly counts, through the day you're going to have a vehicle go by you in one direction or another about every 2-3 seconds. Even the deadest time, from 3 to 4 am on a Sunday morning they'll still be a vehicle every 30 seconds.
There's plenty of sections of freeway in the province that are a lot quieter and more remote than 402 (like 400, 69, 17), not to mention the thousands of kilometres of two lane highway in the middle of nowhere.
I agree with that. I don't see how 402 is a lonely highway either it's actually part of the suggested route between Toronto and Chicago. When you connect with I-69 in Port Huron and continue to Battle Creek that is quicker than taking 401 to Windsor and crossing over to the U.S. at Detroit considering that I-69 has another intersection in that area with I-94. My point is that it's part of a route between two major cities that is going to see traffic. If I was going from Toronto to Chicago or vice versa I would indeed break off I-94 at exit 108 and take I-69 to Port Huron and cross over the Bluewater Bridge.
I was considering various options for defending myself, but I'd probably just make myself look like a fool.
It doesn't really have anything to do with traffic volumes. It has to do with the overall atmosphere and character of the area. I'd say roads that qualify
despite high volumes are much better candidates than roads that qualify
because of low volumes, at least IMO. Compared to other areas of Southern Ontario, I never fail to be impressed with how underdeveloped and remote the London-Sarnia corridor is. I think anyone who has driven on 402 will understand what I mean, and that should suffice.
Quote from: doorknob60 on May 03, 2018, 04:37:25 PM
Quote from: Bickendan on April 29, 2018, 08:59:17 PM
Quote from: pdx-wanderer on April 29, 2018, 06:54:09 PM
There's absolutely nothing on OR78. No towns and not even phone service for much of it. Having never driven it myself, I imagine OR205 would be a good candidate here as well.
As a side note I think US-6 is more deserving of that title than US 50 in NV! (Not to mention NV140...)
OR 380 gets an honorable mention.
I've driven on the full length of OR-78 probably 3-4 times and the full length or OR-380 once. 380 had a lot more traffic. On OR-78, I'd usually go the whole distance of the highway only seeing 5-10 cars (majority of those being between Burns and New Princeton; I've gone from New Princeton all the way to US-95 seeing no cars before). I'm not sure why OR-380 had as much traffic as it did (it wasn't much, but it didn't feel super lonely), but it is what it is. Could have just been the day I went through. I'd be interested to see OR-140 east of Lakeview though, never been on it and I'd imagine it's a contender.
I'm not sure what I'd say for Idaho. A lot of the highways I've been on that feel remote/desolate, still get a reasonable amount of traffic since they're good routes to destinations. Like ID-22 and ID-33, US-20 (the stretches through the INL area feel very desolate and "Nevada-like", especially with the 70 MPH limits) being good routes from Boise to Idaho Falls or Montana. ID-21 goes through some very remote and mountainous terrain but it's a good route to some tourist-ish areas like Stanley. Out of the highways I've been on, ID-78 probably would be the most lonely. But I think ID-51 might be the winner (I have not driven on it). I'll have to check it out on my next trip to Vegas maybe (if I don't go in winter). US-95 north of Bonners Ferry (heading towards Canada) felt quite lonely too though, at least compared to the rest of US-95.
EDIT: Almost forgot about OR-27. That one almost feels like cheating though, since it shouldn't even be a state route.
OR 27 was busier than 380 when I went through.
I'll second US 6 from Ely to Tonopah as being more "Lonely" than US 50 to Fallon regarding Nevada.
Did anyone mention I-40 from AZ Border to Barstow, CA? I was driving on that highway on my way from grand canyon to Los Angeles.
Also the I-80 all through Nevada and western Utah.
There's this little town called Norwich, CT and if you go there there is not a soul to be seen. So the south end of CT-2 is very lonely.
Quote from: webny99 on May 03, 2018, 08:48:27 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 03, 2018, 03:38:57 PM
Quote from: cbeach40 on May 03, 2018, 01:00:09 PM
Quote from: webny99 on April 29, 2018, 09:43:15 PM
However, up in Canada, ON 402 strikes me as lonely. Absolutely nothing between Sarnia and London, almost to the point of being eerie (no pun intended), especially in the winter. Not even services or buildings or anything, just vast swaths of undeveloped nothingness. Low traffic volumes, too.
Um, sure, except for the spots where you have small towns next to the highway at Delaware and Reeces Corners - the latter of which has a decent size truck stop right at the highway. Oh, and there's the stretch through Strathroy where there's homes and factories abutting the highway. Plus it takes over 20,000 vehicles per day.
Even taking the development out of the equation, in what reality is a road that busy lonely? Taking a look at the hourly counts, through the day you're going to have a vehicle go by you in one direction or another about every 2-3 seconds. Even the deadest time, from 3 to 4 am on a Sunday morning they'll still be a vehicle every 30 seconds.
There's plenty of sections of freeway in the province that are a lot quieter and more remote than 402 (like 400, 69, 17), not to mention the thousands of kilometres of two lane highway in the middle of nowhere.
I agree with that. I don't see how 402 is a lonely highway either it's actually part of the suggested route between Toronto and Chicago. When you connect with I-69 in Port Huron and continue to Battle Creek that is quicker than taking 401 to Windsor and crossing over to the U.S. at Detroit considering that I-69 has another intersection in that area with I-94. My point is that it's part of a route between two major cities that is going to see traffic. If I was going from Toronto to Chicago or vice versa I would indeed break off I-94 at exit 108 and take I-69 to Port Huron and cross over the Bluewater Bridge.
I was considering various options for defending myself, but I'd probably just make myself look like a fool.
It doesn't really have anything to do with traffic volumes. It has to do with the overall atmosphere and character of the area. I'd say roads that qualify despite high volumes are much better candidates than roads that qualify because of low volumes, at least IMO. Compared to other areas of Southern Ontario, I never fail to be impressed with how underdeveloped and remote the London-Sarnia corridor is. I think anyone who has driven on 402 will understand what I mean, and that should suffice.
I can't disagree with you because that's how I view it as well. It's amazing how undeveloped and remote that part of Ontario is especially considering the Michigan side of Lake Huron and the St. Clair River aren't as undeveloped and remote. Sure northern Macomb County, Sanillac County and a lot of St. Clair County aren't that developed but certainly more so than the Ontario side of Lake Huron and the St. Clair River. I haven't been on 402 between Sarina and London since about 2003 but I remember not much being around there.
I remember going up to a resort community on the Ontario side of Lake Huron called Grand Bend. The entire car ride up there it just seemed like it was going to be a let down. We ended up ditching that plan and went to Niagara Falls instead. Route 21 up to Grand Bend was just as boring as 402. Once you got there, saw the beach, hung out for a few minutes it's like what else is there to do? Niagara Falls was more fun but that car ride over there once you cross over from Port Huron is pretty dull boring.
Quote from: webny99 on May 03, 2018, 08:48:27 PM
I was considering various options for defending myself, but I'd probably just make myself look like a fool.
It doesn't really have anything to do with traffic volumes. It has to do with the overall atmosphere and character of the area. I'd say roads that qualify despite high volumes are much better candidates than roads that qualify because of low volumes, at least IMO. Compared to other areas of Southern Ontario, I never fail to be impressed with how underdeveloped and remote the London-Sarnia corridor is. I think anyone who has driven on 402 will understand what I mean, and that should suffice.
Overall atmosphere and character of the area has human development all along it, services at most of the interchanges, and you never really get out of light pollution, yeah, at no point does it feel remote. I've driven 402, quite a lot in fact, and really don't see it as remote at all.
There are plenty of highways that don't have structures constantly in sight, are free of light pollution (http://darksitefinder.com/maps/world.html), and have zero cell phone coverage.
Those are lonely highways.
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 04, 2018, 10:47:57 AM
I can't disagree with you because that's how I view it as well. It's amazing how undeveloped and remote that part of Ontario is especially considering the Michigan side of Lake Huron and the St. Clair River aren't as undeveloped and remote. Sure northern Macomb County, Sanillac County and a lot of St. Clair County aren't that developed but certainly more so than the Ontario side of Lake Huron and the St. Clair River.
Bah? I-94 east of New Haven and I-69 east of Lapeer are just as developed as 402. Mix of farmland with regular residential/industrial/highway service development.
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 04, 2018, 10:47:57 AM
I haven't been on 402 between Sarina and London since about 2003 but I remember not much being around there.
Well, that would explain a bit. The main developments along there corridor have been more recent.
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 04, 2018, 10:47:57 AM
I remember going up to a resort community on the Ontario side of Lake Huron called Grand Bend. The entire car ride up there it just seemed like it was going to be a let down. We ended up ditching that plan and went to Niagara Falls instead. Route 21 up to Grand Bend was just as boring as 402.
Definitely, in that area Hwy 21 and even more so Hwy 40 are a lot emptier of development than 402.
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 04, 2018, 10:47:57 AM
Once you got there, saw the beach, hung out for a few minutes it's like what else is there to do?
Off topic but yeah, Grand Bend isn't that great. Especially if you're sober. :-D
Quote from: cbeach40 on May 04, 2018, 11:15:05 AM
Overall atmosphere and character of the area has human development all along it, services at most of the interchanges, and you never really get out of light pollution, yeah, at no point does it feel remote. I've driven 402, quite a lot in fact, and really don't see it as remote at all.
Compared to Northern Ontario, it doesn't qualify as remote. But compared to the rest of Southern Ontario, and most of the US east of the Mississippi, it feels very remote. Here's one segment (https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9908256,-82.0583626,3a,60y,95.81h,90.11t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s1cCe51sb37QXAWAqs3VZGg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D1cCe51sb37QXAWAqs3VZGg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D203.80437%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656). I've driven it probably eight times and never seen services visible from any of the interchanges.
QuoteThere are plenty of highways that don't have structures constantly in sight (ETA: including 402 :)), are free of light pollution (http://darksitefinder.com/maps/world.html), and have zero cell phone coverage. Those are lonely highways.
But you're not even going to
look for those on the Chicago - Toronto corridor. As I alluded to earlier, this corridor feels remote
despite its strategic location, not
because of its location.
Quote from: MattCollopy on May 04, 2018, 08:36:21 AM
Did anyone mention I-40 from AZ Border to Barstow, CA? I was driving on that highway on my way from grand canyon to Los Angeles.
Also the I-80 all through Nevada and western Utah.
There's this little town called Norwich, CT and if you go there there is not a soul to be seen. So the south end of CT-2 is very lonely.
Problem is that I-40 being an Interstate draws way too much traffic to take that lonely crown away from the likes of CA 62, US 95, or CA 127 in the immediate region. I'd be hesitant to even rank I-70 in Utah as a truly lonely road due to the high volume of truck traffic.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on May 04, 2018, 02:01:02 PM
Quote from: MattCollopy on May 04, 2018, 08:36:21 AM
Did anyone mention I-40 from AZ Border to Barstow, CA? I was driving on that highway on my way from grand canyon to Los Angeles.
Also the I-80 all through Nevada and western Utah.
There's this little town called Norwich, CT and if you go there there is not a soul to be seen. So the south end of CT-2 is very lonely.
Problem is that I-40 being an Interstate draws way too much traffic to take that lonely crown away from the likes of CA 62, US 95, or CA 127 in the immediate region. I’d be hesitant to even rank I-70 in Utah as a truly lonely road due to the high volume of truck traffic.
As interstates go, there aren't very many towns along the western interstates. I-70 has that 110 mile service desert, and I-80 has 37 miles without an exit in the salt flats. That's also a 70 mile service desert; it would be a 90-100 mile desert if not for one gas station in the middle of nowhere.
But just because there aren't any towns doesn't make them lonely. The western interstates are actually worse for truck traffic than a lot of people think, because there aren't really any alternate routes. Most eastern interstates have at least a parallel corridor (like a US route) to take some of the traffic off the freeway, but there isn't a parallel corridor for most western interstates. I-80 is really the only corridor that comes into the Bay Area from the east, and as such gets a lot of truck traffic on it. Sure, US 50 exists, but it's so out of the way and goes through a whole lot of nothing, so no one uses it: the AADT on US 50 in western Utah is less than 400, while I-80 through the salt flats has an AADT of around 7500.
Quote from: webny99 on May 04, 2018, 12:30:05 PM
Compared to Northern Ontario, it doesn't qualify as remote. But compared to the rest of Southern Ontario, and most of the US east of the Mississippi, it feels very remote.
Really, it's pretty well the same as any other rural freeway in an area like that. And that's not even getting into turnpikes/thruways that are deliberately routed away from populated areas.
Quote from: webny99 on May 04, 2018, 12:30:05 PM
Here's one segment (https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9908256,-82.0583626,3a,60y,95.81h,90.11t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s1cCe51sb37QXAWAqs3VZGg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D1cCe51sb37QXAWAqs3VZGg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D203.80437%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656). I've driven it probably eight times and never seen services visible from any of the interchanges.
Well, that's funny how you just happened to cherry pick a spot with trees along both sides. Could do the same in a lot of places and make it look just as isolated (https://goo.gl/maps/HZoRuAq5v8p). If you did look, say 2 minutes back up the road, there's an interchange there with a truck stop
right there (https://goo.gl/maps/P7CvyZoKJsQ2) and a town at the first crossroad south, spitting distance away.
I drive it about 8 times or so a month, and while you may not have been looking very well, I can tell you that of the 9 interchanges between London and Sarnia, only three of them don't have some kind of services.
QuoteQuoteThere are plenty of highways that don't have structures constantly in sight, are free of light pollution (http://darksitefinder.com/maps/world.html), and have zero cell phone coverage. Those are lonely highways.
But you're not even going to look for those on the Chicago - Toronto corridor. As I alluded to earlier, this corridor feels remote despite its strategic location, not because of its location.
Well, you say you alluded to that, but what you explicitly said:
Quote
However, up in Canada, ON 402 strikes me as lonely. Absolutely nothing between Sarnia and London, almost to the point of being eerie (no pun intended), especially in the winter. Not even services or buildings or anything, just vast swaths of undeveloped nothingness. Low traffic volumes, too.
And that's pretty well the opposite. But, as has been stated, there is development along the highway. Not dense development, and somewhat sporadic but that's exactly what happens in rural areas. It's no different than the density you get on similar roads like the rural sections of Interstates 69 or 94.
Listen, I'm through arguing about ON 402. I think it has a lonely atmosphere - no superlative needed.
I didnt cherry pick (just picked a spot at random), and what I was alluding to was from reply 66, not what you quoted. But anyways, lets move on and let the thread continue with all the "real" contenders, lol.
Quote from: vdeane on May 02, 2018, 12:45:12 PM
Plus the count was taken in early May and the AADT numbers would not include the weekend when I imagine most of the tourists would be there.
Speaking of NY 344, NYSDOT put shields up as if it was a Y? Looks like both forks from NY 22 have NY 344 shields. I take it only the north fork is the official route?
Yep. South side is a reference route. Oddly enough, NY 343 gets the same treatment, despite overlapping NY 22 instead of ending there.
Quote from: thenetwork on April 29, 2018, 06:42:52 PM
US 50 through Nevada is billed as The Loneliest Highway in the US...What highway in your state would you nominate as your loneliest?
I say this after driving CO-141 in Colorado from Whitewater (Grand Junction) to Dove Creek, and especially between Naturita and Dove Creek. on a recent Friday afternoon, I would say that if I passed 15 cars in an 80-mile stretch that would be pushing it.
Not to mention that CO-141 winds its way through Disappointment Valley, a name that fits the route well.
CO-71 between Limon and Ordway, or CO-96 between Ordway and Eads are lonely. Also, cell reception is nonexistent unless you have Viaero, who builds very tall towers and puts their name on them.
Quote from: Rothman on May 07, 2018, 11:14:34 PM
Quote from: vdeane on May 02, 2018, 12:45:12 PM
Plus the count was taken in early May and the AADT numbers would not include the weekend when I imagine most of the tourists would be there.
Speaking of NY 344, NYSDOT put shields up as if it was a Y? Looks like both forks from NY 22 have NY 344 shields. I take it only the north fork is the official route?
Quote from: vdeane on May 08, 2018, 12:55:45 PM
Yep. South side is a reference route. Oddly enough, NY 343 gets the same treatment, despite overlapping NY 22 instead of ending there.
Same for NY 71. Only the south fork is actually NY 71. North one is NY 980E. From what I can tell, this is a Region 8 oddity, as it also occurs with the NY 52 craziness in Ellenville (that's officially a one-way pair on two-way streets, but both directions on both streets are signed as NY 52).
Quote from: cl94 on May 08, 2018, 11:36:02 PM
Quote from: Rothman on May 07, 2018, 11:14:34 PM
Quote from: vdeane on May 02, 2018, 12:45:12 PM
Plus the count was taken in early May and the AADT numbers would not include the weekend when I imagine most of the tourists would be there.
Speaking of NY 344, NYSDOT put shields up as if it was a Y? Looks like both forks from NY 22 have NY 344 shields. I take it only the north fork is the official route?
Quote from: vdeane on May 08, 2018, 12:55:45 PM
Yep. South side is a reference route. Oddly enough, NY 343 gets the same treatment, despite overlapping NY 22 instead of ending there.
Same for NY 71. Only the south fork is actually NY 71. North one is NY 980E. From what I can tell, this is a Region 8 oddity, as it also occurs with the NY 52 craziness in Ellenville (that's officially a one-way pair on two-way streets, but both directions on both streets are signed as NY 52).
And the NY 71, 343, and 344 duplications are ALL with NY 22...
Wyes aren't exactly uncommon, and having one leg be a reference route is the standard NYSDOT way to handle them, though NY 71/NY 22 is larger than is typical. I wouldn't call NY 343 or NY 344 wyes though.
Quote from: jemacedo9 on May 02, 2018, 09:29:28 AM
In PA (going from personal experience, not AADT, so these could be debated):
Interstate: I-86 in the far NW corner of the state
US: US 6 in the northern tier, I'd say west of Wellsboro and east of Warren
PA: PA 44 north of Jersey Shore and south of Coudersport is wonderfully lonely and scenic. There are other routes I've been on that way that I'd say are equally lonely, but not quite as scenic; for example, PA 872, PA 146, PA 284, PA 154, PA 414, etc. I'm not familiar at all with roads in far SW PA, though.
I'd agree especially with your PA routes. I love that area of the state. I'd add PA 144 North of I-80 as well.
Nexus 6P
Quote from: Aaron Camp on May 02, 2018, 05:35:35 PM
In Illinois, the lowest AADT I could find on a state highway was 225 for a stretch of IL-100 south of Pearl, Illinois in Pike County, although there may be a stretch of state highway in Illinois with a lower AADT that I've not been able to find.
Hmm. I like this idea. I could easily seeing the roads in Calhoun County qualify for the loneliest, as Calhoun County, isolated between two great rivers, is often one of the last Illinois counties a person will visit in their lifetime. I could see IL-100 in Calhoun County being one of Illinois's loneliest roads. There are a couple other state highways that go to total nowhere like IL-155 that I could see making the list, or the western stub of IL-156.