The "Ugly Red-Headed Stepchild" Highway...

[thenetwork]

Everybody has or knows of a freeway, tollway, expressway, etc... in their area that would be looked at by the state's DOT as a "red-headed stepchild" highway.  By that I mean a stretch of freeway that is consistently decades or more behind all other comparable area highways in signage, upkeep, upgrades, lighting, road conditions, etc...

What "Ugly Red-headed stepchilds" are in your area?

I nominate SR-21 (nee US-21) in Northeast Ohio between I-77 in West Akron/Copley and SR-236 in Massillon:

With the exception of a short stretch between I-76 & SR 585 in the Barberton/Norton area, SR-21 has always looked OLD:  Little or no advance signage for upcoming exits, crumbling shoulders, un-mowed medians & weedy shoulders.  In fact, within the Summit County stretch of SR-21 up until the mid-to-late 90s, still had a couple of vintage yellow "MERGING TRAFFIC" and "YIELD" signs from the late-60's/early 70's at some on-ramps.  I don't know if ODOT has brought that WHOLE stretch up to speed yet, but it has been 4 years since I last was through there.

Prior to the big rebuilding a few years ago, SR 8 through downtown Akron was also in the same boat, with some overhead BGs dating back to the mid-late 50's -- possibly 1st generation -- though the rebuilding took them all down.

And same with SR-8 between SR-303 and SR-82, although the current rebuilding of that stretch into interstate standards is also taking away the "early 60's look" of that section, too!!!



Others???
 

[Brandon]

In IDOT District 1, it is anything not in Cook or DuPage Counties.  They seem to ignore any highways in Lake, McHenry, Kane, and Will.  Will County seems to be their favorite to ignore.  Took them 30 years to figure out that I-55 needed widening.  We'll see about I-80.

[Bryant5493]

Georgia State Route 166 - The segment between I-285 near Ben Hill and I-75/85 on the southside of Downtown Atlanta is the most substandard freeway in Metro Atlanta. Just recently, about three or four years ago, the grass median was converted to a jersey barrier/concrete median. The entrance/exit lanes are very short. I've nearly been run off of the road trying to merge.

Here are some examples of how short Langford Parkway's merges are.

U.S. 29 to S.R. 166 East

DeLowe Dr. to S.R. 166 West

I-285 North to S.R. 166 West


Be well,

Bryant

[SP Cook]

In WV, it is esentually regional.  Southern WV is the "URHSC". 

First, of course, is the Turnpike, which still charges a toll, despite being paid off decades ago, and which has been allowed to fall into disrepair by diverting said toll money into all sorts of boondoggle projects.

Then one must remember I-64 between Beckley and Sam Black Church.  The last section of original interstate finished where the alternative was 2 lane, in the country, in 1988, and then the Turnpike itself, 4 laned (with tax money, not tolls) and completed only a year earlier.  A full 10 years after far lesser used roads in the rest of the state, including ARC and Interstate projects carrying a little as 1/10th the volume.

Now we have the I-64 three lane upgrade.  Which is being held up by diversion of funds to a similar deal on I-79, which gets 1/3rd the daily traffic volume.  Including the Dunbar-South Charleston bridge, which is currently entering its 11th year of construction.

[Scott5114]

Anything in Tulsa County

Although one could argue the Chickasaw Turnpike qualifies... still has all of its button copy signage from opening (1991). I-40 in downtown OKC is also seriously substandard, but it's in the process of being replaced.

[agentsteel53]

I nominate SR-21 (nee US-21) in Northeast Ohio between I-77 in West Akron/Copley and SR-236 in Massillon:

unfortunately, a classic 1960s green sign with a state-named Ohio I-77 shield has gone missing in the last few years, so they must be doing something with that road.

here in NM, I nominate Business Loop 25 through Socorro - all of its shields date back to the 70s.

[Alps]

GA 13 was for a number of years but finally got tended to.  In NY City, I nominate the Bronx River Parkway, the least freeway-ized of the city's parkways.  Most NYC roads haven't been tended to in far too many years (the entire infrastructure needs to be rebuilt).  In NJ, NJ 495 definitely gets a nod, again because there's not much that can be done for it without fantastic expense.  Until a few years ago, NJ 81 would have fallen into that category (not even signed as a route at all), but every sign has been replaced and it got an interchange upgrade at the south end.

[Bryant5493]

GA 13 was for a number of years but finally got tended to.

Speaking of the Buford-Spring Connector, there's a lot of weaving on that freeway (Old I-85), due to there being two exits back-to-back in such a short distance.


Be well,

Bryant

[bugo]

Anything in Tulsa County

Especially I-44.  OK 51, I-244/444, US 412 west, and US 169 are in decent shape.

[papaT10932]

My nominee would have to be the Cross Bronx Expressway, including the Major Deegan interchange. (I's 87 and 95) Pot holes galore... all the time, without fail. The signs are usually graffiti covered or faded or just plain missing. But then again, how do you maintain one of the world's most heavily traveled roads without closing it?  

[agentsteel53]

My nominee would have to be the Cross Bronx Expressway, including the Major Deegan interchange. (I's 87 and 95) Pot holes galore... all the time, without fail. The signs are usually graffiti covered or faded or just plain missing. But then again, how do you maintain one of the world's most heavily traveled roads without closing it?  

that road is flat-out amazing compared to I-278.  If I-95 is a red-headed stepchild, I-278 is the one who is told "it puts the lotion on its skin or it gets the hose".

[CL]

Since our roads here are rather well-maintained, the closest one can get in Salt Lake City is an ugly red-headed stepchild interchange. I'm talking about the I-80/I-215/SR-186 interchange that was built in the late '60s and has been virtually untouched ever since. Although it still has the oldest signage in the state, that's where the good things end. There are extremely tight loop ramps with a woeful lack of merging space. In fact, the ramp from eastbound I-80 directly feeds into northbound SR-186. To make matters worse, you pretty much have to come to a stop (a yield sign is present as is some strange triangle striping at the end of the ramp that was added after Street View) before merging onto 186 since visibility is horrible because of terrain...

[Bickendan]

OR 217. I-5 Eastbank Freeway.

Both are on ODOT's 'We want to fix' list.

[xonhulu]

OR 217. I-5 Eastbank Freeway.

Both are on ODOT's 'We want to fix' list.

I thought of I-5, too, when this topic first came up.  But it isn't just a lack of will; making any substantial upgrades to it would be prohibitively expensive.

[vdeane]

The Lake Ontario State Parkway, especially west of Hamlin Beach.  The portions east towards Rochester can fit too, as while they are maintained, they have not been upgraded to be more modern.

I-490 between Fairport and Bushnell's Basin might also qualify.  It looks new, but beneath a half-hearted attempt to add a layer of asphalt to make the road look better is the original concrete road.  It's also in dire need of an extra lane each direction and has a narrow median without jersey barriers.  Aside from signage, it's difficult to tell you're not in the 60s.

[agentsteel53]

I-80/I-215/SR-186 interchange

that's the oldest signage in the state?  I thought that the button copy state route shield on I-80 westbound was further east of there, but then again I haven't driven I-80 WB through there since 2003 so I might be mis-remembering it.

there is, somewhere, a sign with button copy I-84 and US-89 shields, but I forget the exact interchange.

[Michael]

I-490 between Fairport and Bushnell's Basin might also qualify.  It looks new, but beneath a half-hearted attempt to add a layer of asphalt to make the road look better is the original concrete road.  It's also in dire need of an extra lane each direction and has a narrow median without jersey barriers.  Aside from signage, it's difficult to tell you're not in the 60s.

I was traveling that way this past November for a concert at the Blue Cross Arena, and I remember thinking "Wow, this is narrow!"  It's fine from the Thruway to Bushnell's Basin.  I'm guessing that that section was upgraded in the 1990s based on aerial imagery.

The concert was on a Friday night.  Traffic started getting really heavy around Exit 25/NY 31F.  Traffic was at a standstill just after the I-590/NY 590 interchange because of merging traffic from Exit 19/Culver Road.

Traffic waiting for a ticket to get on the Thruway was backed up for half a mile in all three eastbound lanes.

[CL]

I-80/I-215/SR-186 interchange

that's the oldest signage in the state?  I thought that the button copy state route shield on I-80 westbound was further east of there, but then again I haven't driven I-80 WB through there since 2003 so I might be mis-remembering it.

there is, somewhere, a sign with button copy I-84 and US-89 shields, but I forget the exact interchange.

That sign gantry is at the eastern extent of the interchange. The SR-186 sign has been completely unmodified since the late '70s (when US-40 and US-40A were decommissioned). The I-84/US-89 sign escaped my mind - that's probably just as old, if not older.

[jdb1234]

The Red Mountain Expressway in Birmingham. 

[MDRoads]

I'd say the Baltimore City portion of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.  Even the old I-895 Harbor Tunnel looks newer.  Old signage and appearance (good), original 1950s ramps, tight merges, bumps, cracks.  There was some work on a bridge northbound near I-95, allowing only one lane through. It seemed to take several months, and don't know what was really done.  Since it's not a toll facility (maintained by MdTA), Baltimore City maintains it themselves, and takes its merry old time doing so.

Another one, this time honestly state maintained, is I-70 in Frederick, which was part of the pre-Interstate Frederick Bypass.  Just 4 lanes and tight ramps w/short merges.  Looks and feels like PA in that respect, without the benefit of interesting older signage.  East of the new SPUI at MD 85 it really narrows, eastward to Patrick St (MD 144).  East of that, between exits 56-59, was the last at-grade intersection part of I-70, bypassed sometime in the 1980s.  It's now MD 144, and the former w/b carriageway is now a park & ride, leading to an abandoned, pre-Interstate era bridge.

[Hellfighter]

Definetly, I-94 through the city of Detroit has to be a contender. The dizzying amount of curves, most of the infrastructure is from the 80's, and the design hasn't changed from the 40's. Yeah, it's bad.

[hm insulators]

California 110 from downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena. Narrow, lots of sharp turns, 1940s-era on- and offramps.

Oh, heck--let's just say virtually all the freeways in the greater Los Angeles area! And while we're at it, might as well include all the freeways in the Bay Area too.

[TheStranger]

California 110 from downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena. Narrow, lots of sharp turns, 1940s-era on- and offramps.

Oh, heck--let's just say virtually all the freeways in the greater Los Angeles area! And while we're at it, might as well include all the freeways in the Bay Area too.

I'll say that Route 24 east of the Caldecott Tunnel to I-680 is in pretty good shape...

I-80 and US 101 in SF though...

[agentsteel53]

I-80 and US 101 in SF though...

yes, especially that great freeway connection to the Golden Gate Bridge!

[TheStranger]

I-80 and US 101 in SF though...

yes, especially that great freeway connection to the Golden Gate Bridge!

At least US 101 in the Presidio IS being reconstructed to modern standards...but the City of San Francisco considers any limited access route as a red-headed stepchild to begin with!