Recent posts

#1

Mountain West / Re: US 50 Bridge Failure Betwe...

Last post by thenetwork - Today at 03:39:50 PM

On my recent trip, there were signs on US 24 eastbound between I-70 and Leadville warning of construction on US 50 in that area. I also think I remember seeing similar signs on US 491 in the Cortez area.

That was for the Clear Creek Canyon rebuild and widening, which is just below (west of) Blue Mesa, which BTW is doing final paving and cosmetic work now. At least when they would close that section, you could at least go around it on CO-92 from Delta, which only added 60-90 minutes to your drive...Not 6-7 hours with this closure!

There are a lot of commuters who took this road everyday between Gunny and Montrose.

#2

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: Indiana Notes

Last post by Great Lakes Roads - Today at 03:31:52 PM

Here's the link to INDOT's letting main page: https://erms12c.indot.in.gov/viewdocs/Default.aspx

The contract number is 45440.

#3

General Highway Talk / Re: Pretentious street names

Last post by bzakharin - Today at 03:01:46 PM

Thinking about it, I feel "Rim of the World Highway" might qualify. Pretty cool name for a mountain highway, but in reality the San Bernardinos are pretty modest in height, and a highway name like that would probably be better served in the Sierra Nevada, Rockies, or the Himalayas. And I don't really like "highway" being applied to two lane roads, although that's pretty standard in some places like Alaska.

Here in New Jersey the name "highway" seems to be randomly applied. I'm not sure I know any "highway" here that deserves that name, except maybe McCarter Highway, a.k.a. NJ 21 (I'm excluding names nobody uses like all those different names for segments of I-287). I assume most of those names are historic relics of bygone days.

#4

Pacific Southwest / Re: Nevada

Last post by roadfro - Today at 02:55:48 PM

Does anyone know when the CC-215 segment of the Las Vegas Beltway will be converted into Interstate 215? Since the Centennial Bowl interchange upgrade was completed in December, the CC-215 segment is now completely up to Interstate Standards. Hopefully, the conversion happens soon.

No official word. Nothing has gone before the NDOT board, no word of an application to FHWA for designation. My guess is that the parties are working behind the scenes to agree on terms of a mileage swap. Nor have there been any official changes on the I-11 front apart from a line in the 2024 route log stating that I-515 will disappear this year.

I will note that, even if an I-designation is approved, it is possible that what is currently CC 215 will remain under county control for some time. The entirety of current I-215 only came under state control in the past decade, despite existing since 1993.

I think it will be interesting to see if NDOT decides to submit anything on I-215 or I-11 to FHWA or to AASHTO in time for the Fall 2024 AASHTO Route Numbering Committee to meet. That would give us more of a timeline.

I would also guess that the terms of a mileage swap will need to be worked out before NDOT will take over the 215. That's what happened with Summerlin Pkwy (which had been under City of Las Vegas control since its original construction in the early 1990s and all subsequent extensions). NDOT's highway log for the year that NDOT took over Summerlin Pkwy, IIRC, also had significant reductions to the length of Charleston Blvd (SR 159) under NDOT maintenance within city limits. There's plenty of urban route mileage within unincorporated Clark County that would likely be attractive for NDOT to offload in order to take on maintenance of the beltway—and I assume the county would much rather not have that extra bureaucracy layer on some of those roads too.

#5

General Highway Talk / Re: Freeways Named as Surface ...

Last post by bzakharin - Today at 02:52:40 PM

I don't know if it's different elsewhere, but in this neck of the woods a parkway is just as likely to be a freeway as not. Of course, in New York state "parkway" also means "no trucks", so there is a difference between freeway parkways and other freeways, but a large chunk of the Garden State Parkway allows trucks.

#6

General Highway Talk / Re: Roads that you have been o...

Last post by pderocco - Today at 02:44:27 PM

Practically all of these disasters are temporary, and the roads or bridges eventually get fixed. Occasionally, one isn't. The Embarcadero Freeway is one (which I never drove). But I'll bet most of us who live in the West have driven Devil's Slide on CA-1 before they gave up on it and built the Tom Lantos Tunnels.

There are other roads that I can think of that simply decayed to the point where they weren't worth fixing. Chuckwalla Valley Rd is an old stretch of US-60/US-70 in the California desert that was bypassed by I-10. Much of it was closed some years ago because it wasn't worth fixing the washouts. The dirt portion of CA-178 north of Lake Arrowhead has been closed for a few years, and is likely to remain so, although I drove it twice in the past. The closed dirt section of Mulholland Drive will certainly remain a hiking/biking trail forever, although I drove that a couple of time back in the 80s. But those closures weren't "disasters" since hardly anyone ever drove them.

#7

Road Enthusiasts Meetings / Re: SWPA25 Road Enthusiast Mee...

Last post by jeffandnicole - Today at 02:44:02 PM

There's a Pirates game the Friday night before that I would happily attend. I've heard the park is a wonderful experience. If anyone wants to join me please text, email or otherwise drop me a line so we can get tickets together!

It's doubtful I'll make it to this meet, but you heard right. If you or others can take in a game here, do so. And upper deck seating between 1st and 3rd will give you a wonderful view of the bridges, river and city skyline.

Also, Fatheads beer has a large gazebo-type bar area behind left-center field. One of my favorite breweries.

#8

Suggestions and Questions / Re: Notification when a post i...

Last post by jeffandnicole - Today at 02:37:28 PM

There has been plenty of my more "sarcastic or direct" posts over the years that have been wiped or hidden from view.  Thing is, I generally had a good idea why they were removed/hidden and never really thought an explanation was necessary. 

I'm sure this applies here too, but hey, why waste the ability to make a public argument about it.

#9

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: Michigan Notes

Last post by Rothman - Today at 02:31:12 PM

They raise the speed limit, people will go 10+ over that...hence the biggest reason why the speed limits are kept low up here.

That feels like something "everyone knows" that isn't actually true.  Wish there was some education to get rid of that misconception.  There have been studies all over the place where states have raised their speed limits proving that this isn't the case, yet citizens and lawmakers ignore them.

In any case, with the rise of camera enforcement and the like, if we don't get a 70 mph speed limit in NY, I'll likely soon be forced to choose between risking tickets or every major trip taking 30-60 minutes longer than present.  Memorizing camera locations, enforcement tolerances, etc. and having to behave differently in every place even when the posted speed limit is the same is not a game that I want to play.

I don't know.  I'd think the speed limit would have to be raised pretty high to lessen the "buffer effect" up here.

On my eclipse trip, I was taken aback by how slowly Texans drive -- at least where I was in San Antonio and the adjacent Hill Country.  Seemed to me there was more of a compliance with the speed limit compared to the Thruway, where 80 mph+ in a 65 mph zone is common in the left lane.

Camera speed enforcement in NY is posted and signed.  In my personal opinion, I believe there is a buffer of sorts even with them.

Anyway, speeding anywhere has a risk of a ticket, I suppose.  But, I have found that a combination of not speeding too much (<15 mph over) and keeping one's eyes peeled for enforcement is effective.

Haven't got a ticket in over a decade now and I'm driving more than ever.

#10

Northeast / Re: NYC Roads

Last post by Rothman - Today at 02:24:13 PM

Looks like NYC will soon be able to lower its default speed limit (again) to 20 mph this time: https://archive.is/v6Gax

Meh.  25 mph was a good one.  If enforcement isn't cutting it now, it certainly won't at 20.

Is there even an objective, factual basis for this?

For lowering the speed limit?

Let's just say requests for speed limit reductions on State-owned roads come in regularly to NYSDOT and are regularly rejected for not being warranted...

Whether the City has an engineering-based check on people who just think lower speed limits are a panacea...I don't know...