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#1

General Highway Talk / Re: Highways You Have Clinched

Last post by Great Lakes Roads - Today at 02:14:12 AM

As of me typing this out in Harrisburg, PA, I have clinched the following routes within the past month:

- Interstate 376 (and the business route)
- Harvey Taylor Bridge
- PA 581
- Interstate 283
- Interstate 176
- Airport Connector

#2

Central States / Re: I-35 in Southern Oklahoma

Last post by bwana39 - Today at 01:55:26 AM

All that to say that there is enough OKC-DFW traffic that any improvement to US 75 done with an eye to removing long-haul traffic from I-35 would probably not be enough to relieve the need for I-35 expansion.

You are probably right. I-35 from DFW to San Antonio is being widened just in time to be gridlocked again.  And then again, US-75 is not that much less busy as it is.

#3

General Highway Talk / Re: How each state handles ext...

Last post by WestDakota - Today at 01:51:08 AM

Here are the North Dakota examples I can think of:

The frontage road for I-94 from Exit 328 to Exit 342 is marked as ND 10 on maps but unsigned in the field. I don't know if sections of this frontage road were ever an alignment of US 10 though.

There are two ND 89s and ND 91s, only one of each are signed but they are all very small roads that are essentially spurs or connectors. There is also ND 97, which is a small bypass of Velva. These are seemingly arbitrary besides being high 2-digit numbers; they are also the only ND highway numbers between 73 and 127.

Hopefully this is the type of thing you're looking for. Seems like ND fits in the second category.

One example listed was frontage roads, those usually aren't numbered, unless it was part of old US 10, then it might be signed.  Each county also makes their own rules for how roads are numbered or if they they are signed.  Some counties have signed roads all over the place, while Stark county, for instance never had any signed county roads until the Old Red/Old Ten scenic byway was made official, then they marked old US 10 as Stark County 10.

#4

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by kurumi - Today at 01:49:59 AM

Then there's the carpal tunnel that's flared up.  I guess it's all a matter of being 53 and almost all of the work I've done has involved sitting in front of a computer.  (Was it really our collective destiny for so many of us to be doing that our whole careers?)

I had carpal tunnel flare on and off for years (got the wrist brace, etc.).

What worked for me: vertical (or upright mouse) where my hand position is more of a handshake. Made a big difference.

#5

Road Trips / Re: What road did you leave on...

Last post by Rothman - Today at 01:41:56 AM

NY/PA/NY: I-81

#6

Central States / Re: North Dakota

Last post by WestDakota - Today at 01:40:17 AM

NDDOT has recommended three alternatives from the I-94 Midway Grant Marsh Bridge Engineering & Feasibility study.

ME-8 (Mainline expansion option with a flyover)- replaces the existing bridge with two new three-lane bridges. The WB I-94 ramp to I-194 EB moves to the right with a flyover and adds a CD system to EB I-94 & I-194 to reduce weaving.
ME-9 (Mainline expansion option with a loop ramp)- replaces the existing bridge with two new three-lane bridges. The WB I-94 ramp to I-194 EB moves to the right with a new larger loop ramp and adds a CD system to EB I-94 to reduce weaving.
CD-1 (Collector Distributer option)- replaces the existing bridge with three new bridges (one for I-94 WB CD lanes, one for EB I-94 CD lanes, and one for I-94 through traffic). The WB I-94 ramp to I-194 EB moves to the right with a flyover and adds a CD system to EB I-194 to reduce weaving. The CD lanes will go from the Main Street interchange to the Divide Avenue interchange on a 2-2-2-2 lane configuration.

CD-1 is the most expensive of the three options, but I love the idea of through traffic being separated from the traffic between Bismarck/Mandan. The extra lanes would also make a difference during road construction or temporary closures due to accidents.  Which has been fairly regular over the last few years.

#7

General Highway Talk / Re: Multiple Lanes Ending Cons...

Last post by Rothman - Today at 01:39:32 AM

I think this has been brought up before, but I'm not entirely sure. Is there an official name for this slip road join configuration where one lane splits off and joins the main carriageway, then the next lane joins? What is the benefit of this versus either ending the lane early on the slip road, or a standard taper? There's a ton of these I found in the UK.

It seems to make sense to me in that the "faster" of the two lanes (left here, right in UK) merges into the mainline first, giving more time for slower vehicles in the outer lane to match the speed of the mainline. While the US "double parallel" method allows for the same, the UK "double taper" method somewhat forces the proper behavior instead of allowing "anything goes."

Yeah, this is probably the most awesome one of all:

• Multi-lane entrance ramps merge into the mainline one lane at a time instead of one merging into the other first. This is the functional equivalent of an option lane in reverse, which spreads out the merge and keeps traffic balanced between the lanes instead of crowding the inside lane.

Bit of a bump here, but just wanted to share this here for those that might not follow the UK Roads thread:
The UK uses a unique and IMO superior style of merge for multi-lane entrance ramps - see here and here for examples. It looks a little weird at first but works way better in practice than one ramp lane merging into the other.

See the new merge at I-81 SB/I-481 SB (to be BL 81 SB/I-81 SB)... ;D

#8

Mid-South / Re: North Houston Highway Impr...

Last post by Plutonic Panda - Today at 01:34:54 AM

Road Guy Rob video on this project. It'll be nice once construction is in full swing:

[lot]

#9

Northeast / Re: New York State Thruway

Last post by Rothman - Today at 01:29:00 AM

Is it just me, or are there a lot of missing guide signs on the Thruway?  There have been missing ones for exits 27 and 30 (both EB) for years now, and now it appears that there are missing signs for WB exits 32 and 34!

The Herkimer Mohawk one has been missing for years now.  They should have had a signage contract come through by now.

Can't help but think mismanagement.

I was hoping they just decided to bundle it with the bridge project there, but the other missing signs make me wonder.

I lost hope in that scenario quite a while ago.

Isn't ground-mounted signage usually one of the last parts of a project to be done?

Oh, probably, but I still don't have hope that they'll show up with a new sign.

#10

Bridges / Re: Scariest bridge you've eve...

Last post by Max Rockatansky - Today at 01:13:43 AM

The Wagon Wheel Bridge near Boone, Iowa.  It was an old truss bridge with a wooden deck.  I was just driving around Central Iowa in the early 2000s and I came across this bridge and I was crossing it before I realized that it was a great idea.  I screamed the whole way across because I thought I was going to die of joy.  Thankfully, I didn't.  Mother Nature took it out in 2008 with flooding and then took part of it down in 2016 with ice floes.

https://www.bridgehunter.com/bridges/12895

FIFY