Freeways that never got built

[intelati49]

Kansas City

Northeast freeway - Short freeway connecting US24 to the Benton curve

Southeast freeway - Freeway connecting I-70's Jackson Curve (South of Benton Curve) to Blue parkway

Both were canceled somewhere between I-70 construction and now. The two curves are obviously built to be interchanges.

[cwf1701]

from Macomb County MI:

The Mound Freeway, was to be a rerouting of M-53 from 18 Mile to either I-696 or to the never built Davison Freeway (east of I-75) freeway. all that was built of the Mound Freeway was a Freeway to freeway interchange at I-696.

[silverback1065]

from Macomb County MI:

The Mound Freeway, was to be a rerouting of M-53 from 18 Mile to either I-696 or to the never built Davison Freeway (east of I-75) freeway. all that was built of the Mound Freeway was a Freeway to freeway interchange at I-696.

why weren't any of these built? NIMBYs?

[cwf1701]

from Macomb County MI:

The Mound Freeway, was to be a rerouting of M-53 from 18 Mile to either I-696 or to the never built Davison Freeway (east of I-75) freeway. all that was built of the Mound Freeway was a Freeway to freeway interchange at I-696.

why weren't any of these built? NIMBYs?

Detroit elected Coleman Young in 1974 as I-696 in Macomb county and I-96 and I-275 in Wayne county was being built. Coleman Young Killed the Davison extension from I-96 to the Lodge and from I-75 to I-94. the killing of the Davison also killed the Mound freeway.

[JakeFromNewEngland]

Connecticut:

CT 34 freeway extension from Downtown New Haven to I would presume West Haven.
I-291 Hartford Beltway
I-84 extension to Providence
CT 25 freeway extension to I-84 in Newtown.
US 7 freeway extension from Norwalk to Danbury.
I-484 and I-284 which were both interstate spurs in Hartford.

[-NCX75-]

SH-225 Houston, TX (610-downtown)
Red Bluff Frwy Houston, TX
SH-199 Fort Worth, TX (820-downtown)
SH-121 Fort Worth, TX (NW downtown loop)

[mgk920]

from Macomb County MI:

The Mound Freeway, was to be a rerouting of M-53 from 18 Mile to either I-696 or to the never built Davison Freeway (east of I-75) freeway. all that was built of the Mound Freeway was a Freeway to freeway interchange at I-696.

why weren't any of these built? NIMBYs?

Detroit elected Coleman Young in 1974 as I-696 in Macomb county and I-96 and I-275 in Wayne county was being built. Coleman Young Killed the Davison extension from I-96 to the Lodge and from I-75 to I-94. the killing of the Davison also killed the Mound freeway.

Am I correct in my assumption that it is highly unlikely that I'll live to see either (or both) resurrected and built?

Mike

[Henry]

It looks like the Illiana Expressway is joining the Crosstown Expressway as a Chicago-area project that will never be built. At least not while I'm still alive.

[Brandon]

It looks like the Illiana Expressway is joining the Crosstown Expressway as a Chicago-area project that will never be built. At least not while I'm still alive.

And the Fox Valley Expressway, and the Prairie Parkway, and the Route 53 Extension, and the Amstutz Expressway, but we can find the time and money and will to build the rather superfluous Elgin-O'Hare eastern extension.

[rbt48]

It is probably already mentioned, but I'm not up to scrolling through all 8 pages:

The I-495 Cross Town Expressway (underground) connecting the Queens Midtown Tunnel with the Lincoln Tunnel, roughly under 34th street across Manhattan.  The tunnel was actually started but cancelled by the Lindsay administration in the 1966 time-frame, as best as I can recall.

[US71]

On a technicality, I-540 north of Van Buren, AR. It is shown as proposed at least as far back as 1969, but wasn't built. It is shown as running north to northeast eventually intersecting the US 71 Bypass (now part of I-49) on the west side of Fayetteville.

It would be built in the 1990's about 5 miles east as "new" US 71, but officially designated I-540, later I-49.

[peterj920]

The Milwaukee Area had several freeways that were never built

The Belt Freeway which was supposed to wrap around the South and West sides of the city
The Bay Freeway that was supposed to skirt the near north side
The Stadium Freeway was supposed to be a lot longer than it currently is
The Park Freeway
The Lake Freeway was supposed to go through Racine, Kenosha, and Waukegan.  The Amstutz Expressway in Waukegan is a stub end of that freeway and there is evidence at the north end that it was supposed to extend to the north

Here's an excellent map from wisconsinhighways.org showing the freeways that were never built

http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/milwaukee/system_map.html

[silverback1065]

The Milwaukee Area had several freeways that were never built

The Belt Freeway which was supposed to wrap around the South and West sides of the city
The Bay Freeway that was supposed to skirt the near north side
The Stadium Freeway was supposed to be a lot longer than it currently is
The Park Freeway
The Lake Freeway was supposed to go through Racine, Kenosha, and Waukegan.  The Amstutz Expressway in Waukegan is a stub end of that freeway and there is evidence at the north end that it was supposed to extend to the north

Here's an excellent map from wisconsinhighways.org showing the freeways that were never built

http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/milwaukee/system_map.html

why weren't they built?

[Bickendan]

Oregon has its fair share of axed freeways.

- I-505 was to run along the present US 30's split with I-405 to NW Yeon Ave.  A short distance, but it did appear on at least one map, from what I've seen.

Not to Yeon; that's what the US 30 freeway does now. I-505 was going to go along NW Thurman and Vaughn Streets to Mongtomery Park, then up St Helens Road toward the St Johns Bridge, with long range plans going to Astoria.

- I-305 running along the Salem Parkway (Business OR 99E) connecting I-5 with downtown Salem.

And crossing the Willamette into West Salem. This crossing is being revived, but likely not as a full freeway.

- The Mt. Hood Freeway, though I'm not as familiar with this one.  If I recall correctly, it was to go through SE Portland along what is now US 26.  Maybe somebody can shed more light on that one.

The Mt. Hood Freeway was part of Robert Moses' freeway plans for Portland--just about none of which got built.  It indeed was planned to run roughly in the area of SE Powell Blvd and was apparently going to connect into the current I-84 east of I-205.  It was originally planned to be the alignment of I-84 (then I-80N) instead of the Banfield. 

There's also a sort of "ghost divided highway" section of US 26 out near Boring as well, which was apparently going to connect into the Mt. Hood Freeway somehow.

The Mt Hood was never one of Robert Moses' ideas. That was all CRAG (Columbia River Area Government, now Metro). The closest Moses had to do with the Mt Hood was utilizing the Ross Island Bridge for the downtown freeway loop.

The Mt Hood itself was to run from the Marquam Bridge southeast to SE Ivon St, then east to around 50th, then southeast to Powell, and east again toward Gresham (I-205's routing hadn't been finalized before the Mt Hood was planned). A later phase would have skirted south of downtown Gresham starting around 182nd Ave and connected into the expressway between Gresham and Sandy.

- Naito Parkway (former OR 99W) was at one time going to be a freeway skimming the riverfront, but was axed in favor of the waterfront park (which I'm greatful for as I run in this park a few times a week!)

When the Eastbank Freeway and Marquam Bridge were complete, Harbor Drive was demolished and 99W relocated onto Front Ave (now Naito Pkwy), and ramps from the Steel Bridge to I-84 removed.

I-205: Yellowbook route (Tualatin-Lake Oswego-Oak Grove-Laurelhurst Freeway)
I-205: Johnson Creek Freeway (Burlingame-Johns Landing-Sellwood-Johnson Creek Blvd)
I-205: Laurelhurst Freeway (52nd Ave, 50th ave)
I-205: 112th Ave
I-205: West Side Bypass; Rivergate Freeway (Tualatin-Sherwood-Bull Mountain-South Beaverton-Aloha-Tanasbourne-north Bethany-St Johns-Rivergate-Vancouver-Fruit Valley-Hazel Dell)
OR 43: Macadam Ave (Lake Oswego-Portland)

Parkrose Freeway: Fremont Bridge-Parkrose via Prescott St
Going Expressway: Swan Island-Parkrose Freeway
St Johns beltway: A beltway around St Johns, looping from the proposed I-205 Willamette River crossing back to the Rivergate Freeway
Multnomah Expressway: Tigard?-Multnomah Village-Burlingame

http://bickenland.lonaf.com/Maps/1990PDXPlan.jpg

[peterj920]

The Milwaukee Area had several freeways that were never built

The Belt Freeway which was supposed to wrap around the South and West sides of the city
The Bay Freeway that was supposed to skirt the near north side
The Stadium Freeway was supposed to be a lot longer than it currently is
The Park Freeway
The Lake Freeway was supposed to go through Racine, Kenosha, and Waukegan.  The Amstutz Expressway in Waukegan is a stub end of that freeway and there is evidence at the north end that it was supposed to extend to the north

Here's an excellent map from wisconsinhighways.org showing the freeways that were never built

http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/milwaukee/system_map.html

why weren't they built?

Politics, a judge that halted construction. It's all explained in that link.

[Bruce]

The Bay Freeway that was supposed to skirt the near north side

It's funny that Seattle's never-built Bay Freeway was also planned to skirt the north side of downtown (see this map overlaid onto modern Seattle).

[Buffaboy]

Also, I read somewhere (where, I cannot remember) that I-99 (or some variant) would have continued from Painted Post, NY and reached Utica, NY by following NY 13 past Cortland to NY 12 to Utica.  The parts of this that are built are the NY 13 freeway around Ithaca. the exit 12 interchange of I-81 in Homer, and the North-South Arterial (most of it) and I-790 from Utica to the Thruway.

This would be better than a "recommissioning" of I-390 as I-99 to Rochester, and it would make up for I-81's ridiculous routing through Syracusica. I seriously doubt it will happen however.

Also, I suppose I'll throw in Buffalo's highway plan. When I first saw this a couple days ago, I was shocked at how many roadways were planned, because I can't imagine what they would look like and how they would have reshaped the city and region's development. I've seen a reduced version of it but nothing this heavy. In fact, one of the black dotted lines is in place of the surface arterial where my house is currently off of.

The only ones that currently exist are the solid black lines, the Lockport Expy in the upper right corner, and the Aurora and Southern Expressways as well as only portions of the "Outer Belt."

[silverback1065]

Also, I read somewhere (where, I cannot remember) that I-99 (or some variant) would have continued from Painted Post, NY and reached Utica, NY by following NY 13 past Cortland to NY 12 to Utica.  The parts of this that are built are the NY 13 freeway around Ithaca. the exit 12 interchange of I-81 in Homer, and the North-South Arterial (most of it) and I-790 from Utica to the Thruway.

This would be better than a "recommissioning" of I-390 as I-99 to Rochester, and it would make up for I-81's ridiculous routing through Syracusica. I seriously doubt it will happen however.

Also, I suppose I'll throw in Buffalo's highway plan. When I first saw this a couple days ago, I was shocked at how many roadways were planned, because I can't imagine what they would look like and how they would have reshaped the city and region's development. I've seen a reduced version of it but nothing this heavy. In fact, one of the black dotted lines is in place of the surface arterial where my house is currently off of.

The only ones that currently exist are the solid black lines, the Lockport Expy in the upper right corner, and the Aurora and Southern Expressways as well as only portions of the "Outer Belt."

Would Buffalo have benefited from these if they were built?

[Rothman]

No.

[Buffaboy]

No.

I have to agree, at least most would've been overkill. Two, the red lines in between the present-day I-190, I-90 and I-290 would've been the extension of NY 400 and NY 5 through impoverished and dense areas, and it's surprising that they were considered in the first place. This would never leave AARoads today.

The Outer Belt might have been beneficial however. Transit Rd and a few others are notorious for being wider than they ought to be.

[pderocco]

Way back in this thread, someone mentioned the Reseda Freeway in Los Angeles. It was supposed to be a continuation of CA-14 further south across the San Fernando Valley, over the Santa Monica Mountains, and down Temescal Canyon to Pacific Coast Highway. But there were also efforts to replace PCH through Santa Monica with a causeway out in the ocean, which you can read about here: http://tinyurl.com/b624r49.

In northern LA County, there were also plans to build a freeway from Gorman across Lancaster to I-15 in Hesperia, called the Metropolitan Bypass Freeway. It's described in Dan Faigin's site: http://www.cahighways.org/137-144.html#138. It's why the interchange between I-5 and CA-138 in Gorman looks like a big freeway interchange. An updated version of this, called the High Desert Corridor, will probably be built, although it will be only partially freeway and partially expressway.

[lordsutch]

Some sort of express setup on the Thruway through Buffalo would be beneficial, if not a outer loop, at least for through traffic. This summer I ended up diverting over to US 20 on my way to Rochester to avoid the mess that is the toll-free section between I-190 and I-290, since I made the apparent mistake of getting to Buffalo in the afternoon.

[Chrysler375Freeway]

Florida's I-375 was supposed to extend west to a proposed toll road in Clearwater along a rail line. I-175 in Florida was supposed to be on the northeast quadrant of the Pinellas Belt Freeway. It was the only part of the Pinellas Belt Freeway to ever be built. Part of US 19 was upgraded to compensate for I-375's western extension having the plug pulled.

[tolbs17]

The Garden Parkway in Gastonia, as well as I-20 going from Florence SA to Wilmington NC.

An Airport connector from Winston-Salem to Greensboro is still considered when looking at these maps. I don't know how it can be built now since that area is getting developed VERY fast.

Source for the connector - https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/56c3aabd2bec4d5783b6483b06493d8e

Map 1

Map 2

Edit: When looking at this L140 on the top, It will be built as a four-lane boulevard or expressway. Not a freeway. But this is still a canceled freeway plan. The airport connector is still proposed, it just won't be a freeway when it's built.

[Chrysler375Freeway]

Pinellas Belt Expressway, and a westward extension of I-375 in St. Pete to Clearwater (where it would end at a proposed toll road). I-175 was the only part of the proposed Pinellas Belt ever built, and would have followed the northern (or northeastern, depending on the plans) quadrant. They're just two of the many freeways never built in the Tampa Bay area. Also, the Tampa Bay Beltway appears to be dead in the water (no pun intended).