Worst Interstate drive you have experienced

[florida]

Florida always continues to earn my award for "deceptively long-ass drive".  Did you know it is 879 miles!! from Mobile to Key West?  And an unfortunate segment of that done at 25mph? 

had I made a guess, I'd have said 350 miles, done in five hours easy.

oh Hell no!

you can get, from Mobile, to El Paso faster than you could get to Key West.

I'm sure if there were more kodachrome and keys shields, you'd complain less

[realjd]

you can get, from Mobile, to El Paso faster than you could get to Key West.

Of course, El Paso is closer to San Diego than it is to Houston.

[ATLRedSoxFan]

There's nothing like that little gem of I-75 out of Ft. Lauderdale west until the turn..just straight, flat, swamp...

[agentsteel53]

Of course, El Paso is closer to San Diego than it is to Houston.

yep.  did that drive about 3 weeks ago.  small country!

[mightyace]

I-80 in Pennsylvania, aka the Keystone "Shortway". Control cities you've never heard of. Speed limit 55, "Radar for your protection", back when other states had already gone to 65. One of the two lanes blocked off for miles, so that random blocks of concrete could be leisurely cut out and replaced.

Your points are valid, but I still disagree.  And, of course, the state has been 65 for several years now.

That's my favorite stretch of interstate in the county.  Not only does it go by my hometown so I know the control cities.  (discussed ad nauseum in another thread)

But, I love the scenery and it's one of the few interstates these days where the balance is mostly trucks 24x7.  The are much easier to deal with than the average car driver.

[Coelacanth]

At least the windmills around Lafayette are somewhat interesting on I-65. My complaint is when you get north of Lafayette, the road is filled with holes.

This was the first thing that came to my mind. I drove 65 from Chicago to Lafayette (this is almost 20 years ago) and it was like driving on the surface of the moon.

The irony, of course, is that I was visiting Purdue to check out their graduate program in Transportation Engineering.

The other problem I had with Indiana freeways, apart from the craters and the monotony, was the dearth of radio options. I have satellite now, but I remember a few trips back in the 90s when literally every single station I could get to come in was either a HS basketball game or country "music".

[agentsteel53]

I'm sure if there were more kodachrome and keys shields, you'd complain less

get rid of the RVs choking up the two-lane section of US-1, and put in '57 spec interstate shields from the state line to Miami... oh and get rid of the RVs choking up the two-lane section of US-1.
Post Merge: September 03, 2010, 06:01:00 PM

But, I love the scenery and it's one of the few interstates these days where the balance is mostly trucks 24x7.  The are much easier to deal with than the average car driver.

I would disagree with that.  there's nothing like having had your cruise control on for two hours, just to come to a screeching halt and plunge into the median because some truck doing 62 has decided to pass another truck doing 61 while you're already next to both.

[mightyace]

^^^^

Surprisingly that doesn't happen that much on that stretch of 80.

Due to the mountains it is a roller coaster profile, so while you often keep playing tag with the same trucks, the grades are sufficient to create enough of a speed difference between trucks either by amount of load or gearing package, that most passes are relatively quick.

And, when you go get a 62mph passing a 61mph.  The faster one will usually pull back into the right hand after passing.

All in all, some of the most pleasant and competent drivers I've ever been around.

EDIT:
Also, due to the mountains, speed control is pretty much useless.

[agentsteel53]

yeah, that 62/61 really happens on flat sections.  I distinctly seem to recall I-10 heading into El Paso being particularly awful about that.  Same with I-40 across the Texas panhandle.

I blame Texas.

[KEK Inc.]

But, I love the scenery and it's one of the few interstates these days where the balance is mostly trucks 24x7.  The are much easier to deal with than the average car driver.

I would disagree with that.  there's nothing like having had your cruise control on for two hours, just to come to a screeching halt and plunge into the median because some truck doing 62 has decided to pass another truck doing 61 while you're already next to both.

I swear they wait until cars pass them.  Frog-leaping trucks are probably my biggest enemies in long-distance travel.  (That and patrol cars, since I speed.  )

@ mightyace:  If a vehicle is going 1 MPH faster than another vehicle, and both vehicles maintain their speed, it's still going to hold up traffic for at least 30 seconds assuming they're traveling at around 60 MPH.  If you're cruising at 70-85 MPH, it can be rather annoying to say the least.  Trucks rarely left-lane hog.

[kj3400]

@ mightyace:  If a vehicle is going 1 MPH faster than another vehicle, and both vehicles maintain their speed, it's still going to hold up traffic for at least 30 seconds assuming they're traveling at around 60 MPH.  If you're cruising at 70-85 MPH, it can be rather annoying to say the least.  Trucks rarely left-lane hog.

I came home from SC a month ago and there was this truck on I-95 that was doing just that. They almost ran us over trying to get past us. The real kicker was that this tractor-trailer was going faster than us, and we were doing about 60. We were just south of Richmond, VA.

[mightyace]

@ mightyace:  If a vehicle is going 1 MPH faster than another vehicle, and both vehicles maintain their speed, it's still going to hold up traffic for at least 30 seconds assuming they're traveling at around 60 MPH.  If you're cruising at 70-85 MPH, it can be rather annoying to say the least.  Trucks rarely left-lane hog.

As it is usually the trucks, especially late at night, it's not usually a problem as they don't hog the left lane.

Also, if you plan on going faster than 70 in PA, beware of the bears.

[RustyK]

I-94 thorugh the central/eastern parts of North Dakota - when you're not near one of the population centers, it's boring as all get out.  Sections of Montana, too - between Miles City and Billings, not that exciting either.  At least western NoDak has the cool "painted" canyons.  I-90 through central Washington is also brutal, but there's enough on the horizon to keep you entertained, at least.

[TheStranger]

I still remember the stretch of I-71 between Cincinnati and Columbus (which my best friend and I took on our way to Cleveland from Louisville) as being particularly dull, notable enough to rival my previous least favorite stretch of Interstate (I-5 between Wheeler Ridge and Tracy).

[LeftyJR]

I-80 in Pennsylvania, aka the Keystone "Shortway". Control cities you've never heard of. Speed limit 55, "Radar for your protection", back when other states had already gone to 65. One of the two lanes blocked off for miles, so that random blocks of concrete could be leisurely cut out and replaced.

The speed limit has been 65 on all of 80 in PA except the part near Stroudsburg since about 1997.

[akotchi]

My vote, based on my limited long-distance driving, goes to I-40 between Memphis and Little Rock.  Pavement was not in great shape, and there was not much to see.  Add to it that it was at the end of a long haul from Knoxville, TN, and it was that much worse.

In the running were I-95 through S.C. late in the evening (pitch black, long, not much change) on the way to Hilton Head; and I-95 from Boston to New York the morning after an overnight snow storm on a time limit.

[kurumi]

I've always liked the I-10 "paradox":

• At the western TX state line, you are closer to Santa Monica than the other side of Texas
• At the eastern TX state line, you are closer to Jacksonville than the other side of Texas

[mightyace]

I still remember the stretch of I-71 between Cincinnati and Columbus (which my best friend and I took on our way to Cleveland from Louisville) as being particularly dull, notable enough to rival my previous least favorite stretch of Interstate (I-5 between Wheeler Ridge and Tracy).

I don't know how I forgot about that stretch.  (I guess that I wanted to.)  Fortunately, the distance between the beltways (I-270 and I-275) can be covered in an hour and a half or less, it just seems like longer.

[exit322]

I still remember the stretch of I-71 between Cincinnati and Columbus (which my best friend and I took on our way to Cleveland from Louisville) as being particularly dull, notable enough to rival my previous least favorite stretch of Interstate (I-5 between Wheeler Ridge and Tracy).

I don't know how I forgot about that stretch.  (I guess that I wanted to.)  Fortunately, the distance between the beltways (I-270 and I-275) can be covered in an hour and a half or less, it just seems like longer.

71 north of Columbus is no peach, either.  71 in Ohio in general is a very "blah" road.

[TheStranger]

71 north of Columbus is no peach, either.  71 in Ohio in general is a very "blah" road.

Interestingly, I think I've only been on parts of 71 between 270 and the Turnpike - both on the way to and from Cleveland, my friends and I ended up making significant, more interesting detours (one on the way in to visit a racetrack that turned out to be closed due to rain that morning, and another on the way back to pick up a microphone stand in Canal Fulton).

[Mr_Northside]

Yeah... there was a thread similar to this some time ago, and I nominated it then, and I'll stick with that stretch of I-71 from Columbus to Cincy as well.

[KEK Inc.]

I still remember the stretch of I-71 between Cincinnati and Columbus (which my best friend and I took on our way to Cleveland from Louisville) as being particularly dull, notable enough to rival my previous least favorite stretch of Interstate (I-5 between Wheeler Ridge and Tracy).

I-5 is tolerable there since there's hills to the right.  I also like watching the 500kv Path 15 power lines there.  The new ones are quite cool, since they removed of the lattice structures. 



The section between Dunnigan and Red Bluff is awful.  It always rains bugs, especially around Willows.  The front grill of my car had so many bugs, it's rather ridiculous.  I wonder why California still bothers with agriculture inspection stations.

[tdindy88]

I'd have to second (or third, whatever it is) I-70 in Kansas, as well as Colorado. And as with the person who posted earlier about the radio, driving across Kansas is no better with choices of local radio, except there are no HS basketball games. However, I will say that when you drive across Kansas at night, with severe thunderstorms all around and the best lightining show I've ever seen, and with hail falling to the ground, the trip is much more exciting.

[Eth]

I think I mentioned this in another thread, but I-81 in Virginia has to be near the top of my list - every time I attempt it there's enough traffic to preclude use of cruise control for more than 60 seconds at a time, which I find highly frustrating, especially given how long that stretch is.  It does have some redeeming qualities toward the south end thanks to mountain scenery, but other than that it doesn't offer much.

I-95 in Connecticut also deserves mention.

For sheer boredom, I concur with the above assessment of I-10 in Florida.  You don't realize just how large a state Florida is until you drive across it.  Honorable mention goes to I-20 in South Carolina, but that's probably due to the fact I was driving it in the wee hours of a Thursday morning with absolutely nobody else on the road.

[Ian]

I-95 in Connecticut also deserves mention.

I like the ride on I-95 in Connecticut, but the traffic is horrible. Every time we go on it, there is some sort of delay. We always stick to the Merritt Parkway while heading up New England way.

I think the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the New York Thruway are probably the most boring freeways I have been on. It feels like it goes on and on forever. Sure the scenery is neat on both of them but after a few trips, it gets old. I feel the same way about the New Jersey Turnpike between the Delaware Memorial Bridge and exit 8A.