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Worst state highway system

Started by Revive 755, January 23, 2009, 10:14:59 PM

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Revive 755

Which state do you think has the worst system of state highways?

I'm nominating Nebraska, for

1) Having multiple routes with the same number, yet not filling in those gaps.  NE 103 (two separate sections) and NE 66 (three separate sections) are the worse examples of this.  Either connect the sections, or renumber the different parts.

2) Having a mileage cap, yet not having a decent system of county roads like Iowa.  In Iowa, it's pretty easy to determine if a county road will be paved or not.  Not that way in Nebraska.

3) Poor choice of routes to keep in the system.  Kearney loses the main north-south route in town for a bypass (see http://www.nebraskatransportation.org/projects/kearney-east/docs-3-2008/relinquishments.pdf, yet Omaha can keep US 6 through downtown when it could easily be relocated four blocks north (three for westbound) onto I-480?


Alex

The mileage caps drive me crazy. Look at Indiana with all of those useless overlaps on the Indianapolis Beltway. Alabama does similar things (look at Montgomery). When Alabama 181 was extended southward to close to U.S. 98 (it still does not reach it), Baldwin County had to gain 30 miles of Alabama 112. Mileage swaps...hate 'em.

agentsteel53

Quote from: aaroads on January 23, 2009, 11:28:41 PM
The mileage caps drive me crazy. Look at Indiana with all of those useless overlaps on the Indianapolis Beltway. Alabama does similar things (look at Montgomery). When Alabama 181 was extended southward to close to U.S. 98 (it still does not reach it), Baldwin County had to gain 30 miles of Alabama 112. Mileage swaps...hate 'em.
wait, how does that work?  If one highway gained some miles, wouldn't another have to lose it?
live from sunny San Diego.

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Alex

Quote from: agentsteel53 on January 24, 2009, 01:07:51 PM
Quote from: aaroads on January 23, 2009, 11:28:41 PM
The mileage caps drive me crazy. Look at Indiana with all of those useless overlaps on the Indianapolis Beltway. Alabama does similar things (look at Montgomery). When Alabama 181 was extended southward to close to U.S. 98 (it still does not reach it), Baldwin County had to gain 30 miles of Alabama 112. Mileage swaps...hate 'em.
wait, how does that work?  If one highway gained some miles, wouldn't another have to lose it?

*shrug*, Alabama 181 gained like 18 miles, while Alabama 112 was 31 miles. I guess the other 13 miles fell into Mobile Bay.

Voyager

Back From The Dead | AARoads Forum Original

leifvanderwall

Again, I have to put my home state of Michigan on this subject and also Ohio. The biggest problem in Mi. is roads like M-22 and M-123 that really should have separate branches. For instance, M-22 from Manistee to Northport should have a different number from the Northport to Traverse City route (maybe call it M-201). M-123 should be from I-75 to Paradise and M-117 should take over the Newberry to Paradise route.
The big problem I have with Ohio is US 68 and useless multiplexes like US 250/ SR 60 and US 23/ SR 199.

corco

#6
Wyoming, without a doubt. I've never seen a state with more useless roads. Of the 200 or so state highways (not US or interstate), approximately 20 serve any sort of visible functional purpose. The other 180 would be county roads or unsigned state maintained routes in at least 49 other states- some might be FMs in Texas, but that's about it

I think Nebraska has a good system; there's a couple gaps but the thing is streamlined, efficient, and while mileage caps are annoying, the system is useful. I like the Link/Spur system, and logical routes have state highways with a fairly minimal amount of fat


agentsteel53

Georgia.  They blatantly reuse numbers between US, interstate, and state routes. 

Add to that that these it is are among the worst at confusing US and state routes; someday I swear Georgia will have US-27 junctioning with US-27. 

here's a 41 error.



also, note excessive multiplexing, ill-maintained gantry, and just plain ugly shields.
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

froggie

QuoteWyoming, without a doubt. I've never seen a state with more useless roads. Of the 200 or so state highways (not US or interstate), approximately 20 serve any sort of visible functional purpose. The other 180 would be county roads or unsigned state maintained routes in at least 49 other states- some might be FMs in Texas, but that's about it

Wyoming is not the only one who does this.  Mississippi also does this, and a few of the Virginia primary routes could be considered the same...

QuoteGeorgia.  They blatantly reuse numbers between US, interstate, and state routes.

Agreed, though Georgia is not alone in that regard.

QuoteAdd to that that these it is are among the worst at confusing US and state routes; someday I swear Georgia will have US-27 junctioning with US-27.

They already do.  In Lumpkin...a junction I've happened to go through...

agentsteel53

you mean there's already an error US-27 shield there to mark the state route?  that's terrible!
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

Chris

Are we talking about numbering or road conditions? Because a state with a disastrous road numbering system, but roads as smooth as a golf course doesn't make a bad state highway system  :cool:

I gotta say I never understood why some states use letter prefixes for county roads like in Missouri, California or Iowa. Not every back road needs a number.   :pan:

froggie

I'm not sure if there are any error shields.  But there is an actual US 27/GA 27 junction in Lumpkin at the location I linked to.

Bryant5493

^^ Wow! That's really confusing, maybe more so than I-85 and S.R. 85 to some drivers.


Be well,

Bryant
Check out my YouTube page (http://youtube.com/Bryant5493). I have numerous road videos of Metro Atlanta and other areas in the Southeast.

I just signed up on photobucket -- here's my page (http://s594.photobucket.com/albums/tt24/Bryant5493).

thenetwork

QUOTE: The big problem I have with Ohio is US 68 and useless multiplexes like US 250/ SR 60 and US 23/ SR 199.

As far as the US-250/SR-60 multiplex:  SR 60 is one of, if not the only, north-south state highways that stretches from Lake Erie/Michigan State Line to the Ohio River. So both 250 and 60 are major routes in Ohio.

As far as the US-23/SR-199 fiasco, I don't understand why they swapped alignments in the first place decades ago, other than giving US 23 more direct connections to Toledo's major freeways (SR-420/I-280, The Ohio Turnpike, and I-75).  South of Fostoria, SR-199 could be re-numbered since it's not a major state highway.

agentsteel53

I did not see any error shields when I was there in 2006.  But the possibility does exist - especially if the truck drives up with half a load of US-27s and half a load of state route 27s in the back and gets a few of the installs wrong...
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

Terry Shea

Quote from: leifvanderwall on September 08, 2009, 11:26:43 AM
Again, I have to put my home state of Michigan on this subject and also Ohio. The biggest problem in Mi. is roads like M-22 and M-123 that really should have separate branches. For instance, M-22 from Manistee to Northport should have a different number from the Northport to Traverse City route (maybe call it M-201). M-123 should be from I-75 to Paradise and M-117 should take over the Newberry to Paradise route.
The big problem I have with Ohio is US 68 and useless multiplexes like US 250/ SR 60 and US 23/ SR 199.
How are these routes signed directionally?  It would appear that if you were leaving Northport or Paradise the routes would be signed South either way you go (I'm assuming that isn't the case though).  M-22 actually makes sense to me because it's a scenic route around the peninsula.  It's not much different from how M-25 follows the outline of the thumb.  I've never understood M-123 though-it should definitely have 2 route numbers.  I wonder how many people have traveled down M-28 and think they're going in circles when they approach M-123 for the 2nd time.

mightyace

Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 08, 2009, 12:29:32 PM
Georgia.  They blatantly reuse numbers between US, interstate, and state routes. 

Yes, the road to Atlanta Motor Speedway is GA 20 but so is the road from Cartersville to Rome and the AL line.  And, BOTH have exits off of I-75! (albeit 70 miles apart)  :pan:
My Flickr Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mightyace

I'm out of this F***KING PLACE!

corco

QuoteYes, the road to Atlanta Motor Speedway is GA 20 but so is the road from Cartersville to Rome and the AL line.  And, BOTH have exits off of I-75! (albeit 70 miles apart) 

The incredible part is that that's one continuous state highway

Bryant5493

#18
^^ Yeah, and it crosses I-20. At that point, it's merged with S.R. 138.


Georgia State Route 20 - Pt. 1 [HD]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVYaLoE6Eic

Georgia State Route 20 - Pt. 2 [HD]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RrPkIKT_TM


Be well,

Bryant
Check out my YouTube page (http://youtube.com/Bryant5493). I have numerous road videos of Metro Atlanta and other areas in the Southeast.

I just signed up on photobucket -- here's my page (http://s594.photobucket.com/albums/tt24/Bryant5493).

mightyace

Quote from: corco on September 09, 2009, 04:17:34 PM
QuoteYes, the road to Atlanta Motor Speedway is GA 20 but so is the road from Cartersville to Rome and the AL line.  And, BOTH have exits off of I-75! (albeit 70 miles apart) 

The incredible part is that that's one continuous state highway

Wow, I just looked it up on Google maps.  :wow:

When I looked at my Rand McNally 2010 atlas, somehow it looked like 2 separate highways to me.  :confused:
My Flickr Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mightyace

I'm out of this F***KING PLACE!

Bryant5493

^^ Yep, it's one continuous one. It cuts a sideways "J" through southeast and northeast/northwest Metro Atlanta.


Be well,

Bryant
Check out my YouTube page (http://youtube.com/Bryant5493). I have numerous road videos of Metro Atlanta and other areas in the Southeast.

I just signed up on photobucket -- here's my page (http://s594.photobucket.com/albums/tt24/Bryant5493).

Hellfighter

Just look at the condition of Michigan's Roads! Enough said!

agentsteel53

two surviving embossed Michigan cutouts make up for a lot of flaws...
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

Scott5114

Chris: Missouri agrees, not all back roads need a number. That's why they assigned all their secondary routes letters only!  :pan:

Oklahoma's system probably isn't the worst but it is a bit messy and I'd like to change some things about it. Oklahoma has kinda' a north-south = even and east-west = odd thing going on, but it's not consistent. I'd like to see that standardized just so we can be different from everyone else.  :spin: But probably more practically, there are a few state routes with 2 or 3 digit designations that serve a very minor purpose. Oklahoma's numbering system allows for suffixed routes...so use them! OK 42 is probably the worst offender... make it OK 152A. OK 89 is near-useless; decommission that, or if not make it OK 32A. OK 153 in Thackerville is so short, you can see one end of it from the other; it should either be OK 35A, or, if numbering a state highway after an Interstate is bad form, make it OK 77E (or A, or whatever...I don't really get how the OK 77x series is suffixed).
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TXtoNJ

Oklahoma's big problem is that there are both primary trunk routes and secondary routes contained within the state highway system, and both are signified by the same sort of signage. The biggest improvement they could make would be to sign the two types of route differently, so someone doesn't think these two highways are equivalent:

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=34.796572,-97.12635&spn=0,359.972405&z=15&layer=c&cbll=34.796559,-97.126113&panoid=MEYw5opoweVcqHU0yPTqVA&cbp=12,92.53,,0,8.9



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