Interstate business routes

[someone17]

What is up with these interstate business loops? It's either surface street like I-526 Business Spur or full on freeway (Capital City Freeway - I-80 Business Loop)

Also, what BLs/BSs have you clinched?

[pderocco]

What is up with these interstate business loops? It's either surface street like I-526 Business Spur or full on freeway (Capital City Freeway - I-80 Business Loop)

Also, what BLs/BSs have you clinched?

It's not hard to clinch a business route, in that it's usually pretty short. Unless "clinching Business Route 10" means driving all the business routes off I-10 in the entire country. I tend to think of business routes as more meaningful as whatever roads they used to be before the interstates came along. For instance, where I live, one piece of the old US-80 is now called Business Route 8 because it was bypassed by I-8. I've managed to clinch the old US-80 from San Diego to Tucson, which is more interesting than just doing the few bits called Business Route 8.

[US 89]

Also, what BLs/BSs have you clinched?

Way too many to count. I've clinched every interstate and US business route in Utah except for BL-15 in Cedar City, which I am missing the northern half of. Almost every business route in eastern Idaho. Most of the BL-80s in Wyoming. I could go on...

[Max Rockatansky]

A lot times I don't even realize I'm on one given how poorly Business Routes tend to be signed.  Pull up the AASHTO database and you'll find dozens of Business Routes which still exist on paper but probably lacking signage now.  I end up on lots Business Routes given I'm pretty into tracking down old highway alignments.

[oscar]

Many states (20 out of 50) don't have any Interstate business routes at all. Some of the others have only one or two of them.

As Max notes, signage of Interstate business routes is very uneven, except for the few that are all-freeway like I-80BL in Sacramento, and I-85BL in Spartanburg SC (both of which used to be full-fledged Interstates, until they were bypassed by newer freeways).

Some business Interstate routes have been decommissioned or become unsigned, like the former I-40BL in Winston-Salem (an all-freeway BL, bypassed by a newer I-40 routing, with the business route now signed only as part of US 421). Not a lot of interest in creating new ones, with other means (such as logo signs, and smartphone apps) helping Interstate users find travel services. By and large, business Interstates are relics of a bygone era.

[NWI_Irish96]

Indiana doesn't have any, but Illinois and Michigan both have several.

I've clinched all of Illinois' which includes three for I-55 and one for I-72. For Michigan I have two for I-69, four on I-94, one for I-96 and three for I-196. I also have one for I-70 in Utah.

[kphoger]

What is up with these interstate business loops? It's either surface street like I-526 Business Spur or full on freeway (Capital City Freeway - I-80 Business Loop)

Full freeway Interstate BLs are quite rare.  I think you can count all of the extant examples on one hand, not including ones that are concurrent with mainline Interstates.

[Max Rockatansky]

What is up with these interstate business loops? It's either surface street like I-526 Business Spur or full on freeway (Capital City Freeway - I-80 Business Loop)

Full freeway Interstate BLs are quite rare.  I think you can count all of the extant examples on one hand, not including ones that are concurrent with mainline Interstates.

FWIW considering how often I hear "CA 51"  referenced today in media outlets I wonder how long it will continue to signed as I-80 BL?  It was yanked from US 50 a couple years ago and really doesn't form a loop of Sacramento anymore.

[Dirt Roads]

What is up with these interstate business loops? It's either surface street like I-526 Business Spur or full on freeway (Capital City Freeway - I-80 Business Loop)

Full freeway Interstate BLs are quite rare.  I think you can count all of the extant examples on one hand, not including ones that are concurrent with mainline Interstates.

We just eliminated Green 40 from the Salem Parkway freeway in Winston-Salem recently, and there was another short-lived Green 40 freeway in Greensboro (converted back to I-40 soon after).  It's odd to me that both of these changes occurred after major improvements to the older freeways.  [And I shouldn't forget that we've still got Green 85 in Greensboro, much of which is multiplexed with I-40 down the middle of Death Valley].

[someone17]

Shame that they're being retired. Business loops and business spurs would be infinitely more useful if they're standardized - and maybe sign BLs/BSs instead of auxiliary interstates.

Also - US highways. Also useful as federal roads instead of being replaced by state routes and/or interstates.

[Max Rockatansky]

Shame that they're being retired. Business loops and business spurs would be infinitely more useful if they're standardized - and maybe sign BLs/BSs instead of auxiliary interstates.

Also - US highways. Also useful as federal roads instead of being replaced by state routes and/or interstates.

I think the old presumption was that Business Routes would be useful when bypasses (mostly freeways) of cities opened.  That seems to be something that has had largely waning utility over the decades and basically has none now that a GPS or App can easily find services for the driver. 

Also, "Federal"  Road...don't poke the Calrog too much or he'll go Little Green Shrub on you.

[kphoger]

Also - US highways. Also useful as federal roads instead of being replaced by state routes and/or interstates.

Also, "Federal"  Road...don't poke the Calrog too much or he'll go Little Green Shrub on you.

So you know what he's talking about (at least the first part):  US Routes are just state routes that use a common shield and numbering scheme.

[Max Rockatansky]

Also - US highways. Also useful as federal roads instead of being replaced by state routes and/or interstates.

Also, "Federal"  Road...don't poke the Calrog too much or he'll go Little Green Shrub on you.

So you know what he's talking about (at least the first part):  US Routes are just state routes that use a common shield and numbering scheme.

And said individual "Calrog"  actually did a copyright strike on YouTube over a bootleg version of his US Federal Route 31 Little Green Shrub jingle.

[formulanone]

I wonder what and when the most recently-created Interstate Business Loop was introduced. Does anyone know?

[Mapmikey]

I wonder what and when the most recently-created Interstate Business Loop was introduced. Does anyone know?

I-376 Bus near Pgh and I-35 Bus Pine City MN are candidates.

But before too long there'll be a new one - I-81 Bus Syracuse...

[Bruce]

I wonder what and when the most recently-created Interstate Business Loop was introduced. Does anyone know?

Washington's most recent came in 2013 with the addition of I-90 BL in Spokane Valley.

[US 89]

What is up with these interstate business loops? It's either surface street like I-526 Business Spur or full on freeway (Capital City Freeway - I-80 Business Loop)

Full freeway Interstate BLs are quite rare.  I think you can count all of the extant examples on one hand, not including ones that are concurrent with mainline Interstates.

We just eliminated Green 40 from the Salem Parkway freeway in Winston-Salem recently, and there was another short-lived Green 40 freeway in Greensboro (converted back to I-40 soon after).  It's odd to me that both of these changes occurred after major improvements to the older freeways.  [And I shouldn't forget that we've still got Green 85 in Greensboro, much of which is multiplexed with I-40 down the middle of Death Valley].

There is also the full freeway BL-85 in Spartanburg, SC. It is the pre-1995 alignment of I-85, which was moved to a new Interstate-standard alignment a mile or so to the north.

[ErmineNotyours]

There's the very colorful Business Route I-90s in Moses Lake, Washington.

And then there's a Interstate Business Route 30 off US 30 in St. Hellens, Oregon.

[formulanone]

I wonder what and when the most recently-created Interstate Business Loop was introduced. Does anyone know?

Washington's most recent came in 2013 with the addition of I-90 BL in Spokane Valley.

I didn't even think there were any new ones in the last decade...

I-376 Bus near Pgh [...]

That makes sense, since it was a new designation.

But before too long there'll be a new one - I-81 Bus Syracuse...

Would that become the only one in New York?

[Alex]

We have all of the Interstate Business Routes listed at https://www.interstate-guide.com/business/

Andy's Business Route page in 1998 is what prompted me to email him back then, as I was looking for info then and surprised to find that someone had listed them all.

To answer the question regarding the newest ones, in addition to the aforrmentioned 376 in PA and 35 in MN, another of the more recent Business Routes established was the short one for I-90 into Albertson, Montana.

I have made an effort to clinch/document them for AARoads over the years. The longest is the one for I-76 between Fort Morgan and Sterling, Colorado and finished everyone for I-40 in Arizona, which includes ones that are locally maintained. Most recently drove the ]El Reno, OK Business Route for I-40]]El Reno, OK Business Route for I-40[/url].

[roadman65]

I-376 business replaced former PA 60 business hence its recent fame.  Remember I-376 ended in Downtown Pittsburgh until recently, and was originally PA 60 for a good stretch, especially near the Airport that had a business route originally.

I do wonder why PennDOT took a KDOT approach in Altoona, and rather than signed a BL I-99 signed a business US 220.  Plus for a short while both Plank Road and pleasant Valley Blvd. we're not even on the state highway system post I-99 freeway. Prior to 1985 they were old US 220, but when completion of the freeway, they were transferred to local control. Sometime later a Business US 220 got created and not a BL I-99.

[hbelkins]

Also - US highways. Also useful as federal roads instead of being replaced by state routes and/or interstates.

Also, "Federal"  Road...don't poke the Calrog too much or he'll go Little Green Shrub on you.

So you know what he's talking about (at least the first part):  US Routes are just state routes that use a common shield and numbering scheme.

Which has nothing to do with the federal government; the US route system is administered by AASHTO.

[Rothman]

Also - US highways. Also useful as federal roads instead of being replaced by state routes and/or interstates.

Also, "Federal"  Road...don't poke the Calrog too much or he'll go Little Green Shrub on you.

So you know what he's talking about (at least the first part):  US Routes are just state routes that use a common shield and numbering scheme.

Which has nothing to do with the federal government; the US route system is administered by AASHTO.

Interesting fact is FHWA does not even consider US Routes that closely parallel Interstates as being on the National Highway System.  US 20 in NY is far enough away from I-90 to be on the NHS.  US 11 is not from I-81...much to NYSDOT's annoyance.

[epzik8]

I have I-526BS, I-83BL in York, Pennsylvania (whose very south end is a short freeway in its own right, before its remainder follows George Street), I-95BL in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and I-20BL in Florence, South Carolina, and part of I-90BL in Hardin, Montana.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I-35:
Albert Lea, MN
Faribault, MN
Pine City, MN

I-55:
Cape Girardeau and New Madrid, MO

I-90:
Austin, MN
Sheridan, WY
Wallace, ID

I-94:
Port Huron, MI (I've clinched the ND side of the Fargo/Moorhead loop, but unsure if I've done all of the MN side)