Largest waste of money for roads in your state?

[codyg1985]

Inspired by H.B's post about the KY 3 flyover near Inez, KY, what project in your state would you consider to be the least useful for the money spent on it?

As for Alabama, I would have to say the Northern Beltline that is starting to be built around Birmingham. While it aims for alleviating traffic in downtown and elsewhere, it does absolutely nothing for through I-65 traffic, and it really doesn't do much for I-22 to I-20 traffic, either, even with the proposed extension of the Northern Beltline to I-20 east. The only movement that it really would help would be I-65 North to I-20/59 South traffic, but that segment is currently scheduled to be built last.

[Thing 342]

The US-460 toll connector between Suffolk and Petersburg. Over a quarter of a billion spent without an inch of pavement laid.

[1995hoo]

The US-460 toll connector between Suffolk and Petersburg. Over a quarter of a billion spent without an inch of pavement laid.

Agreed completely.

If the poll were to be restricted to projects actually constructed, I'd probably go with the Route 895 Pocahontas Parkway toll road southeast of Richmond. By all reports, it's drastically underused compared to what was projected and it's become a serious financial burden. Its interchange with I-95 and the adjacent bridge over the James River are quite impressive (the bridge's height due to the nearby port being part of the reason the interchange is impressive), but they surely added to the project's cost.

[mgk920]

There are others, but the first that comes into my mind here in Wisconsin is the US 151/WI 26 interchange on the northeast corner of Waupun, WI.  It is a complex half interchange that is just north of WI 49 (the main interchange on the city's east edge), just southwest of the main US 151/WI 26 split (towards Oshkosh) and appears to me to serve no really useful purpose at all other than to maintain WI 26's pre-existing city street connectivity with US 151.  WI 26 should be rerouted off of those streets and onto US 151 in the Waupun area and that interchange should have been a much cheaper simple straight-across street bridge.

http://goo.gl/maps/ZA3UL

Mike

[Zeffy]

Hmm, I'm tempted to say the US 206 bypass project, which has been a bunch of bullshit for New Jersey, but I feel like there are others that may have been a worse idea...

[cpzilliacus]

If the poll were to be restricted to projects actually constructed, I'd probably go with the Route 895 Pocahontas Parkway toll road southeast of Richmond. By all reports, it's drastically underused compared to what was projected and it's become a serious financial burden. Its interchange with I-95 and the adjacent bridge over the James River are quite impressive (the bridge's height due to the nearby port being part of the reason the interchange is impressive), but they surely added to the project's cost.

Agreed on all points.  I think one of the intentions was to approve highway access to Richmond International Airport (RIC), which it did, but was it really needed?  Based on traffic volumes on Va. 895, I would have to say no, since it already had decent access from I-64 and I-295. 

Stated another way, Va. 895 was to improve E-W connectivity from areas south of Richmond (Chesterfield County) to the airport and to the I-295 corridor, which it has done, but apparently drivers do not feel the time savings are worth the toll.

On the other hand, the bonds issued to build the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel were in default for many years because of low traffic volumes.  Traffic eventually rose enough to pay-off the bondholders and to justify twinning the entire crossing.

[cpzilliacus]

As for Maryland, perhaps the most-questionable highway improvement I have seen in the state is the almost-Super-2 type road between Westminster and Taneytown in Carroll County.

It is signed as Md. 140 these days, but used to be Md. 32. 

[halork]

Colorado: the EB I-70 to WB SH-58 flyover and EB SH-58 to WB I-70 ramp. Built only because Cabela's wanted to build nearby and wanted this built for better access. Of course, the Cabela's was never built. The reason I will never spend a penny at Cabela's.

[KEK Inc.]

Building a tunnel under Seattle.  I support removing the current viaduct, but on the other side of I-90, there have been issues with tunnels under city centers.

[1995hoo]

If the poll were to be restricted to projects actually constructed, I'd probably go with the Route 895 Pocahontas Parkway toll road southeast of Richmond. By all reports, it's drastically underused compared to what was projected and it's become a serious financial burden. Its interchange with I-95 and the adjacent bridge over the James River are quite impressive (the bridge's height due to the nearby port being part of the reason the interchange is impressive), but they surely added to the project's cost.

Agreed on all points.  I think one of the intentions was to approve highway access to Richmond International Airport (RIC), which it did, but was it really needed?  Based on traffic volumes on Va. 895, I would have to say no, since it already had decent access from I-64 and I-295. 

Stated another way, Va. 895 was to improve E-W connectivity from areas south of Richmond (Chesterfield County) to the airport and to the I-295 corridor, which it has done, but apparently drivers do not feel the time savings are worth the toll.

On the other hand, the bonds issued to build the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel were in default for many years because of low traffic volumes.  Traffic eventually rose enough to pay-off the bondholders and to justify twinning the entire crossing.

I've used 895 when connecting from I-85 to I-95 north of Richmond and I wanted to cut over to I-295 to avoid downtown Richmond traffic, but after using it, I concluded I'd just as soon go the four miles SOUTH on I-95 to the southern end of I-295 and then follow said route all the way around. I don't remember which route was faster, but I do remember the I-295 route having less traffic than I-95 between Petersburg and the interchange with Route 895. Nowadays the 70-mph speed limit on I-295 versus the 60-mph limit on I-95 provides another reason to use that routing. The last time I made the trip up I-85 I believe the posted limits were 65 and 55, respectively.

Aside from serving the airport, 895 just doesn't seem like a road that offers any sort of important connection.

(The notion of going south on I-95 like that first occurred to me when I was moving my stuff north in the week before I graduated from Duke and I had so much stuff in the car I was having trouble using my mirrors. I realized it made more sense to detour south to I-295 than to risk going through downtown Richmond with obstructed visibility.)

[txstateends]

I'm not sure what a current version of this would be for Texas, other than the new/recent convolutions for toll lanes, tolled HOVs/'managed' lanes/'express' lanes that have come along in recent years.

Honorable (?) mention: 
Having a *third* south TX I-69 route, when 2 is more than enough.

As far as a plan yet to be built, but it will still be a huge waste: 
the proposed 'Hourglass' project to connect the tolled Loop 49 in Tyler to a future outer loop in Longview, then a further future connection from all that to I-369 somewhere around or north of Marshall.  **Dumb-dumber-dumbest**!!  Loops in Tyler and Longview, OK, fine, but all those dumba$$$ extra connections (that are sure to be tolled, BTW) make _absolutely_ no sense.  They act like there are no highways between Tyler and Longview now.  Um, duhh, I-20 & TX 31?!?

[hbelkins]

Actually, I think the biggest waste in Kentucky is the second downtown Louisville bridge. I still say what should have been done is to ban through truck traffic off the JFK Bridge and try to divert as much other through traffic as possible to either the Sherman Minton or the soon-to-open East End bridge.

Although that flyover, to me, was very wasteful. I also think the plans to rebuild the KY 537 and KY 338 exits off I-71/I-75 in northern Kentucky as DDIs is a waste.

There's also a project to rebuild about 10 miles of KY 172 in Morgan County that makes little sense. The route is not a through corridor and basically serves only local traffic. The thought may be to make it a direct link from West Liberty to Paintsville.

Something else that's being considered that I think is a waste is replacing the at-grade intersection of US 23 and KY 3 at Louisa with a grade-separated interchange. Presumably it's because loaded coal trucks, descending the hill on northbound 23, have trouble stopping when the traffic light changes. Simple solution? Require all trucks to stop and check their brakes before descending the hill. There's plenty of room on the shoulder there for a place for trucks to stop.

[nexus73]

The CRC project in OR/WA.  Around $150 mil in studies was spent.   Since so many levels of government and agencies were involved it was proved that the left hand cannot meet the right hand at considerable cost.

Rick

[froggie]

Can't think of any offhand in Vermont.  Some would argue that the Circ (VT 289 and extensions) was a waste, especially the ongoing years of study...but what was built serves as a somewhat useful Essex Junction avoidance route as long as you aren't on or don't need VT 2A South.

[cpzilliacus]

Colorado: the EB I-70 to WB SH-58 flyover and EB SH-58 to WB I-70 ramp. Built only because Cabela's wanted to build nearby and wanted this built for better access. Of course, the Cabela's was never built. The reason I will never spend a penny at Cabela's.

I have heard nothing nice about Cabela's or their "competing" chain, Bass Pro Shops, and I find their way of leaching off of local and state taxpayers to fund their stores to be odious.

I am not really interested in what they are selling anyway, and I am sure I could find what they sell someplace else if I did need something from either chain.

Speaking of I-70, there is a massive Cabela's (is there any other kind?) in Ohio County, West Virginia hard by the freeway at Exit 10 (County Route 65, Cabela Drive).  No, I did not stop there, and no, I will not be stopping there in the future for any reason.  The interchange looks to be pretty new, though I do not know if it was built to Cabela's specifications or not. 

[briantroutman]

Colorado: the EB I-70 to WB SH-58 flyover and EB SH-58 to WB I-70 ramp. Built only because Cabela's wanted to build nearby and wanted this built for better access. Of course, the Cabela's was never built. The reason I will never spend a penny at Cabela's.

I have heard nothing nice about Cabela's or their "competing" chain, Bass Pro Shops, and I find their way of leaching off of local and state taxpayers to fund their stores to be odious.

Exit 45 of I-83 in Harrisburg had been re-signed as "Bass Pro Drive"  several years ago, and I knew that various governments contributed millions in incentives to attract both that store and the Cabela's off I-78 in Hamburg, but I didn't realize that these two companies were such chronic corporate welfare leeches.

http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2012/08/why-have-so-many-cities-and-towns-given-away-so-much-money-bass-pro-shops-and-cabelas/2906/#disqus_thread

[roadman65]

The Poinciana Connector between US 17 & 92 at Loughman, FL to Poinciana is going to be a waste being tolled when completed.

Poinciana residents are still going use Poinciana Boulevard and FL 535 to access the community way out from the rest of reality in Central Florida, so this road is not going to deter any traffic from the other two roads being used.

[NE2]

The Poinciana Connector between US 17 & 92 at Loughman, FL to Poinciana is going to be a waste being tolled when completed.

Poinciana residents are still going use Poinciana Boulevard and FL 535 to access the community way out from the rest of reality in Central Florida, so this road is not going to deter any traffic from the other two roads being used.

I don't necessarily support the project, but if it's connected to I-4 it should get a fair amount of use. What's being built will probably be used by many Disney workers who drive (there are several imperfect ways to get from CR 545 to Disney) or people going to 429 (via Sinclair Road). The placement of interchanges in the 532-545 area just sucks.

[codyg1985]

Colorado: the EB I-70 to WB SH-58 flyover and EB SH-58 to WB I-70 ramp. Built only because Cabela's wanted to build nearby and wanted this built for better access. Of course, the Cabela's was never built. The reason I will never spend a penny at Cabela's.

I have heard nothing nice about Cabela's or their "competing" chain, Bass Pro Shops, and I find their way of leaching off of local and state taxpayers to fund their stores to be odious.

I am not really interested in what they are selling anyway, and I am sure I could find what they sell someplace else if I did need something from either chain.

Speaking of I-70, there is a massive Cabela's (is there any other kind?) in Ohio County, West Virginia hard by the freeway at Exit 10 (County Route 65, Cabela Drive).  No, I did not stop there, and no, I will not be stopping there in the future for any reason.  The interchange looks to be pretty new, though I do not know if it was built to Cabela's specifications or not. 

There is a controversy here in Huntsville over Cabela's. The adjacent property, allegedly, was bought by a former city councilman at a low price, but then the city of Huntsville bought the land for considerably more in order for CoH to build "improvements" such as landscape enhancements for the store.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Can't say much for Minnesota, although there was some complaining in the editorial sections of some newspapers about the MN 23 bypass in Paynesville, which features four interchanges and a flyover ramp to the MN 23 business route for a town of 2300 people. Some thought intersections (excepting an interchange at MN 4/55) would have been sufficient.

[froggie]

IMO, stronger arguments could be made for the 4-laning of MN 60 west of St. James or the US 52 Elk Run interchange...

[roadman65]

At the time I thought that adding SB to WB and EB to NB ramps at the I-95 and TOLL FL 528 interchange was a waste.  Considering that nearby FL 407 handled those movements quite well for decades previous, the ramps were not needed at first.

Now that FDOT added the Port St. John interchange between FL 528 and FL 407 the added ramps do have some merit.

[GCrites]

Speaking of I-70, there is a massive Cabela's (is there any other kind?) in Ohio County, West Virginia hard by the freeway at Exit 10 (County Route 65, Cabela Drive).  No, I did not stop there, and no, I will not be stopping there in the future for any reason.  The interchange looks to be pretty new, though I do not know if it was built to Cabela's specifications or not.

I'm pretty sure that hill didn't look anything like that before they were there. I have no idea how much of the grading was paid for by the store. I would not like to have to pay for that much blasting and grading just to open a store. Some other examples I can think of that required massive ground work are the current Wal-Marts in Ashland KY and on US 60 in Huntingon WV. I lived next to the Huntington one and remember the blasting and grading taking a year. I liked the apartment's location before and didn't after.

[Beeper1]

Hartford-New Britain Busway.    In a state with so many long-overdue road and rail projects stalled due to lack of funding or political will, the fact that they spent that much money to build that is appalling.

[Duke87]

Route 895 Pocahontas Parkway toll road southeast of Richmond. By all reports, it's drastically underused compared to what was projected and it's become a serious financial burden.

I think one of the intentions was to approve highway access to Richmond International Airport (RIC), which it did, but was it really needed?  Based on traffic volumes on Va. 895, I would have to say no, since it already had decent access from I-64 and I-295. 

Stated another way, Va. 895 was to improve E-W connectivity from areas south of Richmond (Chesterfield County) to the airport and to the I-295 corridor, which it has done, but apparently drivers do not feel the time savings are worth the toll.

Indeed. When you build a toll road people will willingly stick to their old routes unless the savings in time and/or frustration are significant. VA 895 would be more useful if it were free. The levying of tolls massively cripples it because you're paying $3 to save 5 minutes over going through downtown. Meh.
A bit more time savings if there's traffic but Richmond doesn't suffer from a terrible amount of that even during rush hour.

I feel like the impact a toll has on people's willingness to use a road tends to be underestimated in traffic projections. Note how the ICC in Maryland has been suffering from similar lackluster usage. If you want a toll road to be successful you either need it to offer MASSIVE time savings over any alternatives, have it be the only way to get somewhere, or have all practical alternatives also be tolled. VA 895 is none of these three things.