The LEAST important/consequential interstate in your state

[Zzonkmiles]

The thread about the most important interstate in each state led to some good discussions, so I thought I'd take a look at things from the opposite perspective. Take a look at all the interstates (2di only) that run through a state and judge which one is the least important, least useful, least traveled, or least consequential overall. For some states, this is really easy (I-59 in GA [no, I-24 doesn't count] or I-95 in DE [because there are no other 2dis there]), but for other states (Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, etc.), this may be really tough.

For South Carolina, I'm probably going to have to say I-20. I-26 links all of the state's major metropolitan areas, I-95 has all the long-distance travelers, I-85 links Atlanta and Charlotte, and I-77 links SC to Charlotte and the Midwest. Meanwhile, I-20's control cities are both quite small and the roads are only lightly traveled outside of Columbia. So I-20 it is.

For Virginia, I'd probably choose I-85 over I-77 because at least I-77 links two totally different geographical regions (Appalachians/Midwest and Southeast) while I-85 is more of a shortcut that lets you bypass I-95 and I-20. I-85 only goes through South Hill, which is a pretty small city. There's very little traffic here too, and given the state of the road (yes, it's under construction now), that's probably a good thing.

Your thoughts?

[jeffandnicole]

...Take a look at all the interstates (2di only) that run through a state and judge which one is the least important, least useful, least traveled, or least consequential overall...I-95 in DE [because there are no other 2dis there])...

Your thoughts?

That will probably be your most important, most useful, most travelled, most consequential least important/useful/travelled/consequential 2di you're going to find.

[Avalanchez71]

I-69 for Tennessee.

[Billy F 1988]

I-315 in Montana should not have been the #2 shortest interstate in the country to begin with if it was assigned as such but not indicated on signs. It's just technically a spur into I-15 Business/MT 3/MT 200/US 89.

[oscar]

I-76 in both Nebraska (short, and I-80 is the only other 2di in that state) and Colorado (loses to border-to-border I-25 and I-70).

In Hawaii, H-3 is the most dispensable, paralleled by two divided state routes through the mountains,

[dgolub]

For New York, I suppose it would have to be either I-88 or the new I-99, probably the former.  In some respects, I-78 could be tempting because it ends right over the border, but it's one of the major routes into New York City, one of only three crossing into Manhattan from New Jersey, so I'd say it's pretty important.

[Brandon]

Illinois: I-180.  Lightly traveled interstate to the small village of Hennepin (population 757).  Everything else, and I mean everything else, even I-72, carries far more traffic.

[texaskdog]

I'd say I-27 in Texas.  I'm sure that road would have been fine as a 4 lane divided highway.

[SSOWorld]

Some are going to hate me for this but I-41.  just as bad as... I-74 or... I-894, the Interstate it supplanted.

Can't you two be US-41 and US-74? PLEASE???

^BUT I DON'T CARE!!!

[hbelkins]

For Kentucky, my vote is I-24. Doesn't really serve or link any major population centers in Kentucky. The section between Paducah and the WK Parkway is a vital link between Paducah and the rest of the state, but the rest of the route is mainly used by out-of-state travelers. And I'm not counting I-69 yet because it's not complete.

In West Virginia, it has to be I-70, with I-81 coming in a close second. Neither links anywhere in WV to anywhere else in-state. All the other 2DIs link different parts of the state.

[empirestate]

For New York, I suppose it would have to be either I-88 or the new I-99, probably the former.  In some respects, I-78 could be tempting because it ends right over the border, but it's one of the major routes into New York City, one of only three crossing into Manhattan from New Jersey, so I'd say it's pretty important.

It depends, I suppose, on whether we're talking Interstate designations, or the road itself. I've no doubt that if the I-78 designation were removed from the Holland Tunnel, it would have minimal impact on navigation. But if the tunnel itself were removed, that would be quite another thing.

Assuming we're talking actual roads, then, I'll go ahead and say I-99, since we were doing fine without it until relatively recently–and in fact, I forgot about it myself until you mentioned it. :-)


iPhone

[Bickendan]

Oregon: I-82. Still important though.

[NWI_Irish96]

In Indiana, I'll go with I-74 slightly over I-64. 

[dfilpus]

In North Carolina, I-73, beating out I-74 by a nose.

[pianocello]

For Iowa, I'd say 129. It's just a quarter-mile spur to a bridge to Nebraska.

[Brandon]

Illinois: I-180.  Lightly traveled interstate to the small village of Hennepin (population 757).  Everything else, and I mean everything else, even I-72, carries far more traffic.

Oh, 2di only.  (Somehow I missed that.)

For Illinois 2dis, I'd have to say I-72 west of Springfield, but my comments on I-180 still stand.

[Bruce]

I-82, but it is among two giants here in WA. Still important for the Yakima Valley and Tri-Cities, less so for intercontinental travel (unless you're headed to Salt Lake City).

[jeffandnicole]

For NJ, I'd have to say the independent portion of 95 near Trenton.  After all, it *is* going to be renumbered a 3di route soon!

Our other 2dis...76, 78 & 80, all easily carry over 100,000 vehicles per day.

[silverback1065]

In Indiana, I'll go with I-74 slightly over I-64.

I agree, I always thought 74 from 465 west to Illinois was the least important interstate in Indiana.

[vtk]

I think Ohio could do without most of I-77.

[bob7374]

In North Carolina, I-73, beating out I-74 by a nose.

Despite traversing the crucial Greensboro to Rockingham corridor? 

[TXtoNJ]

I-44 in Texas, easily.

I-76 in NJ, not because it's an unimportant route, but because its interstate status is trivial. The only other contender is if you consider the free portion of I-95 separate from the Turnpike portion.

I-86 in PA.

Oklahoma is tough, but turns out again it's I-44, somewhat counterintuitively for an interstate that connects the state's two biggest cities. Both 35 and 40 see higher rural traffic counts, I'd imagine due to shunpiking. If it weren't for 35 and 40 being extremely important transnational and transcontinental routes, 44 would not have this distinction. Again, Oklahoma is weird.

For Florida, it's I-10.

[Pete from Boston]

I-391.  Very little unique need–other existing roads/exits could serve Chicopee just fine.

[Pink Jazz]

Definitely I-15 for Arizona.

[briantroutman]

For California, the least consequential is clearly not I-5, I-10, or I-80, all of which are crucial as urban metro freeways, city-to-city routes within the state, and border-to-border or shore-to-shore Interstates. I think we can safely exclude I-15 as well.

I'm torn between I-40 and I-8. I-8 is an important urban link in San Diego, and it also has higher traffic counts throughout its length, but I-40 is a more important Interstate route in general and a vital corridor for connecting people and goods from the Midwest and East to Southern California. I'd guess that I-40 (or its predecessors) was the gateway for more in-country migrants to California than any other route.