Hanging Ends

[hotdogPi]

I have a database of all numbered routes in New England. This should be a complete list:

CT 2
MA 2
CT 4
ME 4
RI 5
RI 7
MA 7A
ME 9
RI 12
CT 15
ME 15
CT 17

VT 17
ME 24
MA 31
CT 32
CT 34
RI 37
VT 38

CT 41
ME 43
NH 49
CT 71A
RI 77
MA 80
CT 83
MA 88
ME 92
ME 96
CT 99
MA 99
ME 100
RI 100
ME 101
MA 102 (NY reference route)
CT 104
VT 105
VT 105A
NH 107A
RI 108
MA 109
ME 110

VT 113
VT 114
NH 121
VT 121
NH 121A
NH 122
ME 123
NH 123
NH 123A
CT 124
NH 124
ME 127
VT 127
NH 128
ME 129
ME 130
VT 129
ME 131
MA 136
ME 144
MA 146
MA 147
CT 149
MA 150
ME 150
ME 153
VT 153 (NY county route)
CT 159
ME 159
ME 161
ME 166 (unless it recently changed)
CT 173
CT 176
ME 183
ME 184
ME 185
ME 188
ME 190
ME 195
ME 198
MA 203
ME 204
ME 208
ME 209
ME 216
ME 219
MA 228
CT 229
CT 272
VT 279 (NY reference route)
CT 341
CT 349
CT 361
CT 372
RI 403

[froggie]

They do not.  There's about 6 miles between the two.  Despite Virginia Beach signage, US 60 does not cross south of Rudee Inlet and VA 149 doesn't even make it to General Booth Blvd.

It's hard to tell on the map where VA 149 ends. Was VA 108 mentioned? It ends at the Henry/ Franklin County line it used to continue to VA 40 but the Franklin County portion for whatever reason was downgraded.

Because it did not meet primary standards.  Also, BTW, it doesn't end at the county line but instead ends about a mile short...

I have no idea when the downgraded happened.

1952.

Doesn't make much sense given that both primary and secondary routs are both maintained by VDOT anyways.

Different roadway standards between primary and secondary routes.

I have a database of all numbered routes in New England. This should be a complete list:

<snip some of list>

VT 17 (NY 185 and VT 100)
VT 38 (VT 36 and US 7)
VT 121 (VT 11 and US 5)

These are not hanging ends.  Termini are cited above in italics.

[DandyDan]

A couple further ends I remembered (looking at a map helps!)

Iowa 122's east end is at the Mason City east limits, where the road continues as a county road.

Iowa 281's west end is at the Waterloo city limits, continuing west as a city street (Independence Ave).

You can also add the west end of Iowa 85, which ends at the Montezuma city limits and continues as Main Street.

All Nebraska Spur routes have a hanging end.

[texaskdog]

Was just looking at this...US 75 should be rerouted to Pembina.  Why have it just dead end in Noyes?

[Flint1979]

Was just looking at this...US 75 should be rerouted to Pembina.  Why have it just dead end in Noyes?

Why does US-75 just dead end at the border? I'm just wondering the reason for that border crossing to be closed.

[silverback1065]

is us 75 the only us route that dead ends?

[Flint1979]

Well after doing a little reading I understand that it was Canada that closed the border citing such factors as the age of the facility, the proximity of another port, and workload and resource considerations. The train crossing looks like it's still open though. It would make perfect sense to scale US-75 back and use MN-171 and ND-59 getting rid of both state highways and either having it end at I-29 or go to the border with I-29 and US-81 in Canada I-29's route continues as Highway 75 anyway. There is no reason for US-75 to continue north of MN-171.

[hotdogPi]

There is no reason for US-75 to continue north of MN-171.

US 75 and MB 75 should be continuous.

is us 75 the only us route that dead ends?

Would you count 21 in South Carolina and 41 in Michigan?

[Flint1979]

There is no reason for US-75 to continue north of MN-171.

US 75 and MB 75 should be continuous.

is us 75 the only us route that dead ends?

Would you count 21 in South Carolina and 41 in Michigan?

21 just kinda ends and doesn't continue, 41 has a cul-de-sac but they both end in the same fashion to me.

[Thing 342]

There is no reason for US-75 to continue north of MN-171.

US 75 and MB 75 should be continuous.

is us 75 the only us route that dead ends?

Would you count 21 in South Carolina and 41 in Michigan?

US-421 has a pure dead end at a boat ramp in Kure Beach, NC; complete with BEGIN and END signs:

(via GSV)

[Flint1979]

There is no reason for US-75 to continue north of MN-171.

US 75 and MB 75 should be continuous.

is us 75 the only us route that dead ends?

Would you count 21 in South Carolina and 41 in Michigan?

US-421 has a pure dead end at a boat ramp in Kure Beach, NC; complete with BEGIN and END signs:

(via GSV)

That's the craziest ending for a US highway I've ever seen.

[hbelkins]

^^^

Not too far away from here, US 117 ends at a port.

2017 NC route-clinching trip Day 2 - 282 by H.B. Elkins, on Flickr

[txstateends]

Texas Farm to Market Roads have some good ones based on length and isolation.  For the first two examples, the whole road is a hanging end, with no intersections after the one where the road begins.  FM 2810 begins at US 90 in Marfa and goes 32 miles with no intersections before ending at a gravel road that continues to FM 170, mentioned below.  FM 169 starts at US 67 south of Marfa and goes 25 miles with no intersections to end at a gravel road.

FM 170 enters Presidio from the east, and continues out to the west.  It goes 48 miles to end at a gravel road, with no intersections with state roads.  It does intersect Pinto Canyon Road, which is the road at the end of FM 2810.  This road isn't all a hanging end, but close to half of it is.

FM 2119 is a 40-mile long road that's all hanging end, but it has county road intersections, unlike the first two (shorter) examples.

As a double example, FM 2185 starts at SH 54 in Van Horn and continues 41 miles to a gravel road.  Its only other state road intersection is at FM 2809, which is another hanging end that ends at a gravel road.  It's a 46-mile double-headed (double-tailed?) hanging end system.

There are quite a few FM/RM ends in TX that 'hang'.  Some ends are close enough to other numbered roads, especially FMs/RMs, that they could have been extended onto a more logical/reasonable terminus intersection.  IDK why those particular ones are like that.  A few of the FMs/RMs that hang, amazingly have 'advanced' END signage.  This one (https://www.google.com/maps/@32.08351,-95.58004,3a,47.516968y,126.44533h,-1.8336182t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s7EmKgtlDmZK6vJt1hYYhdQ!2e0)
on FM 1305 in Henderson County is one example.  I'm not sure if these are a trend in the state, but for those kind of roads that have a surprise end, I think it's a good idea.

The only TX primary routes I know of that 'hang' are:
* TX 4 (ends at a park beach between South Padre Island and the mouth of the Rio Grande)
* TX 5 (currently ends in Allen at the Greenville Ave./Exchange Pkwy. intersection--a product of several truncations over the years)
* TX 25 (ends near the Red River north of Electra; no bridge connection across to OK, just a nondescript left turn to a county road)
* TX 186 (ends at the shore of the Gulf in Port Mansfield, a block east of its intersection with FM 606, which itself 'hangs' on the north end of town)
* TX 289 (continues as a county road that ends on the south shore of Lake Texoma)

Other minor TX numbered roads (park, recreational, FM/RM spurs, etc) are a mixture.  Some 'hang', some cul-de-sac or circulate back, a few actually have ends at other numbered roads.

[Mapmikey]

^^^

Not too far away from here, US 117 ends at a port.

2017 NC route-clinching trip Day 2 - 282 by H.B. Elkins, on Flickr

Continuing the North Carolina theme, this was US 64's east end from 1932-51:


Mapmikey, April 2008

US 74 east ends at a dead end - https://goo.gl/maps/d4YrWGEWGER2

US 76 east ends at a dead end as well...the road to the right is an alleyway to a Coast Guard gate
https://goo.gl/maps/tXRC7q6Mj2t

US 60 east technically ends at a dead-end turnaround in Virginia Beach but it is highly developed...

US 360 east ended at a Cul-de-sac from 1933-54

bad sun angle Feb 2007

[mrpablue]

CA SR130, SR131, SR211

[Flint1979]

^^^

Not too far away from here, US 117 ends at a port.

2017 NC route-clinching trip Day 2 - 282 by H.B. Elkins, on Flickr

Wow it amazes me that US-117 even exists since it doesn't come close to the 300 mile limit or two state limit.

[Flint1979]

US-70 ends at a dead end too. Ironically all these US highways that we're talking about are in the same area.

[Mapmikey]

US-70 ends at a dead end too. Ironically all these US highways that we're talking about are in the same area.

US 70 does not end at a dead end.  It ends 1/2 mile short of where the road no longer crosses Little Port Brook.  When the bridge still existed, US 70 crossed it and ended at today's Old Cedar Island Road, meaning other than a possible brief period when the bridge was closed and before the endpoint was moved back officially in 1973, US 70 has never ended at a dead end.  See the mapscans at the very bottom of http://www.vahighways.com/ncannex/route-log/us070.html

[Flint1979]

US-70 ends at a dead end too. Ironically all these US highways that we're talking about are in the same area.

US 70 does not end at a dead end.  It ends 1/2 mile short of where the road no longer crosses Little Port Brook.  When the bridge still existed, US 70 crossed it and ended at today's Old Cedar Island Road, meaning other than a possible brief period when the bridge was closed and before the endpoint was moved back officially in 1973, US 70 has never ended at a dead end.  See the mapscans at the very bottom of http://www.vahighways.com/ncannex/route-log/us070.html

Doesn't really mean much to me. US-70 ends on Seashore Drive which indeed dead ends.

[MNHighwayMan]

Well after doing a little reading I understand that it was Canada that closed the border citing such factors as the age of the facility, the proximity of another port, and workload and resource considerations. The train crossing looks like it's still open though. It would make perfect sense to scale US-75 back and use MN-171 and ND-59 getting rid of both state highways and either having it end at I-29 or go to the border with I-29 and US-81 in Canada I-29's route continues as Highway 75 anyway. There is no reason for US-75 to continue north of MN-171.

Talk of re-routing US-75 that way does make a lot of sense, but strangely I've never heard of it as a real proposal. I wonder if the American side is hoping for Canada to change its mind, or something.

Either way, MnDOT would still have to maintain the road to the border as a state highway, due to the description of Constitutional Route 6. Maybe swap designations with MN-171, or they could give it a wholly new number, or just leave it as an unmarked route, something like MN-975A.

It could be inertia on the part of the state of Minnesota (due to that C.R. status) that's left things as-is, for now.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I suppose though it would be a lot of work to put into a minor arterial, since most border-bound traffic is probably already on I-29 by that point. That's probably why nothing will be done anyone soon.

[MNHighwayMan]

I suppose though it would be a lot of work to put into a minor arterial, since most border-bound traffic is probably already on I-29 by that point. That's probably why nothing will be done anyone soon.

That, plus what I said, in addition to the red-tape for re-routing a US Route, plus who knows how the state of North Dakota/NDDOT feels about the whole thing (I have serous doubts that they care. It's not their problem.)

[cl94]

Alrighty, here's an exhaustive list for New York. Roads that end at state-maintained parkways or reference routes are excluded, as they aren't hanging.

Interstates
I-78 (east end at Canal St)
I-485 (east end at Suffolk CR 58)
I-678 (JFK Airport)
I-781 (east end at Fort Drum)

US Routes
US 220 (technically ends at the NY/PA border, NOT NY 17)

State Routes
NY 7A (becomes a quadrant route in PA)
NY 14 (dead end Lake Ontario)
NY 24 (eastern segment, Suffolk CR 80)
NY 25 (both ends hanging)
NY 27 (dead end at Montauk Point)
NY 45 (becomes Bergen CR 73)
NY 74 (dead end at Lake Champlain)
NY 85 (west end at Albany CR 353)
NY 101 (north end at Astor Ln)
NY 102 (west end at William St)
NY 106 (north end at Bay Ave)
NY 107 (both ends hanging)
NY 108 (south end at Woodbury Rd)
NY 110 (north end at Youngs Hill Rd)
NY 112 (south end at Suffolk CR 80)
NY 135 (south end at Merrick Rd)
NY 171 (both ends hanging)
NY 182 (west end at Whirlpool Rapids Bridge)
NY 210 (becomes Passaic CR 511)
NY 250 (north end at Lake Rd)
NY 264 (south end at Oswego CR 57)
NY 272 (dead end at Lake Ontario)
NY 303 (becomes Bergen CR 505)
NY 304 (becomes Bergen CR 503)
NY 309 (north end at Fulton CR 112)
NY 320 (north end at Chenango CR 29)
NY 329/409/429 (west ends at Watkins Glen State Park)
NY 340 (becomes Bergen CR 501)
NY 344 (unnumbered town road on MA side)
NY 367 (quadrant route on PA side)
NY 373 (dead end at Lake Champlain)
NY 396 (west end at Albany CR 301)
NY 418 (west end at Warren CR 4)
NY 421 (north end at end of pavement)
NY 431 (dead end below Whiteface Mountain summit)
NY 590 (north end at Culver Rd)
NY 840 (west end at Oneida CR 52)
NY 878 (east end at Atlantic Beach Bridge tolls)

[Flint1979]

Well after doing a little reading I understand that it was Canada that closed the border citing such factors as the age of the facility, the proximity of another port, and workload and resource considerations. The train crossing looks like it's still open though. It would make perfect sense to scale US-75 back and use MN-171 and ND-59 getting rid of both state highways and either having it end at I-29 or go to the border with I-29 and US-81 in Canada I-29's route continues as Highway 75 anyway. There is no reason for US-75 to continue north of MN-171.

Talk of re-routing US-75 that way does make a lot of sense, but strangely I've never heard of it as a real proposal. I wonder if the American side is hoping for Canada to change its mind, or something.

Either way, MnDOT would still have to maintain the road to the border as a state highway, due to the description of Constitutional Route 6. Maybe swap designations with MN-171, or they could give it a wholly new number, or just leave it as an unmarked route, something like MN-975A.

It could be inertia on the part of the state of Minnesota (due to that C.R. status) that's left things as-is, for now.

I'm just thinking that they could put it as an unsigned state highway to the border and put a No Outlet sign up as well.

[MNHighwayMan]

I'm just thinking that they could put it as an unsigned state highway to the border and put a No Outlet sign up as well.

That's probably the most likely outcome of any potential changes (not that I think any of them are probable in the near future), but the CR-16 junction a mile south of the border would make using a No Outlet sign incorrect (where 75 and 171 currently intersect—if you meant the CR-16 junction, then yes, that's fine.)

IMO, I currently see no practical reason to change things as they are. I'm pretty sure MnDOT has done all that I would do: put a sign on US-75 near the MN-171 junction noting that US-75 has no Canada crossing.