Supplanted Roads We Still Appreciate

[nwi_navigator_1181]

Good evening.

Thanks largely (entirely?) to the Interstate System, there are a lot of roads (US and State) that have been supplanted by the freeways. However, these roads still serve a very useful purpose, and they are appreciated.

One example that gave me the idea to write this thread is Indiana State Road 2. Largely supplanted by a multitude of routes, including the Toll Road, US 30, and I-65, it still has a lot of usefulness. Starting from the St. Joseph Valley Parkway outside of South Bend, anyone with time to spend and looking to avoid a large portion of the potential chaos of highway traffic could use this route to go to Laporte, Valparaiso, and ultimately, Kankakee (the road continues as Illinois 17).

By no means is there a definitive answer. I just want to hear what routes you think are still of good use, even if there are faster alternatives available. Enjoy, and thank you in advance for your responses.

[SkyPesos]

US 66

[Max Rockatansky]

US Route 99

[texaskdog]

County 61 from Duluth to Two Harbors.  If you're going to points north and willing to drive at a leisurely pace and enjoy the shore, why skip the first 20 miles?  How much time are you saving? 

[wanderer2575]

In Michigan, old US-27 in the northern part of the state and old US-16 especially west of Lansing.  I'll often get off the Interstate and drive parts of these roads instead.

[OCGuy81]

In southern Florida, I actually liked driving the US-41 Tamiami Trail versus I-75 Alligator Alley.

[Avalanchez71]

US 27 in Florida is a great alternative to the Florida's Turnpike.  However, over the years the red lights keep popping up.

[sprjus4]

US-460 and to some extent US-60 (to avoid the congested 30 mile stretch west of Williamsburg) provide alternative routes to I-64 between Hampton Roads and Richmond.

US-460, along with US-58, can also be used cross state in lieu of I-64 and I-81, and both are mostly 4 lane divided highways.

By no means though, would I consider either to be the primary option. I'd still rather take the interstate over those routes. But I have tried both at least once, either to avoid traffic or simply to do it. The problem is the slower speed limits often make them take more time despite being more direct. Good for a change of pace no doubt, just can sometimes drag on and on at 55 or 60 mph for long distances of wide open road vs. 70 mph on I-64 or I-81, even with the trucks.

[OCGuy81]

US 27 in Florida is a great alternative to the Florida's Turnpike.  However, over the years the red lights keep popping up.

Plus, US 27 is free.  Makes me wonder how much people are willing to be inconvenienced (red lights, lower speed limit) to avoid a toll?

[sprjus4]

US 27 in Florida is a great alternative to the Florida's Turnpike.  However, over the years the red lights keep popping up.

Plus, US 27 is free.  Makes me wonder how much people are willing to be inconvenienced (red lights, lower speed limit) to avoid a toll?

If I was a long distance traveler, no way would I subject myself to those conditions. For a one or two time trip, I'd pay the toll to drive 70+ mph the whole way. Daily commuter? Depends.

[OCGuy81]

In California, I'd often take CA-99 through the Central Valley.  It added time, but there were better places to stop and it's not *quite* as boring as I-5 through the same stretch (one of the most boring stretches in the entire interstate system, I'd argue)

[Flint1979]

US 27 in Florida is a great alternative to the Florida's Turnpike.  However, over the years the red lights keep popping up.

Plus, US 27 is free.  Makes me wonder how much people are willing to be inconvenienced (red lights, lower speed limit) to avoid a toll?

I took it from Lake Worth to Orlando last week. Didn't mind the tolls at all because I wanted to hurry up and get to Orlando and the car I had had SunPass in it so that was nice. Coming back I was annoyed by the $4 tolls every time on the West Virginia Turnpike but that's another state.

[Takumi]

US-460 and to some extent US-60 (to avoid the congested 30 mile stretch west of Williamsburg) provide alternative routes to I-64 between Hampton Roads and Richmond.

US-460, along with US-58, can also be used cross state in lieu of I-64 and I-81, and both are mostly 4 lane divided highways.

By no means though, would I consider either to be the primary option. I'd still rather take the interstate over those routes. But I have tried both at least once, either to avoid traffic or simply to do it. The problem is the slower speed limits often make them take more time despite being more direct. Good for a change of pace no doubt, just can sometimes drag on and on at 55 or 60 mph for long distances of wide open road vs. 70 mph on I-64 or I-81, even with the trucks.

Depending where you live, 460 might be faster to get to Hampton Roads from the 95 corridor. It is for me, because 460 is much closer to where I live than 64.

[Max Rockatansky]

Former US 66/91/395 on Cajon Boulevard for nostalgic reasons and utility in bypassing traffic backups on I-15. 

Former US 91 from Beaver Dam, AZ to St. George, UT.

AZ 89A/Old US 89A from Flagstaff to Prescott Valley.

Former US 1/FL 4A on Card Sound Road over the brutalizing 18 Mile Stretch departing Key Largo. 

[kphoger]

Southern Illinois:

Old Route 13, a.k.a. Main Street – Even west of town, it's a great back way to many industries and a decent alternate route between Marion and Route 148.

Old Highway 51 – It's still how you get to Cobden, and it's a beautiful drive.

[sprjus4]

US-460 and to some extent US-60 (to avoid the congested 30 mile stretch west of Williamsburg) provide alternative routes to I-64 between Hampton Roads and Richmond.

US-460, along with US-58, can also be used cross state in lieu of I-64 and I-81, and both are mostly 4 lane divided highways.

By no means though, would I consider either to be the primary option. I'd still rather take the interstate over those routes. But I have tried both at least once, either to avoid traffic or simply to do it. The problem is the slower speed limits often make them take more time despite being more direct. Good for a change of pace no doubt, just can sometimes drag on and on at 55 or 60 mph for long distances of wide open road vs. 70 mph on I-64 or I-81, even with the trucks.

Depending where you live, 460 might be faster to get to Hampton Roads from the 95 corridor. It is for me, because 460 is much closer to where I live than 64.

That is definitely true for areas south of Richmond, such as southern Chesterfield County and down to Petersburg, and the same could be said for Suffolk on the Hampton Roads side.

But for Downtown Richmond or areas north of roughly VA-895 to Downtown Norfolk or areas east of I-664, I-64 would obviously be the faster option (assuming no traffic - I'll easily take US-460 if I'm going to be hitting the tunnels at afternoon rush hour heading south, or if I-64 between Williamsburg and Bottoms Bridge is traffic cluttered during a peak weekend - though the widening between I-295 and VA-249 finished two years ago has certainly alleviated the most notorious spot for congestion)

[SEWIGuy]

When I was a kid growing up in Madison, WI, we regularly took US-18 to visit family in Waukesha instead of I-94.

When I have time now, I love to take WI-57 from Milwaukee to Green Bay.

[Avalanchez71]

Former US 66/91/395 on Cajon Boulevard for nostalgic reasons and utility in bypassing traffic backups on I-15. 

Former US 91 from Beaver Dam, AZ to St. George, UT.

AZ 89A/Old US 89A from Flagstaff to Prescott Valley.

Former US 1/FL 4A on Card Sound Road over the brutalizing 18 Mile Stretch departing Key Largo.

I agree with using CR 905/CR 905A and Card Sound Road over US 1/SR 5.  This is the one time I will pay a toll over a non-toll.

[Max Rockatansky]

Former US 66/91/395 on Cajon Boulevard for nostalgic reasons and utility in bypassing traffic backups on I-15. 

Former US 91 from Beaver Dam, AZ to St. George, UT.

AZ 89A/Old US 89A from Flagstaff to Prescott Valley.

Former US 1/FL 4A on Card Sound Road over the brutalizing 18 Mile Stretch departing Key Largo.

I agree with using CR 905/CR 905A and Card Sound Road over US 1/SR 5.  This is the one time I will pay a toll over a non-toll.

Even easier now that you can use SunPass.

[Roadgeekteen]

MA 9 is still heavily used for everyone who wants to go shopping around here, even though the Mass Pike replaced it for long-distance travel.

[Flint1979]

Dixie Highway between Flint and Saginaw. Some of it is now M-54 but it's old US-10 and US-23 and an alternate route between Flint and Saginaw.

Followed by Saginaw Road through Genesee County (Old US-10). Dixie Highway in northern Oakland County (Old US-10) before turning into US-24.

Woodward Avenue (now M-1, old US-10).

[gonealookin]

Carson City has done a very nice job with the South Carson Street portion of former US 50/US 395 (relocated to the I-580 bypass in 2017).  They gave it the road diet treatment but not a severe one:  reducing it from 6 lanes to 4, putting in a pedestrian/bicycle path with that extra space and dropping the speed limit from 45 to 35.  The businesses along there appear to be doing very well in spite of the big reduction in traffic.

The North Carson Street portion of former US 395 is quite the opposite.  It's still 6* lanes, high speed and feels desolate in the business sense, lowlighted by a shopping center formerly anchored by a Kmart that has been in a state of near-total abandonment for many years.

*OK, checking it on GSV it's actually 4 lanes but it sure feels wide enough to be 6.  I'm rarely in that part of town.

[OCGuy81]

If you consider US 90 supplanting I-10 in West Texas (IIRC, 10 runs along what was US 80's old alignment mostly?) then I'd add that one.

The drive west of San Antonio is pretty cool.

[Rothman]

MA 9 is still heavily used for everyone who wants to go shopping around here, even though the Mass Pike replaced it for long-distance travel.

Wut.

[74/171FAN]

VA 156 was supplanted practically by I-295, but I grew up along that road so I can't stop appreciating it.