I-26 History Question

[mrpablue]

Is there a reason I-26 is signed east-west? It seems to move more north-south than east-west; in fact, parts of it seem to run the wrong way. Except for the part of the route in southern NC, this problem would be largely avoided if I-26 were signed north-south.

Is it because most odd Interstates in its region run southwest-northeast? Is it to avoid possible wrong-way concurrencies, or to avoid junctions between two north-south routes?

[Eth]

Interstate numbers in and near the Carolinas make much more sense if you just reinterpret "north-south" to mean "parallel to the coast", and "east-west" as "perpendicular to the coast". That, I think, adequately explains the numbers 24, 26, 74, 81 (south of 64), 85, and the southern 87.

[wdcrft63]

Is there a reason I-26 is signed east-west? It seems to move more north-south than east-west; in fact, parts of it seem to run the wrong way. Except for the part of the route in southern NC, this problem would be largely avoided if I-26 were signed north-south.

Is it because most odd Interstates in its region run southwest-northeast? Is it to avoid possible wrong-way concurrencies, or to avoid junctions between two north-south routes?

Also, the original version of I-26 ended at Asheville; the extension to upper East Tennessee was added later. Asheville to Charleston is more believably east to west.

[mrpablue]

Even so, routes like I-81 in TN or I-40 in NC are parts of longer routes that conform. I-26, even when it ended at Asheville, covers more distance north-south than east-west. Parts of it in West NC even look somewhat parallel to the coast.

I also didn't consider I-74. I never have, and probably will continue to ignore it for a while.

[Mapmikey]

I-26 is signed E-W because an even number was assigned.  Unlike US routes, I cannot think off hand of any exceptions with 2dis having an odd number signed E-W or an even number signed N-S, other than I-95 in Connecticut at one time (I don't know if that was statewide or just in a few spots).  Just like the ill-chosen I-87 in North Carolina, which will be signed N-S.

There just weren't enough odd numbers available east of the Mississippi...

However, they could have numbered it 40S which could've been signed N-S the same was 70S in Maryland was...

[hotdogPi]

Unlike US routes, I cannot think off hand of any exceptions with 2dis having an odd number signed E-W or an even number signed N-S, other than I-95 in Connecticut at one time (I don't know if that was statewide or just in a few spots).

[Mapmikey]

D'oh!  The one state I haven't been to...

Is it posted that way throughout Michigan or only on the actual E-W part?

[hotdogPi]

D'oh!  The one state I haven't been to...

Is it posted that way throughout Michigan or only on the actual E-W part?

Only the actual E-W part.

[bob7374]

Even so, routes like I-81 in TN or I-40 in NC are parts of longer routes that conform. I-26, even when it ended at Asheville, covers more distance north-south than east-west. Parts of it in West NC even look somewhat parallel to the coast.

I also didn't consider I-74. I never have, and probably will continue to ignore it for a while.

IMO opinion I-26 north of Asheville should have been signed N-S. If so, it would have avoided the costs of renumbering all the exits on US 23 in TN which were changed so the lowest one would be at the west end of I-26.

[VTGoose]

Interstate numbers in and near the Carolinas make much more sense if you just reinterpret "north-south" to mean "parallel to the coast", and "east-west" as "perpendicular to the coast". That, I think, adequately explains the numbers 24, 26, 74, 81 (south of 64), 85, and the southern 87.

Minor nit -- I-81 isn't in or near the Carolinas.    As to I-81 through Virginia and I-26 west of Asheville, the direction of the Appalachian Mountains has a lot to do with where the highways run. I-81 comes down the perfect conduit from north to south -- the Shenandoah Valley then continues on down the route followed since colonial days. Both highways put you further south or east of where you started from, so what's the difference?

Bruce in Blacksburg

[BrianP]

Minor nit -- I-81 isn't in or near the Carolinas.   

I-81 comes within about 15 miles of the western end of NC.  That's near. Nit denied.  But I do think your mountain point fits in with the coast point as to why directions are askew in that region. 

[froggie]

Unlike US routes, I cannot think off hand of any exceptions with 2dis having an odd number signed E-W or an even number signed N-S

Very few these days, but it may have been more common in the early days of the system.  The east-west leg of I-89 between Burlington and Montpelier, VT was signed east-west when it opened in 1960.  I do not have a date (yet) on when it was switched to north-south.

[Eth]

Minor nit -- I-81 isn't in or near the Carolinas.   

I-81 comes within about 15 miles of the western end of NC.  That's near. Nit denied.  But I do think your mountain point fits in with the coast point as to why directions are askew in that region. 

Yeah, if you wanted to nitpick that, you should have hit me for 24, not 81. At least it's 50 miles away.

[roadman65]

Talk about more confusing why did SCDOT resign all of US 52 to be E-W when for decades it was N-S?  Considering in NC and VA it is signed N-S and even WV too.  Only across the Ohio River it changed to E-W and in Indiana and IL it is E-W.  I am not sure about Iowa and MN or ND, but in SC it does run more North and South.

Where US 52 meets US 501 is awkward because if you head east on US 52, US 501 north is to the right and US 501 south is left.  Traveling US 501 North you have US 52 West to the right and East to the left defying typical direction relationships.

I always thought I-24 was odd too, but its alignment is iffy as being it is at a perfect 45 degree angle.  I imagine that if it were an odd number, which it could be as well, a north- south heading could work there.

However, look at numbers available in the grid for N-S routes.  Of course Buddy Boy's I-99 and AASHTO letting a short spur of I-695 in MD use a perfectly good two digit number makes filling in the grid even more impossible as two good numbers could be available to build a coastal interstate east of I-95.

Yes I meant US 521. I do not know why I typed in that one considering both never meet at all.  One of those things your fingers do something else than what the thought in your head is got lol! 

[Mapmikey]

Where US 52 meets US 501 is awkward because if you head east on US 52, US 501 north is to the right and US 501 south is left.  Traveling US 501 North you have US 52 West to the right and East to the left defying typical direction relationships.

US 52 has been signed E-W in parts of South Carolina continuously back to the mid 1970s.

Oddly, Virginia used to sign US 52 E-W originally.

You mean US 521 and US 52.

[Henry]

In another universe it could be I-73, but again, there's no appropriate number available for it, since it is entirely east of I-75 (and then again, so is the highway that eventually became I-73). So I-26 is here to stay.

Also, lots of people make a big fuss over I-26's north-south nature, when I-85 is just as bad with its east-west nature.

[hotdogPi]

In another universe it could be I-73, but again, there's no appropriate number available for it, since it is entirely east of I-75 (and then again, so is the highway that eventually became I-73). So I-26 is here to stay.

Also, lots of people make a big fuss over I-26's north-south nature, when I-85 is just as bad with its east-west nature.

I've heard many complaints about I-85 being more east-west than north-south, even more than I-26 being incorrect. (The "winner" goes to I-82.)

[mrpablue]

Yes, I-82 is the worst. It doesn't even meet any odd Interstates.

Maybe I-85 would have been a better suited number for the I-59 - I-81 corridor. It is cross-country and reasonably north-south. The current I-59 would be very out of grid, though.

[triplemultiplex]

I've thought about how some of our diagonal interstates could have been given numbers like 100, 200, 300, etc.  That gives them free reign to ignore the grid and angle where ever they will.

[mrpablue]

There's never gonna be Interstate 0, so I see no harm in Interstates x00 - as long as there's multiple of them.

[DJStephens]

I-26, when extended over the Appalachian mountains, roughly paralleling US 23, subsumed pre-existing I-181, which branched out from I-81 in the Johnson city Tenn. region.   The routing does seem a bit strange, guess the desire for an extended 2di trumped route discipline.   A more westerly direction could have taken I-26 south of the great smoky national park to meet 75 somewhere east of chattanooga.   

[hbelkins]

The US 23 upgrades were done as part of the Appalachian Development Highway System. The route of Corridor B runs from Asheville north along US 23 to  Columbus, Ohio.

[roadman65]

Now that the Ravenel Bridge is completed I take I-26 lost its last mile (or even less) when US 17 took over its freeway to the now defunct directional interchange that was the terminus of the old Cooper River Bridges?

[jwolfer]

I've thought about how some of our diagonal interstates could have been given numbers like 100, 200, 300, etc.  That gives them free reign to ignore the grid and angle where ever they will.

Like the Florida SR grid.. x00 routes are all diagonals..i4 is SR 400

Z981

[Mapmikey]

Now that the Ravenel Bridge is completed I take I-26 lost its last mile (or even less) when US 17 took over its freeway to the now defunct directional interchange that was the terminus of the old Cooper River Bridges?

I-26's routing has not been truncated.  US 17 SB and I-26 EB do not share any pavement, and thus 26 must still have to go at least as far as it used to.  See this dicussion from the Travel Mapping forum which reveals the previously thought endpoint for I-26 may have been a little short of where it actually was (and still is).
http://tm.teresco.org/forum/index.php?topic=2035.msg6065#msg6065


The last EB I-26 shield I know of is for the on-ramp from the original Exit 220 which puts you on 26 past where the EB ramp to US 17 Ravenel Bridge is.
https://goo.gl/maps/R3UyeWj1d7m