Inefficient numbered routings

[ilpt4u]

Since this is "inefficient"  not necessarily shortest or fastest, I will put forth I-79->I-68 over following I-70 between Washington, PA and Hancock, MD.

Google Maps has both routes within 5 minutes and 10 miles of each other, but considering the tolls on the PA Turnpike, gotta give the efficiency edge to 79-68. Also, no stoplights on that route, either!

I-95 between Wilmington, Delaware and NJTP Exit 6, versus the NJTP itself, tho this is partially dependent on time of day/traffic on each route and also toll on the NJTP between Southpoint and Exit 6. Delaware Memorial Bridge and PA Turnpike tolls comparable, Southbound only

[US 89]

In before I-90 and US 212.

[texaskdog]

Why the turn on US 285 in Colorado?  In addition it takes it FARTHER from the National Park entrance.  US 61 south of Hastings.  WI 77 from Mellen to Clam Lake.  US 20 in central Wyoming.

[texaskdog]

A longer one: I-95 between New Haven, CT and Amesbury, MA.  More efficient to take I-91 to CT 15 to I-84 to I-90 to I-290 to I-495 (or stay on I-90 to I-495).

Once the nimbys took it out of Boston, I-95 should have been moved to that routing

[DandyDan]

The Avenue of the Saints (aka IA 27) in Cedar Falls and Waterloo should have followed US 218.

One I don't think too many people think about is US 63 from Rochester to Red Wing. US 63 should go north on US 52 to Zumbrota and north on MN 58 to Red Wing.

[TEG24601]

I was going to say that the routing from Ellensburg to George, WA is horribly inefficient, as well as having to drop the freeway to river level for the crossing, when a gorge spanning bridge would be awesome and so much more efficient, and would reduce truck emissions climbing back up on either side of the Columbia.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Related thread: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=9540.0

[texaskdog]

The Avenue of the Saints (aka IA 27) in Cedar Falls and Waterloo should have followed US 218.

One I don't think too many people think about is US 63 from Rochester to Red Wing. US 63 should go north on US 52 to Zumbrota and north on MN 58 to Red Wing.

Yes they put that STUPID jog in it now, like Lake City has to have two US highways.

[ilpt4u]

IL's poster child for an inefficient numbered route: IL 110 being christened as the so-called Chicago-Kansas City Expressway

Baring something ridiculous on I-55 or I-72, from Downtown Chicago to Hannibal, MO, the IL 110 route of I-290/I-88/I-80/I-74/US 34/US 67/US 136/IL 336/I-172/I-72 (~5 hrs, 325 miles per Google Maps plus tolls on I-88) is not even really competitive with the I-55/I-72 route (~4.5 hrs, 300 miles)

If you want to compare the entire IL/MO 110 CKC, the 110 hodgepodge in IL continues in MO on US 36/I-35, and the combined 110 is not really competitive with I-80 or I-88/I-35 or I-55/I-270/I-70

The only advantage I'd give the CKC, is once outside of Metro Chicagoland, and especially once to US 34 in Galesburg, it is a much more "relaxed"  drive, as it is not very busy in Western IL/"Forgottonia"  and I-55, I-70, and I-80 can have lots of Truck Traffic

[hbelkins]

Since this is "inefficient"  not necessarily shortest or fastest, I will put forth I-79->I-68 over following I-70 between Washington, PA and Hancock, MD.

Google Maps has both routes within 5 minutes and 10 miles of each other, but considering the tolls on the PA Turnpike, gotta give the efficiency edge to 79-68. Also, no stoplights on that route, either!

But I-68 is a more inefficient route when it comes to using fuel. There's a reason truckers prefer staying on I-70, and paying the tolls, vs. going south into West Virginia and using I-68. Some of those grades are pretty steep.

[Evan_Th]

In North Carolina, US 15-501 does a detour to Carthage between Lemon Springs and Southern Pines, while US 1 stays on a much straighter road.

[StogieGuy7]

A longer one: I-95 between New Haven, CT and Amesbury, MA.  More efficient to take I-91 to CT 15 to I-84 to I-90 to I-290 to I-495 (or stay on I-90 to I-495).

CT 10 between the eastern terminus of the US 44 concurrency, and CT 185.  Easier to cross over US 44 and stay on Nod Rd to CT 185, then turn west briefly to rejoin CT 10 (then paired with US 202).

I'm bumping this one up because it's so true and is an important through route: I-95, which ostensibly runs between Boston and New York is very inefficient for that mission.  Better to go up I-91 to I-84 to I-90 (and there are other ways to do this as well).   I-95 through New London, Warwick, Providence, etc. takes quite a bit longer and was only routed that way to provide RI with interstate access.  Prior to the Interstate System, people traveled between Boston and NY via the Wilbur Cross Highway, which roughly parallels the sequence described above. 

[TheStranger]

A longer one: I-95 between New Haven, CT and Amesbury, MA.  More efficient to take I-91 to CT 15 to I-84 to I-90 to I-290 to I-495 (or stay on I-90 to I-495).

CT 10 between the eastern terminus of the US 44 concurrency, and CT 185.  Easier to cross over US 44 and stay on Nod Rd to CT 185, then turn west briefly to rejoin CT 10 (then paired with US 202).

I'm bumping this one up because it's so true and is an important through route: I-95, which ostensibly runs between Boston and New York is very inefficient for that mission.  Better to go up I-91 to I-84 to I-90 (and there are other ways to do this as well).   I-95 through New London, Warwick, Providence, etc. takes quite a bit longer and was only routed that way to provide RI with interstate access.  Prior to the Interstate System, people traveled between Boston and NY via the Wilbur Cross Highway, which roughly parallels the sequence described above. 

It's interesting to view it as a similar situation to how US 101 makes the big bend towards Gaviota while the fastest Bay Area-Los Angeles routes are either 101-152-5 or 80-580-5.

In 101's case though, I don't know if "inefficiency" is the right word because the corridors are really not parallel where 101 runs east-west to get through Santa Barbara/Ventura/Thousand Oaks and 5 continues south from the Grapevine.   Certainly just for the LA-SF drive it is longer, but 5 doesn't provide an alternative at all for the numerous other cities along 101 between the two areas.

Prior to the West Side Freeway part of I-5 being built, I'm not sure if traffic patterns had people using US 50-Route 120-US 99 to get to LA from the Bay Area (or for that matter, 101-152-99).

[doorknob60]

US-20 Between Lebanon, OR and Corvallis. The direct route is OR-34 (and is signed as such), which is 19 miles (27 mins). Following US-20 is 26 miles, and sends you through downtown Albany, and Google says 45 minutes. No reason you'd ever do that. Obviously US-20 is still used as a route between Lebanon and Albany, or Corvallis and Albany. But not the whole way.

US-93 between NV-318 and Ely. Direct route is NV-318 and US-6, 136 miles, 2h 8m. Following US-93 is 176 miles, 2h 43m. This one is very poorly signed from US-93 (you have to know to turn on 318), unlike the other example.

And in both those cases, the shorter route is not just shorter and faster, but also an equal or greater quality road in terms of design, lanes, speed limit, etc. So it's not like you're getting off a freeway onto a windy 2 lane road to save miles (which can be a trade off, valid reasons to go either way), you're saving miles with a pretty equal quality road.

[US 89]

US-93 between NV-318 and Ely. Direct route is NV-318 and US-6, 136 miles, 2h 8m. Following US-93 is 176 miles, 2h 43m. This one is very poorly signed from US-93 (you have to know to turn on 318), unlike the other example.

There is this sign on 93 southbound in Ely, which shows a 44 mile advantage to SR 318: 

[kphoger]

IL 110

Can we all just agree that CKC/110 doesn't exist?  Let us nevermore mention its name or number.

[zzcarp]

Why the turn on US 285 in Colorado?  In addition it takes it FARTHER from the National Park entrance.

Are you speaking of the segment from Alamosa north where Colo Highway 17 is the much more direct route than the US 160 multiplex west to Monte Vista then north?

Speaking of Colorado, heading south towards Denver, US 287 nearly hits US 36, heads east on 120th Avenue, south on Federal (crossing US 36 a second time), east on Colfax through downtown and then multiplexes on I-70 (and unmarked US 36 and US 40). The more direct route would be straight down US 36/I-270 to I-70.

Another one is Colo Highway 88 which takes over US 287's southern routing on Federal at Colfax/US 40. It heads south 8 miles to Bellevue Ave, then heads east to I-25, south (unmarked) 2 miles to Arapahoe Road, then east to Parker road.

The most egregious one I know here is Colo Highway 30. It begins at I-25/US 285 at Hampden Boulevard and ends 11 miles east and 1 mile south at Quincy and Gun Club Road near E-470. However, Highway 30 turns north on Havana to 6th Avenue, then east on 6th Avenue and a long sweeping curve back south onto Gun Club Road to its terminus (about 20 miles). The most direct route is blocked by Cherry Creek State Park and I-225, though you can cut across Parker Road to connect the disconnected segments of Hampden.

I could go on...

[sparker]

US-93 between NV-318 and Ely. Direct route is NV-318 and US-6, 136 miles, 2h 8m. Following US-93 is 176 miles, 2h 43m. This one is very poorly signed from US-93 (you have to know to turn on 318), unlike the other example.

There is this sign on 93 southbound in Ely, which shows a 44 mile advantage to SR 318: 

The NHS N-S corridor up the east side of NV uses NV 318 rather than US 93 north of their southern junction; obviously recognizing reality.  Thus, if for some reason a generally direct Vegas-Idaho Interstate (yeah, right!) corridor that's not I-11 ever comes to pass, it'll shoot right up 318. 

IL 110

Can we all just agree that CKC/110 doesn't exist?  Let us nevermore mention its name or number.

110? -- isn't that an Interstate heading from L.A. down to the harbor?  Don't really know, or want to, about other 110's -- well, maybe Baton Rouge, if they ever get that damn I-10 interchange working properly!

[ilpt4u]

IL 110

Can we all just agree that CKC/110 doesn't exist?  Let us nevermore mention its name or number.

It can exist, but if it does, it should be along I-55 & I-72 in IL, as a legit "CKC" alternate to 55/270/70 or (88/)80/35. MO's 110 routing of I-72/US 36/I-35 is fine

The route that is signed now is Creative, but Asinine

[citrus]

It's interesting to view it as a similar situation to how US 101 makes the big bend towards Gaviota while the fastest Bay Area-Los Angeles routes are either 101-152-5 or 80-580-5.

On a smaller scale, CA 154 is often faster than US 101 between its two endpoints, though it's 2-lane and you risk getting stuck behind someone slow.

[Max Rockatansky]

It's interesting to view it as a similar situation to how US 101 makes the big bend towards Gaviota while the fastest Bay Area-Los Angeles routes are either 101-152-5 or 80-580-5.

On a smaller scale, CA 154 is often faster than US 101 between its two endpoints, though it's 2-lane and you risk getting stuck behind someone slow.

I'd wager on most average days CA 119 and CA 33 are faster way from Bakersfield to Ventura over I-5/CA 126.  The geography of the Coast Ranges often creates some interesting short cuts for those willing to go off the limited access beaten path.  One that I regularly use is CA 198/CA 25 to reach Hollister from the Central Valley over the more conventional I-5/CA 152.  Given how much J1 is improving with surface quality it might soon give I-5/CA 152 a run for it's money for reaching Hollister and Monterey County faster from the Fresno Area. 

[Revive 755]

* I-270 versus I-70 in the St. Louis area (around a 7 miles savings to take I-270).

* Until more of the expressway upgrades are completed, US 67 versus IL 267 (with a short hop on I-72) between Godfrey and Jacksonville.  Google is showing the US 67 routing actually being shorter distance wise and almost the same time wise, but I would lean towards it underestimating the delay in all the towns along US 67.

[TheStranger]

* Until more of the expressway upgrades are completed, US 67 versus IL 267 (with a short hop on I-72) between Godfrey and Jacksonville.  Google is showing the US 67 routing actually being shorter distance wise and almost the same time wise, but I would lean towards it underestimating the delay in all the towns along US 67.

Wikipedia on IL 267 notes that between the 1960s and 2001, 267 was assigned to the western routing while 67 used today's 267.  What were the reasons for the rerouting to put US 67 back on the western corridor?

[TheStranger]

One that came to mind earlier but I had forgotten to post about until now:

Route 116 in eastern Petaluma, CA, where the straightest/most direct path is Frates Road and Adobe Road, but 116 instead continues on Lakeville Highway before taking a short but curvy routing (Stage Gulch Road) to reconnect with Adobe.

[ftballfan]

M-20 still has that awkward jog in the Big Rapids area. However, it's not as bad as it used to be (until the 1970s, M-20 used to stairstep its way from Muskegon to Big Rapids and then along its current route to Midland).

It's significantly faster to run 8 Mile Rd > 155th Ave > Buchanan Rd > 90th Ave > 9 Mile Rd (21 minutes, 14.5 miles) between US-131 and Mecosta than run M-20 via Big Rapids (37 minutes, 29.8 miles)