Accident-Prone Stretches of Highway

[DJ Particle]

Yeah, the barrier is permanent. They installed that after a number of gruesome accidents.

The high crash rates of high-traffic super-2 freeways is something Cape Cod learned about long ago.  US-6 between exit 9 (77) and the Orleans Rotary.

The US-6 freeway on Cape Cod was built in stages.  The first stage (Westbound lanes Exits 1C (54C) to 6 (67)) in 1951, the second stage (Eastbound lanes of same) in 1953, The third stage (Westbound lanes Exits 6 (67) to 13 (Rotary)) between 1956-58, and the fourth stage (Eastbound lanes Exits 6 (67) to 9 (77) and the grade separation over the railroad near Exit 8 (74)) in 1967-68.  The fourth stage was originally meant to go all the way to the rotary.

In each stage, if the Eastbound lanes weren't open yet, the westbound lanes served as a Super-2. (with an exception near Exit 6 (67), but it's complicated).

A combination of an environmental puzzle in Harwich and Cape Cod NIMBYs (did I mention I *hate* Cape Cod NIMBYs?) stopped the fourth stage in its tracks in 1968, resulting in the approx. 12.5-mile Super-2 that exists to this day. (there was once a proposal in 1971 to extend the Super-2 to N Eastham, but that was also killed by, you guessed it, Cape Cod NIMBYs)

Like the Long Lake bypass previously mentioned, it was originally striped like any other 2-lane road, with passing zones.  As traffic increased, there were more and more head-on collisions, making the stretch gain the nickname it also has to this day:  "Suicide Alley".

In 1989, they finally decided to do something about it.  They made the entire Super-2 a no passing zone, but since the stretch had no shoulder/breakdown lanes, they couldn't use a Jersey barrier like was done with US-12.  Instead, they posted "lollipop stick" style stanchions, meant to easily give way in the event of emergency vehicles.  They also posted large reflectors to make the center light up like a klaxon at night.

Needless to say, this only mildly cut down on head-ons.

In 1991, they widened the asphalt surface to allow for a larger buffer between the two lanes.  In 1992, they added a small riser for the stanchions to sit on.  And that's the state of the Super-2 to this day.

Again, needless to say, there are STILL a lot of head-on collisions on that stretch.

The problem is that at the very least, the road needs real breakdown lanes and a Jersey barrier...but again, we have those Cape Cod NIMBYs who are DEAD SET AGAINST such improvements, because they feel it will make the highway "less rural".

Jerks...  Cape Cod hasn't been "rural" for about 3/4 of a century, and they don't want to face it.  Instead, they'd rather have narrow dangerous roads, BGSs hidden by trees, and they think suppressed speed limits will magically fix everything.

NO ONE comes to the Cape to see the "pretty freeway"!!!  (and those of us who ARE roadgeeks I assume would find the road as much of a travesty as I do)

(oh, and they won't call US-6 a 'freeway' either, because "a 'freeway' is a big city thing!" (yes, they actually say that) )

*exhales*

Sorry, I had to get that off my chest.

[kphoger]

The exit numbers are rounded miles.

Actually, aren't exit numbers truncated miles?

[skluth]

The exit numbers are rounded miles.

Actually, aren't exit numbers truncated miles?

I will take your word for it. I honestly don't know.

[Hurricane Rex]

Cabbage Hill and Sikoyu pass in Oregon. Tight curves and steep for an interstate, and weather is not your friend.

SM-J737T

[frankenroad]

Actually, aren't exit numbers truncated miles?

I will take your word for it. I honestly don't know.

i believe it varies from state to state - Ohio uses truncated miles.  It's not uncommon to see a Mile Marker X+1 in the middle of the interchange designated as Exit X.   

I still can't understand Exit 24 on I-71, though.  It begins at mile marker 22.8.   By Ohio's normal rules it should be Exit 22, though I would be comfortable if it were Exit 23.   It used to be a northbound exit only, but they recently added a southbound exit ramp.   I was hoping they would renumber the exit before propogating the problem.