Freeways that are now Interstates, but are still commonly known by a prior name

[achilles765]

I-69 in Houston is still referred to as 59 by locals, to the point where it's really easy to tell when someone isn't from Houston based on if they call it 59 or 69.

I was just about to say this exactly

[OCGuy81]

It was mentioned here earlier I-41 in WI hasn't quite taken hold yet.

What about central Wisconsin?  Has I-39 finally become the normal name, or is it still 51?

[Big John]

It was mentioned here earlier I-41 in WI hasn't quite taken hold yet.

What about central Wisconsin?  Has I-39 finally become the normal name, or is it still 51?

I don't have one that is known by its prior signage, but I have one that is not, and I was surprised at how quickly the new shield became the primary identification:  Interstate 580 from Reno to the south end of Carson City.

Prior to 2012 it was signed as US 395.  When the segment from Mt. Rose Highway in south Reno to Washoe Valley was completed in 2012, the I-580 shields went up, but alongside the US 395 shields.  I figured people would just keep referring to it as "395", but it became known locally as "580" pretty much immediately.

Here in Wisconsin, I-41 is still often referred to as being 'Highway forty one'.

Mike

Conversely, when I-39 was extended over US-51, it didn't take long at all before I-39 was the more common usage.

[hbelkins]

I-65 between Louisville and E-town is still referred to as "the Turnpike" as in its former identity of the Kentucky Turnpike.

I don't call any of the Kentucky parkways that are now interstates by their new numbers. They're still the WK, Purchase, Pennyrile and Green River parkways to me.

Yeah. I don't even refer to the Hal Rogers (Daniel Boone), Louie Nunn (Cumberland) or William Natcher (Green River) by those names let alone the Interstate number.

I'm never going to get used to "Hal Rogers" or "Louie Nunn."

While the Hal Rogers and William H. Natcher designations were full name changes, the Louie B. Nunn designation was tacked on to the name, like the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway.

I'm surprised the "tacking on of the politician's name to the geographical or historical name" wasn't in effect for the Natcher. The first parkway to get that treatment was the Mountain Parkway; KYTC could have easily called it "William H. Natcher Green River Parkway."

Now it's I-165 and I don't know if any of the old Natcher Parkway signs are still in existence.

[JayhawkCO]

You know in Florida, though not interstates, many toll roads that didn't have Route shields when they first started are still too referred by the name over the posted route number.

Only FL 408, that was just known and signed as the East- West Expressway, quickly was referred to by the new route shields after being installed especially by traffic reporters.

In addition, the name change on FL 528 from the Beeline Expressway to the Beachline Expressway was also done like 408 was. Traffic reporters and DJs such as Deano O' Neil on Z88 were all referring to the new name of FL 528 in no time after Jeb signed the bill changing the expressway name.

I don't know how common it is, but my parents still refer to the east side of I-295 around Jacksonville as 9A.

[OCGuy81]

How about the former I-164 in Evansville?  Is it referred to as 69 now?  Was it ever called 164, being just a short spur? 

[hobsini2]

I-65 between Louisville and E-town is still referred to as "the Turnpike" as in its former identity of the Kentucky Turnpike.

I don't call any of the Kentucky parkways that are now interstates by their new numbers. They're still the WK, Purchase, Pennyrile and Green River parkways to me.

Yeah. I don't even refer to the Hal Rogers (Daniel Boone), Louie Nunn (Cumberland) or William Natcher (Green River) by those names let alone the Interstate number.

I'm never going to get used to "Hal Rogers" or "Louie Nunn."

While the Hal Rogers and William H. Natcher designations were full name changes, the Louie B. Nunn designation was tacked on to the name, like the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway.

I'm surprised the "tacking on of the politician's name to the geographical or historical name" wasn't in effect for the Natcher. The first parkway to get that treatment was the Mountain Parkway; KYTC could have easily called it "William H. Natcher Green River Parkway."

Now it's I-165 and I don't know if any of the old Natcher Parkway signs are still in existence.

The last time I drove through Bowling Green to Owensboro, the Natcher Pkwy signs were mounted with I-165. However at interchanges, it was just 165. That was 2 years ago or so.

[hobsini2]

How about the former I-164 in Evansville?  Is it referred to as 69 now?  Was it ever called 164, being just a short spur? 

164 was not a short spur. But anyway, locals will use both 164 and 69 depending on who you talk with.

[OCGuy81]

How about the former I-164 in Evansville?  Is it referred to as 69 now?  Was it ever called 164, being just a short spur? 

164 was not a short spur. But anyway, locals will use both 164 and 69 depending on who you talk with.

I get that, I know for a 3-di, I-164 was pretty long (especially for an odd numbered one).  I just meant compared to other renamed freeways, like I-41, that it was short.

Thanks for answering this! :-)

[roadman65]

Does anyone in New York ever refer to I-87 as such? It's always been the Thruway or Major Deegan. I also believe that the Adirondack Northway is colloquially called " The Northway"  but that was a given name to I-87 when it was built north of Albany.

[Some one]

How about the former I-164 in Evansville?  Is it referred to as 69 now?  Was it ever called 164, being just a short spur?

I wonder if it's the same case with I-49 and I-540 in Arkansas, as the latter still exists, but the former took over most of its routing.

[Henry]

How about the former I-164 in Evansville?  Is it referred to as 69 now?  Was it ever called 164, being just a short spur?

I wonder if it's the same case with I-49 and I-540 in Arkansas, as the latter still exists, but the former took over most of its routing.

And also, I-87 and I-495 in NC.

[fillup420]

How about the former I-164 in Evansville?  Is it referred to as 69 now?  Was it ever called 164, being just a short spur?

I wonder if it's the same case with I-49 and I-540 in Arkansas, as the latter still exists, but the former took over most of its routing.

And also, I-87 and I-495 in NC.

I-87 in NC is still commonly called "64" by anyone who has lived here a while.

[bing101]

I grew up with Highway being used to describe freeways in the Bay Area
Highway 880 officially it's Interstate 880 from Oakland to San Jose. The Highway name gets inserted before the route number because I-880 is on a former segment of California Highway 17.
Highway 80 officially I-80 because it is on a former segment of US-40.
Highway 680 officially I-680 due to the freeway was previously known as CA-21
Highway 580 and 205 aka I-580, I-205 because it's on a former segment of US-50 until its western terminus was truncated to West Sacramento.

[Flint1979]

In Detroit it seems like they have got away from using freeway names and using freeway numbers instead. Historically I-96 is the Jeffries, I-94 is the Ford, I-75 is the Fisher south of downtown and the Chrysler north of downtown, I-696 is the Ruether. Those are the only Interstate highways that had names for their freeways in Detroit. The leg of I-375 that is about to go away is the southern end of the Chrysler Freeway. I-275 doesn't have a freeway name attached to it.

[TempoNick]

The area where Ohio 315 and I-670 meet in Columbus used to be commonly known as the Spring Sandusky Interchange. (It used to be where Spring Street and Sandusky Street/Ave. met.) The existing part of I-670 was was designed with very primitive engineering standards of early highways. However, when that highway was overhauled and completed, the Spring Sandusky name seems to have dropped off the map.

[MATraveler128]

I-95 as route 128 - Boston.

Also the southern leg of I-93 from Canton to Braintree is also sometimes referred to as 128 even though that portion was decommissioned back in 1997.

[cwf1701]

In Detroit it seems like they have got away from using freeway names and using freeway numbers instead. Historically I-96 is the Jeffries, I-94 is the Ford, I-75 is the Fisher south of downtown and the Chrysler north of downtown, I-696 is the Ruether. Those are the only Interstate highways that had names for their freeways in Detroit. The leg of I-375 that is about to go away is the southern end of the Chrysler Freeway. I-275 doesn't have a freeway name attached to it.

In Macomb county, I-696 is sometimes referred to as the road it replaced, 11 Mile. 11 Mile is still used for the service drive.

[TheStranger]

Bay Area examples:

580 and MacArthur Freeway names are interchangeable (MacArthur name was first used when the road was US 50, and also has origins in the parallel MacArthur Boulevard that was the previous US 50 alignment).  Probably aided by the freeway's western terminus being identified as the MacArthur Maze (and the presence of the MacArthur BART station nearby)

80 along the San Pablo Bay line is the Eastshore Freeway, a name that existed when the route was US 40 (and originates from the 1930s Eastshore Highway/Eastshore Boulevard that is now partially a frontage road to the current freeway)

880 is probably more used now than "Nimitz Freeway" but the Nimitz name is still known here

The other freeway names known in the area (Bayshore, Central, Warren) are along non-interstates (US 101 for the first two; Route 13 for the third one).  Otherwise, it's all numbers out here these days.

[LilianaUwU]

How about the former I-164 in Evansville?  Is it referred to as 69 now?  Was it ever called 164, being just a short spur?

I wonder if it's the same case with I-49 and I-540 in Arkansas, as the latter still exists, but the former took over most of its routing.

And also, I-87 and I-495 in NC.

I-87 in NC is still commonly called "64" by anyone who has lived here a while.

Or anyone with common sense, really.

With that said, here's a non-Interstate example: some English speakers in the Montréal area still refer to A-20 west of the city as "2-20" (two twenty), in reference to the pre-1970s Route 2.

[roadman65]

I've mentioned it before, but no one in New York ever calls out I-87 on its run from NYC to Canada.

However, I wonder if anyone calls out I-90 between Albany and the PA State Line? Also does anyone ever call the Mass Pike I-90? I've always heard the toll road name.

[interstate73]

I've mentioned it before, but no one in New York ever calls out I-87 on its run from NYC to Canada.

However, I wonder if anyone calls out I-90 between Albany and the PA State Line? Also does anyone ever call the Mass Pike I-90? I've always heard the toll road name.

My college buddy from the Buffalo area used Los Angeles-style highway nomenclature - so he did refer to I-90 through the Buffalo metro as "The 90". He said that's how other locals called it as well. Not sure about other Upstate metros though.

[vdeane]

However, I wonder if anyone calls out I-90 between Albany and the PA State Line? Also does anyone ever call the Mass Pike I-90? I've always heard the toll road name.

I think so, but mainly around the Buffalo free zone.  Not so much elsewhere.

[bing101]

Bay Area examples:

580 and MacArthur Freeway names are interchangeable (MacArthur name was first used when the road was US 50, and also has origins in the parallel MacArthur Boulevard that was the previous US 50 alignment).  Probably aided by the freeway's western terminus being identified as the MacArthur Maze (and the presence of the MacArthur BART station nearby)

80 along the San Pablo Bay line is the Eastshore Freeway, a name that existed when the route was US 40 (and originates from the 1930s Eastshore Highway/Eastshore Boulevard that is now partially a frontage road to the current freeway)

880 is probably more used now than "Nimitz Freeway" but the Nimitz name is still known here

The other freeway names known in the area (Bayshore, Central, Warren) are along non-interstates (US 101 for the first two; Route 13 for the third one).  Otherwise, it's all numbers out here these days.

680 because it's on a former route CA-21 that's how Bay Area residents refer to freeway numbers as Highway x.
280 parts of it was originally part of CA-82 and that's how locals refer it to Highway 280.

[roadman65]

One thing about Florida is all but one route of the Central Florida toll roads is called by a past name.  FL 408 is the exception as people adapted to the 408 number designation fast.  Even traffic reporters started referencing the East- West Expressway as "The 408" as usually traffic reporters are stubborn and like to use original naming.

When I lived in New Jersey many radio traffic reports would always refer to NJ 139 as " One and Nine" and NJ 495 as " Route 3" during traffic reports.  I don't know about today whether the ignorance got put aside with new blood using the current names, but I believe a former moderator from New Jersey told me on this forum board, that people are actually acknowledging Route 139 as the approach to the Holland Tunnel.