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Unused Stretches of Highway

Started by theroadwayone, January 27, 2018, 01:18:56 AM

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theroadwayone

This can take many forms--a section of road that is now bypassed, abandoned, cut off, used for something else, etc. It's everywhere in the world. What's your favorite such section of road and why?


jakeroot

This is probably the last thing that would qualify, but here's some unused ROW (perhaps a bit more interesting). There was supposed to be a cloverleaf interchange here, but the freeway was never extended south.

The stub of the freeway that was to interchange with the pictured freeway below is here: https://goo.gl/UBHg1Q (note the graded dirt and concrete on either side of the railway)

Site of picture below (Parkland, WA): https://goo.gl/hjbsJS


mgk920

Quote from: jakeroot on January 27, 2018, 06:21:20 AM
This is probably the last thing that would qualify, but here's some unused ROW (perhaps a bit more interesting). There was supposed to be a cloverleaf interchange here, but the freeway was never extended south.

The stub of the freeway that was to interchange with the pictured freeway below is here: https://goo.gl/UBHg1Q (note the graded dirt and concrete on either side of the railway)

Site of picture below (Parkland, WA): https://goo.gl/hjbsJS

I was wondering what the buildout plan on this one was.  Where was it planned to go from there?

Mike

Thing 342

The old routing of US-17 near the Great Dismal Swamp was turned into a bike path when it was bypassed by a new 4-lane alignment in 2006: https://goo.gl/maps/4aDSpKLwFZ32

webny99

#4
Quote from: Thing 342 on January 27, 2018, 12:52:12 PM
The old routing of US-17 near the Great Dismal Swamp was turned into a bike path when it was bypassed by a new 4-lane alignment in 2006: https://goo.gl/maps/4aDSpKLwFZ32

Same with old NY 286 in Penfield.

Hurricane Rex

#5
Old OR/US 99W between Sherwood and Newberg was downgraded to local streets if that qualifies. Great for running workouts though.

Also, OR 18 between Dayton and McMinnville has ROW for 4 lanes but it is currently 2 lanes.
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Max Rockatansky

I've always been partial to Old Florida 4a in the Florida Keys.  It is an entire alignment of the original Overseas Highway before US 1 that very few people even know still exists...or existed.

roadman65

The old Reedy Creek Causeway in rural Osceola County.  Before the current US 17  & 92 bridge over the same creek, both routes used that which is now abandoned.  I believe its closed off, but FDOT left the bridges and islands in between them probably cause there was nothing in the budget for removal when FDOT built the existing crossing.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: roadman65 on January 27, 2018, 08:02:37 PM
The old Reedy Creek Causeway in rural Osceola County.  Before the current US 17  & 92 bridge over the same creek, both routes used that which is now abandoned.  I believe its closed off, but FDOT left the bridges and islands in between them probably cause there was nothing in the budget for removal when FDOT built the existing crossing.

And just west of there the brick alignment of Old Tampa Highway is ironically still in use...go figure.

andrepoiy


US 89

This used to be the Will Rogers Turnpike. It was abandoned when the Will Rogers Turnpike was moved to tie in directly with the Creek Turnpike.

This road plunging into the Jordanelle Reservoir used to be US 40. When the Jordanelle Dam was built, US 40 was relocated to a freeway on the west side of the lake.

Also, I don't have any pictures, but you can still drive old US 40 across the Bonneville Salt Flats, as well as between the SLC Airport and Saltair.


TheHighwayMan3561

Old US 61 through the Grand Portage Reservation in Cook County, MN.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

Finrod

I'm mildly surprised that no one so far has mentioned the abandoned section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (complete with two tunnels), immediately east of Breezewood, Pennsylvania (itself infamous for having I-70 on surface streets).
Internet member since 1987.

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jakeroot

Quote from: mgk920 on January 27, 2018, 10:21:50 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on January 27, 2018, 06:21:20 AM
This is probably the last thing that would qualify, but here's some unused ROW (perhaps a bit more interesting). There was supposed to be a cloverleaf interchange here, but the freeway was never extended south.

The stub of the freeway that was to interchange with the pictured freeway below is here: https://goo.gl/UBHg1Q (note the graded dirt and concrete on either side of the railway)

Site of picture below (Parkland, WA): https://goo.gl/hjbsJS

I was wondering what the buildout plan on this one was.  Where was it planned to go from there?

Mike

That's a good question. Most likely it would have transitioned to an at-grade arterial, but I don't know for sure. I do know the routing north of here would have mostly followed a nearby railway.

Aaron Camp

There is one, if not two, stretches of former IN-63 that have since been bypassed in the Newport, Indiana area, and, although they're not completely unused, they don't see any traffic other than local traffic nowadays.

The first stretch (which I'm not sure if it ever was IN-63 at any point) is the main north-south street in Newport, which includes a bridge over the Little Vermilion River at the north end of Newport and a large hill at the south end of Newport, and it isn't exactly unused: in addition to being a local street, it is used for an antique car hill climb race every fall! If the first stretch was ever IN-63 (Google Maps lists a very short section of roadway at the southern end of the first stretch as the misnamed "S Old Ushwy 63"), it was probably bypassed by the second stretch that I'll discuss in the next paragraph many years before IN-63 north of Terre Haute became a divided highway in the 1970's.

The second stretch of former IN-63 in the Newport area, which was IN-63 prior to IN-63 becoming a divided highway north of Terre Haute, is the original IN-63 bypass around Newport, and it is a narrow two-lane road around the west side of Newport immediately east of the current IN-63. This stretch isn't completely unused (although the northern half of it probably doesn't see more than a few cars per day traveling on it under normal circumstances), as it serves a couple of residential properties as well as traffic turning off of current IN-63 from the south to go down the hill into Newport.

wanderer2575

In Ohio, frontage roads along US-23 between Waldo and Delaware.
https://goo.gl/maps/yEYmjp4HKms

ftballfan

An old alignment of US-20 near South Bend, IN airport: https://goo.gl/maps/GCP5Yr8wo8n
Old M-37/BL I-94 near Battle Creek, MI airport and national guard base: https://goo.gl/maps/qXg5iYz6qa42

nexus73

Quote from: roadguy2 on January 27, 2018, 11:38:19 PM
This used to be the Will Rogers Turnpike. It was abandoned when the Will Rogers Turnpike was moved to tie in directly with the Creek Turnpike.

This road plunging into the Jordanelle Reservoir used to be US 40. When the Jordanelle Dam was built, US 40 was relocated to a freeway on the west side of the lake.

Also, I don't have any pictures, but you can still drive old US 40 across the Bonneville Salt Flats, as well as between the SLC Airport and Saltair.



How many abandoned miles of the Will Rogers Turnpike are there?

During the trip from Oregon to Memphis TN, I saw an old US 66 expressway section that was in the countryside approaching a town that were only used by a tiny handful of homes out there.  It's the perfect place to go tell your kids to play in the middle of the highway!

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.

US 89

Quote from: nexus73 on January 28, 2018, 04:52:01 PM
How many abandoned miles of the Will Rogers Turnpike are there?

According to Google Maps distance measurement, it looks like it's about a mile and a half.

inkyatari

I was always fascinated by the old road through the Old Faithful area of Yellowstone National Park that was eventually bypassed in either the late 60's / Early 70's (can't recall when.)

It's now used as a trail.

https://goo.gl/maps/mwxDvuXRtTA2
I'm never wrong, just wildly inaccurate.

nexus73

Quote from: roadguy2 on January 28, 2018, 05:55:01 PM
Quote from: nexus73 on January 28, 2018, 04:52:01 PM
How many abandoned miles of the Will Rogers Turnpike are there?

According to Google Maps distance measurement, it looks like it's about a mile and a half.

Thanks for the info Roadguy!  It is funny in a sad way to see 4-lane sections abandoned or mostly unused.

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.

jp the roadgeek

3 images from Google Maps Satellite view:



Top Left:  I-84/CT 9 interchange in Farmington.  Half of the ramps are used.  Was supposed to be an interchange between I-84 and the unfinished I-291 beltway.  You can see the continuation of the highway in the median of the in-use portions of the north end of CT 9, and the extension of roadway to Middle Rd.

Top right: I-91 in Rocky Hill at what would have been the southern terminus of the I-291 beltway.  Part of the ghost roadway exists. Until about 15 years ago, usused bridges existed that were removed to widen I-91 in the area. 

Bottom: Southern end of CT 11.  Note the bridge over CT 82 and a portion of the road extending southeast into the woods before ending.  Part of the now-cancelled CT 11 expressway to the I-95/I-395 interchange in Waterford.
Interstates I've clinched: 97, 290 (MA), 291 (CT), 291 (MA), 293, 295 (DE-NJ-PA), 295 (RI-MA), 384, 391, 395 (CT-MA), 395 (MD), 495 (DE), 610 (LA), 684, 691, 695 (MD), 695 (NY), 795 (MD)

roadman65

In PA, near Tobyhana the old US 611 is next to I-380, but is not open to the public.  This is why the part out of Scranton is signed PA 435 instead of PA 611 due to its separation from the downgraded route number
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tobyhanna,+PA+18466/@41.186764,-75.4378022,589m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c4edcf44c27793:0x2a4f636fdb5ceb73!8m2!3d41.1797865!4d-75.4178994
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

RobbieL2415

#23
The end of US 6 in Provincetown, MA, used to be four-laned all the way to Province Lands Road until 2009 when it was tapered off to just two. MassHighway NPS (northern end is on Federal land) didn't bother to remove the pavement from the now unused carriageway.

1995hoo

#24
Northern end of the Richmond Parkway on Staten Island where the unused road crosses Arthur Kill Road and Richmond Avenue: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5609604,-74.1689472,589m/data=!3m1!1e3 (The other stub where it would have met I-278 has been demolished.)

The New Jersey Turnpike has a short stretch of abandoned carriageway adjacent to the Joyce Kilmer Service Area. It's left over from when the "dual-dual" configuration was extended south from Exit 9 to Exit 8A; the old northbound carriageway was severed, and abandoned, in order to make room for the ramps connecting the northbound inner roadway to the service area. In the map link below, it's the second carriageway from the right (on my screen, it's just to the left of the beginning of the word "Sunoco").

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4174602,-74.4419878,640m/data=!3m1!1e3
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