Alternate routes that wander far

[fillup420]

Basically, Alt routes that don't really serve as a true alternate to the main route.

I know of two:

US 74A, the original route of US 74, is around 65 miles long and is quite far away from the newer 74 freeway

US 17 ALT in the SC lowcountry. Also a very long route that goes rather astray from mainline US 17

[hotdogPi]

US 93 Alternate in Nevada.

[Max Rockatansky]

US 93 Alternate in Nevada.

US 95A also.  AZ 89A diverges significantly but it didn't before US 89 was truncated. 

[US 89]

US 89A in Arizona and Utah. It's a bit more of an "alternate" than some of these others in that it takes roughly the same time as mainline 89 (89A is about 10 minutes slower). But the real difference is that mainline 89 goes through Page AZ, which is a significant stop for food, gas, etc. There is no corresponding town on 89A.

89A was the original 89; the mainline was rerouted in the 1960s to serve Glen Canyon Dam and the new town of Page.

[Max Rockatansky]

US 89A in Arizona and Utah. It's a bit more of an "alternate" than some of these others in that it takes roughly the same time as mainline 89 (89A is about 10 minutes slower). But the real difference is that mainline 89 goes through Page AZ, which is a significant stop for food, gas, etc. There is no corresponding town on 89A.

89A was the original 89; the mainline was rerouted in the 1960s to serve Glen Canyon Dam and the new town of Page.

I'd argue US 89A has enough merit as a 3D US Route given it is the direct access to AZ 67 and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  I personally prefer 89A simply due to the scenery involving the Vermillion Cliffs.   

[US 89]

US 89A in Arizona and Utah. It's a bit more of an "alternate" than some of these others in that it takes roughly the same time as mainline 89 (89A is about 10 minutes slower). But the real difference is that mainline 89 goes through Page AZ, which is a significant stop for food, gas, etc. There is no corresponding town on 89A.

89A was the original 89; the mainline was rerouted in the 1960s to serve Glen Canyon Dam and the new town of Page.

I'd argue US 89A has enough merit as a 3D US Route given it is the direct access to AZ 67 and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  I personally prefer 89A simply due to the scenery involving the Vermillion Cliffs.

I agree that it should still be a US Route, just not a full Alternate 89, given that the vast majority of traffic still goes through Page. If I had my way, US 89A would become US 289.

[SectorZ]

MA 8A. It strays so far away that when MA 8 goes further north they forgot about the first 8A and made a second one in North Adams.

[Brandon]

US 89A in Arizona and Utah. It's a bit more of an "alternate" than some of these others in that it takes roughly the same time as mainline 89 (89A is about 10 minutes slower). But the real difference is that mainline 89 goes through Page AZ, which is a significant stop for food, gas, etc. There is no corresponding town on 89A.

89A was the original 89; the mainline was rerouted in the 1960s to serve Glen Canyon Dam and the new town of Page.

I'd argue US 89A has enough merit as a 3D US Route given it is the direct access to AZ 67 and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  I personally prefer 89A simply due to the scenery involving the Vermillion Cliffs.

I agree that it should still be a US Route, just not a full Alternate 89, given that the vast majority of traffic still goes through Page. If I had my way, US 89A would become US 289.

IIRC, that was supposed to be the original use of the 3dUS route, to connect the 2dUSs together or provide longer alternate routes.  Instead, we have such monstrosities as US-191.

[hbelkins]

Alternate US 41 between Henderson and Madisonville, Ky. Definitely not the most direct route.

[Max Rockatansky]

US 89A in Arizona and Utah. It's a bit more of an "alternate" than some of these others in that it takes roughly the same time as mainline 89 (89A is about 10 minutes slower). But the real difference is that mainline 89 goes through Page AZ, which is a significant stop for food, gas, etc. There is no corresponding town on 89A.

89A was the original 89; the mainline was rerouted in the 1960s to serve Glen Canyon Dam and the new town of Page.

I'd argue US 89A has enough merit as a 3D US Route given it is the direct access to AZ 67 and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  I personally prefer 89A simply due to the scenery involving the Vermillion Cliffs.

I agree that it should still be a US Route, just not a full Alternate 89, given that the vast majority of traffic still goes through Page. If I had my way, US 89A would become US 289.

IIRC, that was supposed to be the original use of the 3dUS route, to connect the 2dUSs together or provide longer alternate routes.  Instead, we have such monstrosities as US-191.

191 gets a good portion of its present size thanks to oddball routes like US 163 and US 191.  There are plenty of good large 3D US Routes like 160 and 395. 

[sparker]

Prior to the 1964 renumbering, CA had several bannered routes, including three "alternates".  Shortest of these was Alternate US 66 in the northeast corner of L.A. and Pasadena; for about a third of its distance it was only a half-mile or so distant from the mainline US 66 on the Arroyo Seco Parkway (aka Pasadena Freeway); it was the pre-parkway routing of US 66 (as has been discussed in several other threads).  Alternate US 101 was the coastal alternate to US 101; in '64, since US 101 itself was truncated back to downtown L.A., the bannered alternative was simply renumbered as a southern section of the central/northern coast route, CA 1 (recently the subject of a number of puzzling relinquishments).  But the most far-flung was Alternate US 40, which provided an alternate (duh!) way to cross the Sierra Nevada -- at a considerably lower altitude than the original US 40 over Donner Pass; formerly mostly SSR 24's east end, it was resigned as a U.S. alternate route after the 1952 long closure of Donner due to extreme storms that affected not only the highway but the parallel Southern Pacific rail line.  Although it nearly doubled the mileage of the main US 40 between its two end points of Davis, CA and Reno, NV, its lower altitude and gentler gradients ensured that it would remain open in the dead of winter.  Spring was another story; it went through the Feather River canyon, which regularly experienced spring flooding (but by that time the sporadic Donner closures were over for the season).  The alternate route only lasted for 11 years ('53-'64); by the time of the big renumbering, I-80 was under construction through the Donner Pass area and the alternate deemed superfluous; it became a combination of CA 113, CA 99, CA 20, and CA 70.  Nevertheless, during its existence it was the alternate route farthest afield from the main route -- by far!

[Max Rockatansky]

Prior to the 1964 renumbering, CA had several bannered routes, including three "alternates".  Shortest of these was Alternate US 66 in the northeast corner of L.A. and Pasadena; for about a third of its distance it was only a half-mile or so distant from the mainline US 66 on the Arroyo Seco Parkway (aka Pasadena Freeway); it was the pre-parkway routing of US 66 (as has been discussed in several other threads).  Alternate US 101 was the coastal alternate to US 101; in '64, since US 101 itself was truncated back to downtown L.A., the bannered alternative was simply renumbered as a southern section of the central/northern coast route, CA 1 (recently the subject of a number of puzzling relinquishments).  But the most far-flung was Alternate US 40, which provided an alternate (duh!) way to cross the Sierra Nevada -- at a considerably lower altitude than the original US 40 over Donner Pass; formerly mostly SSR 24's east end, it was resigned as a U.S. alternate route after the 1952 long closure of Donner due to extreme storms that affected not only the highway but the parallel Southern Pacific rail line.  Although it nearly doubled the mileage of the main US 40 between its two end points of Davis, CA and Reno, NV, its lower altitude and gentler gradients ensured that it would remain open in the dead of winter.  Spring was another story; it went through the Feather River canyon, which regularly experienced spring flooding (but by that time the sporadic Donner closures were over for the season).  The alternate route only lasted for 11 years ('53-'64); by the time of the big renumbering, I-80 was under construction through the Donner Pass area and the alternate deemed superfluous; it became a combination of CA 113, CA 99, CA 20, and CA 70.  Nevertheless, during its existence it was the alternate route farthest afield from the main route -- by far!

Either way the Feather River Canyon is a pretty decent alternate even now to Donner Pass or even Echo Summit.  The US 50 alternate over CA 88 occasionally been signed over the years and dumps out of the Sierras in Stockton compared to Sacramento.

[DJ Particle]

MA-114 and MA-114A?   

(ok so that really doesn't count)

[jp the roadgeek]

VT 22A.  So much so there's a state line and a portion of Lake Champlain between it and it's parent, NY 22, for much of its route. 

[vdeane]

VT 22A.  So much so there's a state line and a portion of Lake Champlain between it and it's parent, NY 22, for much of its route. 

Of course, since it never returns to NY 22, it's arguably a spur.

[paulthemapguy]

US50A in Nevada isn't terribly long, but it definitely is a far more inefficient way to travel on US50 (nobody is detouring through Fernley hah).  It really should just retain its eastern half and be redesignated as a spur.  My feelings are similar about US16A in South Dakota.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

My first thought was the Prospecr-Bangor-Ellsworth US 1A in Maine.

[sparker]

US50A in Nevada isn't terribly long, but it definitely is a far more inefficient way to travel on US50 (nobody is detouring through Fernley hah).  It really should just retain its eastern half and be redesignated as a spur.  My feelings are similar about US16A in South Dakota.

Yeah, Alternate 50 in NV is a bit gratuitous and convoluted, although it is part of the most direct Vegas-Reno route.  When NDOT pushed 95 through north of Fallon in the early '60's, I guess they had to call the old route something, so the 50A designation was slapped onto it.  But if & when the I-11 corridor is built, it'll likely occupy or at least parallel the useful E-W portion of 50A -- which will probably mean decommissioning of the alternate route at that time. 

[Sctvhound]

Basically, Alt routes that don't really serve as a true alternate to the main route.

I know of two:

US 74A, the original route of US 74, is around 65 miles long and is quite far away from the newer 74 freeway

US 17 ALT in the SC lowcountry. Also a very long route that goes rather astray from mainline US 17

Yup. While 17 goes through Charleston, 17A is probably 25 miles out and goes from Georgetown all the way to Yemassee. It could be designed as a "mini-beltway" , but nobody uses it as that.

It does serve a very important purpose as the major road through several Lowcountry cities (Summerville, Walterboro, Moncks Corner, heading into Georgetown). It has to be one of the most important alternate designated routes.

[fillup420]

Yup. While 17 goes through Charleston, 17A is probably 25 miles out and goes from Georgetown all the way to Yemassee. It could be designed as a "mini-beltway" , but nobody uses it as that.

It does serve a very important purpose as the major road through several Lowcountry cities (Summerville, Walterboro, Moncks Corner, heading into Georgetown). It has to be one of the most important alternate designated routes.

Agreed. I always thought 17A could be a totally separate number since its the main road through those towns. Although, while sitting here watching the tropical storm, I imagine part of the reason its kept is so a viable detour is in place if Charleston gets hit hard by a hurricane.

[paulthemapguy]

My first thought was the Prospecr-Bangor-Ellsworth US 1A in Maine.

This is the one I was trying to think of, after searching my mind for something like this.  Yes to this 100%.  I have a hard time believing in the legitimacy of any "alternate route" that leaves its parent and makes a 135-degree turn to return to it.  At that point, you should probably call it two separate spurs, to Bangor in this case.

[SectorZ]

My first thought was the Prospecr-Bangor-Ellsworth US 1A in Maine.

This is the one I was trying to think of, after searching my mind for something like this.  Yes to this 100%.  I have a hard time believing in the legitimacy of any "alternate route" that leaves its parent and makes a 135-degree turn to return to it.  At that point, you should probably call it two separate spurs, to Bangor in this case.

It's old US 1, so I think the concept of it being US 1A just came from that.

[Flint1979]

My first thought was the Prospecr-Bangor-Ellsworth US 1A in Maine.

This is the one I was trying to think of, after searching my mind for something like this.  Yes to this 100%.  I have a hard time believing in the legitimacy of any "alternate route" that leaves its parent and makes a 135-degree turn to return to it.  At that point, you should probably call it two separate spurs, to Bangor in this case.

It's old US 1, so I think the concept of it being US 1A just came from that.

I'm surprised they allowed that because they state, "In no instance should an alternate routing be used for the purpose of keeping an obsolete section on the U.S. numbered system after a new routing has been constructed and available to traffic."

[roadfro]

US 93 Alternate in Nevada.

US 95A also. 

US50A in Nevada isn't terribly long, but it definitely is a far more inefficient way to travel on US50 (nobody is detouring through Fernley hah).  It really should just retain its eastern half and be redesignated as a spur.

All the U.S. Alternate routes in Nevada, except for US 395 Alt, are actually significantly longer than the mainline route between the same points. All (except the Schurz-Fernley portion of US 95 Alt) have come about due to reroutings of mainline U.S. highways (due to more efficient routes later constructed), with the alternate designations an apparent attempt to keep the original routing on the U.S. Highway system.

For a couple, the current alternate number doesn't match the number of the original mainline route that was there:
*US 93 Alt (between Lages Station and West Wendover) previously carried US 50 Alt, and was US 50 before that.
*US 50 Alt (between Fernley and Fallon) previously carried US 95 Alt, and was mainline US 95 before that.

Yeah, Alternate 50 in NV is a bit gratuitous and convoluted, although it is part of the most direct Vegas-Reno route.  When NDOT pushed 95 through north of Fallon in the early '60's, I guess they had to call the old route something, so the 50A designation was slapped onto it. 

The present-day US 95 Alt (Schurz-Fernley) was a true Alternate route that had been established in the 1940s: Mainline US 95 went via Schurz-Fallon-Fernley and the Alternate route went via Schurz-Yerington-Fernley, with the 95 mainline heading northeast from Fernley to Winnemucca. When US 95 was rerouted directly north from Fallon to US 40/future I-80 circa 1960, the old route doubling back via Fernley was rechristened as US 95 Alt. This strangely put two separate US 95 Alternate routes meeting in Fernley. This was not resolved until US 50 Alt was christened in 1976–AASHTO's condition on the approval of US 50 Alt was that the US 95 Alt between Fernley and Fallon had to be removed.