Freeways that were formerly signed Interstates but now are not in the system?

[bwana39]

I can think of two places in Texas.

US-80 from west of Terrell to its junction with I-30 was previously I-20.
SH-183 from I-20 north to the end of the freeway segment in south Fort Worth was originally I-820.

I believe that Sam Cooper Boulevard east of the park in Memphis was signed as I-40 initially.

[TheStranger]

Thought of this thread again (after looking at the North Carolina map in the AAroads mapping system and thinking of US 421 once more) -

- How much of the existing I-81 in Syracuse will be retained as freeway after mainline 81 is moved to 481 and existing 81 gets converted to business route?

- Technically already has happened for this particular road: former I-85 in Greensboro between I-73 and I-40, currently Business I-85 but slated to eventually just become US 29 at some point.

- I-885's extension south past Durham created a situation where a freeway was proposed as Interstate, not built as one (NC 147 south segment) then eventually did receive an Interstate designation about 60 years after first being planned as I-40.

- Looks like enough of Sheridan Boulevard in The Bronx is limited-access that that portion of NY 895 would qualify for this thread.

- There's still one diamond interchange left on Oklahoma City Boulevard (former I-40) just east of I-40 in OKC.

[vdeane]

How much of the existing I-81 in Syracuse will be retained as freeway after mainline 81 is moved to 481 and existing 81 gets converted to business route?

Everything except the mile and half of viaduct, essentially.

[Road Hog]

I can think of two places in Texas.

US-80 from west of Terrell to its junction with I-30 was previously I-20.
SH-183 from I-20 north to the end of the freeway segment in south Fort Worth was originally I-820.

I believe that Sam Cooper Boulevard east of the park in Memphis was signed as I-40 initially.

Related to the Terrell example, I-20 was shifted to the south when the DFW Turnpike became free and was added to I-30. Likewise, a big part of what was then I-20 (but is now US 287) in Fort Worth was shifted south onto I-820.

No way is that segment of 287 interstate-compliant under today's regs, but if somebody wanted to argue a grandfather clause in making an I-route from Ennis to Amarillo, they might have a case.

[bwana39]

Related to the Terrell example, I-20 was shifted to the south when the DFW Turnpike became free and was added to I-30. Likewise, a big part of what was then I-20 (but is now US 287) in Fort Worth was shifted south onto I-820.

ABIR No part of US-287 was ever I-20. I guess it was possible that the freeway section of US-287 that predated the I-20 shift MIGHT have been labeled as I-20 during the time that 820 still ended at the traffic circle on Camp Bowie, but when 820 was completed to the West Freeway it showed that route (820) even before the Dallas to Terrell and the Benbrook to Aledo segments were completed.

[roadman65]

Was PA 378 in Bethlehem,PA ever signed as I-378?

I know the arterial part south of the Hill to Hill bridge was once PA 191 before it got truncated to US 22.  I'm guessing it was I-378 before that, but we never traveled that when I was small.

[TheStranger]

Came up with a comprehensive list of ex-Interstate freeways/corridors, additions/corrections always welcome:

IN THE SYSTEM BUT UNSIGNED NOW, PREVIOUSLY WAS SIGNED AS INTERSTATE
I-296, Grand Rapids
I-124, Chattanooga
I-110, El Paso?
I-495, Falmouth ME (never has been signed, but was I-95 until 2004)
I-305, Sacramento (never has been signed but was I-80 from around the early 1960s-1982)
Route 57, San Dimas to Glendora (officially I-210 according to FHWA, though (state) route 210 now continues east from Glendora to Redlands on what had been formerly Route 30)

COMPLETELY OFF SYSTEM NOW, WAS NEVER SIGNED
US 75, Omaha (was I-580)
US 101, between I-5 and I-10 in Los Angeles (was I-105)


OFF SYSTEM NOW BUT STILL SIGNED AS INTERSTATE (due to funding technicalities re: mileage for today's I-105 in Los Angeles)
I-80 between US 101 and the Bay Bridge (removed from Interstate system in 1968 along with the canceled Western Freeway segment, but has been signed as I-80 continuously from the late 1950s to present)

COMPLETELY OFF SYSTEM, WAS SIGNED
US 80, Dallas (was I-20)
US 40, Baltimore (was I-170)
Sam Cooper Boulevard, Memphis (was I-40)
Murphy Canyon Road, Miramar MCAS in San Diego (was I-15/US 395)
US 1 north of Boston (was I-95)
Southern portion of NY 895, The Bronx (was I-895)
PA 378, Allentown (was I-378)
NJ 495/NY 495, Weehawken NJ to Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel (was I-495)
GA 13, Atlanta (was I-85)
M-5 (former M-102) from I-96 to Purdue Avenue in Farmington Hills (was I-96)
Oklahoma City Boulevard west segment, Oklahoma City (was I-40)
US 29 (Business I-85), Greensboro (was I-85)
Business I-85, Spartanburg (was I-85)
US 6, Wilimantic CT (planned in the mid-1960s as I-82, then was originally built as I-84)
US 421, Winston-Salem (was I-40)
Business 80/unsigned Route 51 between E Street and Watt Avenue/I-80, Sacramento/Arden (was I-80 from 1960-1982)
northern portion of SR 158, Kirkersville, OH (was I-70)

SOON TO BE REMOVED FROM SYSTEM
I-81, Syracuse (most of which will remain as freeway excluding the downtown section, and will be designated as Business I-81)
I-74 just southeast of I-40, Winston-Salem (to become NC 192 - https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?msg=2918794 )

UNCLEAR IF EVER SIGNED
US 101, San Francisco along the Central Freeway (portion of Central Freeway that still exists was planned to also be part of I-80)
NY 878, New York (was this ever signed as I-78? apparently this is hidden I-878 according to FHWA)
SH 310, Dallas (was this the original I-45 or was it just a temporary/emergency routing?)
Wade Avenue, Raleigh (was I-40?)

WAS SIGNED AS ONE INTERSTATE, THEN DEPRECATED, THEN REJOINED THE SYSTEM
I-885 south of US 70, Durham (was part of a proposed I-40 routing?)
I-880 between CA 262 and I-280, was signed as I-280 (south half) and I-680 (north half), then was just Route 17 alone from 1965-1984, then became I-880
(Not sure about the future routing of I-777 yet)


EXISTING FREEWAY PLANNED AS INTERSTATE BUT NEVER SIGNED
would US 41 along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago count? it was planned as I-494 at one point
US 101 in the Presidio of San Francisco, was part of the planned I-480 routing
Route 1 between I-280 in Daly City and Font Boulevard in San Francisco and between Lake Street and US 101 in San Francisco, was planned as part of the original 1956-1968 I-280
US 30 in northwest Portland, was planned as part of I-505
CT 3 between I-91 and CT 2 in Weathersfield (near Hartford) - was slated to be included in the 1968-1984 I-86, as well as a locally-suggested I-284 https://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/i284.html - and as part of a I-491 proposal https://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/hfd-fwy-60s.html
Unsigned CT 598 (Whitehead Highway), Hartford - built in 1945, was slated to be extended as part of a planned I-484 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conland%E2%80%93Whitehead_Highway


FREEWAY PLANNED AS INTERSTATE, BUILT AS FREEWAY UNDER ANOTHER DESIGNATION OR AS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ROAD
VA 895, Richmond
future CA 262 freeway, Fremont (was planned as I-680 prior to 1965)
CA 132 expressway, Modesto (planned as I-5W originally)
NY 9A (West Side Parkway), Manhattan (planned as I-478)
the 470 beltway around Denver
AZ 51 (planned as I-510 and then AZ 510)
SR 10/Opportunity Corridor, Cleveland (originally proposed as I-290)
US 50, Vincennes (planned as I-64)
M-5 north of I-96/I-275, Farmington (was planned at one point as I-275, then M-275)
CT 9 between I-91 and I-84 near Hartford (portions of which were to be I-291)
Unsigned CT 500, East Hartford (was planned as I-284 - https://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/i284.html )
US 7, Danbury CT (planned as I-91)

NEVER WAS ACTUALLY INTERSTATE, BUT SIGNED AS ONE?
I-695 across the Francis Scott Key Bridge (actually MD 695 but has been signed in the field as I-695 for years)
I-110 in downtown Los Angeles (signed fully on southbound Harbor Freeway between US 101 and I-10)
I-710 spurs into downtown Long Beach (mainline 710 continues west towards Terminal Island)

[Rothman]

How can Business I-81 be removed if it doesn't exist now? 

[TheStranger]

How can Business I-81 be removed if it doesn't exist now? 

I'll edit the list to reflect the route's current (as of April 2024) designation then, hehe. (Since I did list I-74 that way)

[roadman65]

Yeah once I-81 is rerouted around Syracuse it will fit the OP for sure. Business I-81 will be old I-81 and not really officially an interstate.

[froggie]

CT 3 15 between I-91 and CT 2 I-84 in Hartford - if I'm not mistaken, at one point this was slated to be the westernmost terminus of the 1968-1984 I-86

FTFY.  Originally planned as I-491, then later I-86.

CT 9 between I-91 and I-84 near Hartford (portions of which were to be I-291?)

Correct.  Namely, the north-south portion from I-84 south for a few miles.

[RobbieL2415]

Additional one for CT:

COMPLETELY OFF SYSTEM NOW, WAS NEVER SIGNED:

I-82, original designation for what is now I-84, from Danbury to East Hartford. Originally intended to lead to Providence

I-284, freeway leading from I-84/CT 2 in East Hartford to I-91 in East Windsor. Only a stub was built, milege was logged as Interstate miles but was never formally signed.

US 7, was considered as a possible alignment for I-91

EXISTING FREEWAY PLANNED AS INTERSTATE BUT NEVER SIGNED:

Whitehead Highway, planned to be extended to I-84 underneath Bushnell Park in Hartford, to be signed I-484.

One for NY:

COMPLETELY OFF SYSTEM, WAS SIGNED:

I-895, the Sheriden Expressway, now Sheriden Boulevard.

[74/171FAN]

One for NY:

COMPLETELY OFF SYSTEM, WAS SIGNED:

I-895, the Sheridan Expressway, now Sheridan Boulevard (signed as NY 895).

FTFY.

[mgk920]

SOON TO BE REMOVED ROM SYSTEM (?)

I-794 (WI)

Mike

[TheStranger]

Just updated the list with the Hartford examples from above.

SOON TO BE REMOVED ROM SYSTEM (?)

I-794 (WI)

Mike

Is 794 going to be entirely demolished, or will a portion of the freeway be retained?  (This is why I did not include Detroit I-375 - the plan for that involves complete removal of the existing road, with no limited-access segment retained.  Kinda like 480 in SF)

[mgk920]

Just updated the list with the Hartford examples from above.

SOON TO BE REMOVED ROM SYSTEM (?)

I-794 (WI)

Mike

Is 794 going to be entirely demolished, or will a portion of the freeway be retained?  (This is why I did not include Detroit I-375 - the plan for that involves complete removal of the existing road, with no limited-access segment retained.  Kinda like 480 in SF)

The plan that is being pushed by some in the MKE area is to remove the east-west part (WisDOT does say that it is coming due for heavy work, as that elevated structure was opened in the mid-late 1960s, and replace it with a (state highway?) surface boulevard.  My sense is that it also includes downgrading the north-south part to a (state highway?) parkway to match WI 794 to the south.

Mike

[WillWeaverRVA]

FREEWAY PLANNED AS INTERSTATE, BUILT AS FREEWAY UNDER ANOTHER DESIGNATION OR AS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ROAD

VA 164 (was requested as I-164 but turned down)

[JayhawkCO]

EXISTING FREEWAY PLANNED AS INTERSTATE BUT NEVER SIGNED

CO470 (The governor took the federal funding to make the 16th Street Mall instead)

[TheStranger]

FREEWAY PLANNED AS INTERSTATE, BUILT AS FREEWAY UNDER ANOTHER DESIGNATION OR AS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ROAD

VA 164 (was requested as I-164 but turned down)

Interestingly, the Wikipedia article on VA 164 suggests otherwise, citing AASHTO minutes:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_State_Route_164

"Despite its numbering, AASHTO has no record of Virginia ever making a formal application to add SR 164 to the Interstate system from 1968 through the 1978 opening of the Elizabeth River bridge.[6] The still-unbuilt road was first referred to as SR 164 in 1971.[7]"

---

Random thought:

Would that first quarter-mile of OK 66 northeast of I-44 in Fair Oaks, Oklahoma count for this thread?  (Since 44 used to go here and then more directly northeast, before the realignment of the Will Rogers Turnpike to feed into the Creek Turnpike)

[bing101]

https://www.socalregion.com/highways/socal_unsigned/foothill_fwy/

Here is another one I-210 used to be signed on a section now known as Oak Grove Drive and was co-signed with CA-118 in Pasadena, CA. This is prior to the current CA-118 and I-210 freeways being built in Pasadena. 

[TheStranger]

https://www.socalregion.com/highways/socal_unsigned/foothill_fwy/

Here is another one I-210 used to be signed on a section now known as Oak Grove Drive and was co-signed with CA-118 in Pasadena, CA. This is prior to the current CA-118 and I-210 freeways being built in Pasadena.

Other than that 1971 freeway map showing 210 on the route, I don't know if there is any credible evidence that the road was actually signed in-the-field as part of that interstate.