Missouri Expressways

[Sykotyk]

Having been across Missouri in almost every direction, the increase of expressways along major U.S. routes has caught my attention. US 36 across the north is almost completed. US61 (Avenue of the Saints) runs along the northeastern border. US 67 is being upgraded to remove traffic lights as well as widening to four lanes all the way from Arkansas (Arkansas is working on US 67 as well). US 71 and MO 13 both provide southern routes of of Kansas City.

And today I was driving on US 60 east of Springfield, which is also being upgraded to four lanes (including massive earthmoving endeavors along one stretch) to level it out a bit and remove some of the sharper turns. In addition to the US 54 and US 65 freeways/expressways, they will be reconstructing the US 60/US 65 interchange (I believe finally taking out the railroad tracks that cross US 60 and the adjacent US60 to US 65 southbound exit ramp).

Soon, US 60 will be an express or freeway from Springfield to I-55/I-57.

Sykotyk

[yanksfan6129]

Yeah, I've noticed that Missouri has upgraded many of its US Highways to freeways.

I also feel like a lot of Pennsylvania's US Highways are freeways or at least roads of pretty high quality.

[froggie]

Well, not exactly freeways, as they still have numerous at-grade intersections.  Expressways (engineering definition) is the more appropriate term.

As for Pennsylvania, I'd say it's split.  The main U.S. highways with appreciable freeway segments are US 15, US 22, US 30, US 219, US 220, and US 222.  And even among those routes, there are noticable and sometimes significant gaps.

[Chris]

Expressways (engineering definition) is the more appropriate term.

Interestingly, the European definition of an expressway is usually also a freeway-grade road, but with somewhat less strict designs, such as tighter curves, steeper grades, less or no services, narrow or no shoulders etc.

I should add there aren't that much 4-lane divided highways that are not freeways in Europe, so that's why we probably do not really have a term for it. (the British dual carriageway might come closest)

[J N Winkler]

Interestingly, the European definition of an expressway is usually also a freeway-grade road, but with somewhat less strict designs, such as tighter curves, steeper grades, less or no services, narrow or no shoulders etc.

I don't like using the term expressway in European contexts because it is essentially an American import used elastically to refer to several different kinds of high-type road other than motorways, which may be divided or not, and may or may not have full control of access:

*  British "near-motorway-standard dual carriageways" (with occasional flat junctions)

*  "Happy car roads" (after the entry sign used in many countries, including Switzerland)

*  German "yellow Autobahnen" (i.e., roads which are formally Bundesstrassen and so have yellow-background direction signs but are built almost to Autobahn standards with access only at interchanges)

In American usage, the engineering (or AASHTO) definition of expressway is more precise:  it means specifically a divided highway where access is not necessarily limited to interchanges only.  It is typically clear from the context whether the engineering definition is being used. Expressway can also be used to refer to urban freeways in places like New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, or undivided two-lane rural highways adapted for high speed, with generous geometry and some limitation of access (the typical section associated with this type of construction is called "wide single carriageway" in Britain).

A few years ago, the European Commission carried out a study of design standards for non-motorway express roads in Europe, and reached the following conclusions:

*  There are no uniform standards for these roads.

*  They appear to have different functions in different countries, though they serve certain common purposes in most countries (e.g. supplementing the motorway network, particularly in periurban areas).

*  There is no common term for these roads which is conceptually the same from language to language.  Some countries call them "semi-motorways"; in Spain autovias ("car roads") and vias rapidas ("fast roads") have some of the attributes of express roads, so that the category is essentially split in Spain; etc.

I forget the exact term used for these roads in the EU report, but it wasn't expressway--I think it was express auto road or some variant thereof.

I should add there aren't that much 4-lane divided highways that are not freeways in Europe, so that's why we probably do not really have a term for it.  (The British dual carriageway might come closest.)

Dual carriageway by itself just means "divided highway."  There is, in fact, a considerable mileage of dual carriageway (at least in Britain) which does not have full control of access.  In road enthusiast circles high-quality dual carriageway has become popular as a way to avoid saying freeway (which is regarded as an Americanism and seems to be avoided for that reason alone), but I don't like it:  "high quality" is not specific enough.  If I want to talk about a road which is not a motorway but is a freeway, I generally reach for comprehensively grade-separated dual carriageway or dual carriageway with comprehensive grade separation--both expressions take more words but are precise.

At least the informal use of expressway in Europe is better than highway as used by many regulars on SkyscraperCity, who seem to be under the impression that the word means "freeway" or similar.

To return to the original topic of this thread, most new expressways in Kansas and Missouri are being built to facilitate future upgrades to full freeway standard.  K-61 between Hutchinson and McPherson, US 50 west of Garden City, and US 169 on the east side of Coffeyville are being built with a mixture of interchanges and flat intersections and explicit provision (in the construction plans) for future interchanges at the flat intersections.  In the cases of Coffeyville and Garden City, this means contractors are provided with the tentative plan and profile of the ultimate construction with interchanges at intersections.  I believe, however, that US 59 between Ottawa and Lawrence will be a full freeway straight out of the box.

In the past couple of months, MoDOT has advertised a US 63 Kirksville bypass, which will have a mixture of interchanges and flat intersections, and a US 71 upgrade between Nevada and Lamar which closes up some existing flat intersections while converting others to interchanges.  Unlike the case with the Kansas projects, the Kirksville bypass plans do not show the layout of future interchanges.

[Chris]

I forget the exact term used for these roads in the EU report, but it wasn't expressway--I think it was express auto road or some variant thereof.

Motorroad? I believe that's also used for the Dutch "Autoweg", a major road, build to somewhat better design types than the average rural road, but not a freeway (nor necessarily controlled access).

At least the informal use of expressway in Europe is better than highway as used by many regulars on SkyscraperCity, who seem to be under the impression that the word means "freeway" or similar.

True, when you hear a European guy say "highway", he/she usually refers to a freeway-grade road.

To return to the original Missouri topic, are roads like US 60 Willow Springs - Poplar Bluff or US 36 Macon - Hannibal also planned as expressways? It seems to me that those are a gap in the high-standard road system, due to the lack of nearby freeways.

[mightyace]

<sarcasm>How come Missouri has money to upgrade these US highways to expressway or freeway standards but needs tolls to fix/upgrade I-70?</sarcasm>

[Sykotyk]

Chris, yes, the entire length of US 60 from Springfield to Popular Bluff is being upgraded to freeway and/or expressway standards. Some sections have already been completed. In fact, there's signage there indicated by Fall 2009 they should be finished. Although one section looks abysmally behind schedule.

And yes, mightyace, it makes no sense at all. I guess they're hoping nobody calls them out on it.

Sykotyk

[J N Winkler]

I have construction plans for at least one project to upgrade US 36 to expressway in Shelby County.  It has interchanges, but continuous control of access is not being maintained because one of the intersections is an odd design where one carriageway has a flat junction (a tee with a side road) while the other carriageway flies over the stem of the tee.

Re. the EC report, I haven't located it yet (I think it may have disappeared or not been archived, and I may need to look through my old downloads when I get my regular laptop back--it is away having the screen backlight replaced), but I am sure motorroad was not used.  I am not sure that term is ever used outside of hobby contexts.  It is easily confused with motor road, a British synonym for motorway which was popular until about 1950.  I did find an English translation of the French instruction for design of rural motorways, which uses the term express roads.

http://www.setra.equipement.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/US_ICTAAL_GB.pdf

[Revive 755]

<sarcasm>How come Missouri has money to upgrade these US highways to expressway or freeway standards but needs tolls to fix/upgrade I-70?</sarcasm>

The completion of the US 36 expressway between US 63 and the eastern US 24 junction and the US 67 expressway - originally planned as a full freeway - between Frederickton and Poplar Bluff are both receiving contributions from local sales taxes to help finance construction. 

US 36 does provide a nice alternative to I-70 across the state.  But otherwise my answers for now is that not all of Missouri is dependent upon I-70, and many of these plans were probably starting before any consideration of fixing I-70.

EDIT:Page 5 of the Missouri toll feasibility study provides a map of some of the planned expressway additions:
http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/documents/Legislative_Toll_Report_8-8-02.pdf

Ones it doesn't show are the currently under study section of US 63 from I-44 to US 50, US 54 from Mexico to at least Bowling Green, and MO 19 from US 54 to US 61.

[njroadhorse]

Ones it doesn't show are the currently under study section of US 63 from I-44 to US 50, US 54 from Mexico to at least Bowling Green, and MO 19 from US 54 to US 61.

Aren't those the corridors being studied for another Interstate?

[Revive 755]

Aren't those the corridors being studied for another Interstate?

Not that I'm aware of.  Jefferson City would like to see US 54 south of I-70 upgraded to an interstate, but northeast of Mexico it is just planned to be a standard expressway.  Same with MO 19 between US 54 and US 61.

The next interstates that will appear in Missouri will be, in my humble opinion and close to the order I think will happen:

1) I-49 - probably first between I-44 and I-435.

2) Something for the US 61 corridor between I-70 and Hannibal - the currently planned upgrade to freeway between Troy and I-70 seems to have been extended north to the Rte KK intersection in Lincoln County.

3) A spur off I-70 to Jefferson City, probably using US 54, although the US 63 corridor has a higher ADT, so so in 20 years I wouldn't be surprised to see a freeway upgrade for it depending upon funding.

4) I-66 between I-57 and the Kentucky border - I'm thinking a US 60 Mississippi River bridge replacement will help drive this one.

But in the next few years I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of funding diverted first to the I-70 corridor, and later to the I-44 corridor, putting many other projects on hold.

[Revive 755]

Article regarding MoDOT studying ways to reduce the cost of widening US 54 between Mexico and Louisiana (a town on the Mississippi River):

http://www.hannibal.net/news/x488809227/MoDOT-conducting-value-engineering-study-on-U-S-54-corridor

MoDOT study website:
http://www.modot.org/northeast/major_projects/Route54Corridor.htm

[route56]

To return to the original topic of this thread, most new expressways in Kansas and Missouri are being built to facilitate future upgrades to full freeway standard.  K-61 between Hutchinson and McPherson, US 50 west of Garden City, and US 169 on the east side of Coffeyville are being built with a mixture of interchanges and flat intersections and explicit provision (in the construction plans) for future interchanges at the flat intersections.  In the cases of Coffeyville and Garden City, this means contractors are provided with the tentative plan and profile of the ultimate construction with interchanges at intersections.  I believe, however, that US 59 between Ottawa and Lawrence will be a full freeway straight out of the box.

That is correct... In fact, I remember Mr. E. Dean Carlson calling the media and governing officials to KDOT HQ to personally explain to them why KDOT was explicitly not interested in having "flat" intersections on US 59. K-96 between Wichita and Hutchinson was used as his example of what was wrong with having "flat" intersections.

[Revive 755]

The relocated NB lanes for the MO 13 expressway north of Springfield have opened:
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20090701/NEWS01/907010448/1007/news01/New-lanes-aim-to-put-an-end-to--Bloody-13-

[Bryant5493]

How much traffic travels from I-70 via U.S. 54 West to Jefferson City, Missouri? My parents went to school at Lincoln University, and we haven't been back there in about twelve or thirteen years.


Be well,

Bryant

[leifvanderwall]

Those US highways being converted to freeways should be interstates. US 36 should be the I-72 extension (my I-66), US 67 in Missouri in a perfect world would be the I-30 extension. US 71 should be I-49 and perhaps will be.  For my take on these Missouri highways, just go "If You Controlled Highway System" in Fictional Roads to see my interstate designations.

[Scott5114]

Missouri's expressways are pretty cool. Most of them morph from expressway seamlessly into a freeway bypass as you pass a town. Unlike in Oklahoma where most expressways drop down to arterial-grade and run straight through the city.

I need to take Missouri 13 again now that all of the improvements have been done. Last time I did it they were finishing up on the Collins/Humansville bypass. I have yet to travel the newly-realigned northbound lanes north of Springfield. The old northbound lanes were on an old alignment of 13 far enough away from the newer southbound lanes so as to not be visible from them. Needless to say this used to cause lots of wrong-way travel. Plus the old northbound lanes were much more curvy and passed through the town of Brighton to boot. The new lanes are much straighter and bypass Brighton.

[omenapt]

Since the voters approved Amendment 3 in November 2004, the Missouri Department of Transportation has moved quickly to put the funding to work. A three-pronged plan, nicknamed "Smoother, Safer, Sooner," will be financed with $1.7 billion in bonds to be repaid with Amendment 3 revenue.

The plan's second element accelerates projects already planned in MoDOT's five-year construction program. Using bond financing to accelerate projects already in our regular budget, we'll be able to move these high-priority projects up several years in the program.

Accelerated Projects List (10 pages, 110 kbs)



this is why we are seeing these great new roads..this should get us out of the 49th ranking for roads in MO!!.  US 36 is a great way to CHicago withought having to take I-70 across the state!

[leifvanderwall]

Missouri roads are ranked that low? Where did you get these ratings from? I'm curious to know where Michigan is rated.

[froggie]

Probably the Overdrive rankings, meaning it's based on surveys from truckers.  They ranked Missouri as 2nd worst in 2005, but 5th best this year.

However, I'd take these rankings with a huge grain of salt, since the 2009 edition ranks I-80 in Pennsylvania as both the 2nd best highway segment and the 4th worst highway segment.

[Revive 755]

Extension of the US 54 expressway from Mexico to Lousiana effectively delayed, as a shared four-lane facility will be sought:
http://www.modot.org/northeast/major_projects/Recommendationof54vestudy.htm

So there's going to be a long-term bottleneck at the east end of the Mexico bypass with the development along US 54?

[omenapt]

I have construction plans for at least one project to upgrade US 36 to expressway in Shelby County.  It has interchanges, but continuous control of access is not being maintained because one of the intersections is an odd design where one carriageway has a flat junction (a tee with a side road) while the other carriageway flies over the stem of the tee.

  I believe its called the "Cardinal Connector" and its was an innovate and safe  way to get traffic in and out of the Shelby High School on the north side of the expressway.  There is a explantion and diagram at the MODOT site regarding the US 36 four laning project!

[Fixed quoting. -S.]

[Scott5114]

Extension of the US 54 expressway from Mexico to Lousiana effectively delayed...

People not familiar with Missouri geography might be thoroughly confused by that. 

[Revive 755]

Info from a recent public meeting regarding extension of the expressway section of US 50 eastward from the eastern US 63 interchange to a bit west of Linn:
http://www.modot.org/central/major_projects/OsageRte50_PublicHearing.htm

IMHO, a bypass of Linn should be a higher priority than getting four lanes to Linn.

Meanwhile, US 67 has an expressway extension a few miles south of Poplar Bluff with an interchange at US 160 planned:
http://www.modot.org/southeast/projects/corridors/DesignandLocationSouthofPoplarBluff.htm