Active Highways You Have Touched with your Hand

[AlexandriaVA]

I saw a similar title for active highway signs, and it got me thinking about the actual roadways.

A few conditions for the question:
1) Must be a limited-access freeway/expressway. No local roads or business/local detours.
2) Has to be with your hand (i.e. not walking)
3) Can't be an auxiliary, ramp, or frontage road (i.e. only the main line).


The one that immediately comes to mind for me was a few weeks ago when I was walking along a pedestrian sidepath on the east side of Case Bridge in DC, which carries I-395. The safety railing was very low, and traffic was stopped, so I reached my hand over the concrete, but under the hand rail, and briefly touched the pavement on the road. My wife wasn't very impressed with me....

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8801028,-77.031333,3a,30y,194.7h,84.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sE0bJTan8d95aFWVyhpxMoQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 (not me in the GSV image, but you get the idea)

[Max Rockatansky]

I did sets of push ups for an hour on AZ 87 between Payson and Fountain Hills once. 

[GaryV]

I had to change a tire on I-75 once.  I'm sure my hand touched the ground on the shoulder of the freeway - does that count?

[plain]

I had to change a tire on I-75 once.  I'm sure my hand touched the ground on the shoulder of the freeway - does that count?

I had to change a tire on I-95 (VA) and I-70 (MD). I really hope it counts lol

[Rothman]

Pavement fetish?

[CtrlAltDel]

I had to change a tire on I-75 once.  I'm sure my hand touched the ground on the shoulder of the freeway - does that count?

Same for me except it was I-57.

[Max Rockatansky]

Now that I think of it I don't believe I've ever changed a tire on the side of a freeway.  I've always been to able to make a ramp every time I've had a flat on limited access.

[AlexandriaVA]

I'm going to disallow shoulders/pull-off spots, only because things like changing a tire, picking up an item, etc, is a fairly reasonable function on a freeway.

I'm really interested in times when you touch a piece of the roadway which is part of a lane that is active with cars. It's a good challenge because you need both of the following:

1) Pedestrian access on or near the freeway
and 2) Conditions where it is safe to touch the road.

In my example, I met both conditions. I think it will be hard to normally accomplish both of them.

[Flint1979]

I have three. I-75, I-96 and US-23.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm going to disallow shoulders/pull-off spots, only because things like changing a tire, picking up an item, etc, is a fairly reasonable function on a freeway.

I'm really interested in times when you touch a piece of the roadway which is part of a lane that is active with cars. It's a good challenge because you need both of the following:

1) Pedestrian access on or near the freeway
and 2) Conditions where it is safe to touch the road.

In my example, I met both conditions. I think it will be hard to normally accomplish both of them.

My reference above for AZ 87 still stands.  I was caught up in a traffic closure due to a large accident on a relatively cool day. 

[AlexandriaVA]

Have a GSV of the approximate spot?

[Max Rockatansky]

No, but it was immediately north of Mount Ord in the canyon below the peak.  I was in the southbound lanes, there was no turnaround point until Forest Road 626.

[Takumi]

I tripped and fell crossing US 1/301 once.

[plain]

Just remembered something. Does it count if one was part of a construction crew?

[AlexandriaVA]

Just remembered something. Does it count if one was part of a construction crew?

Yes, but not if the lane in question was closed due to road work.

[HighwayStar]

In my case, I can't think of any.
But I will share this, since it is in a similar vein.

My uncle once staged a photo op on I-15, in the right hand lane, of him sitting in a chair, on a carpet, with a lamp, reading some kind of book, with a large swordfish overhead.

And no, this was not Photoshop. They actually did this in the 80's. The fish was hung off a bridge, such that you could not see the bridge or its shadow in the photo.

They did not have traffic diverted or anything like that either, they just went out there and did it and there was sufficiently little traffic that it worked.

[jaehak]

I changed a tire on the Dan Ryan once so I definitely touched the shoulder. Just 94 I think, pretty sure I was south of the Skyway.

[JayhawkCO]

US163 right by Monument Valley I crouched to get a cool pic with the road close to the camera and I definitely touched the roadway.

Chris