Worst interstate ever

[corco]

Seems to me that Interstate 705 was ignored. The 1.5-mile glorified offramp into Tacoma is basically worthless and replaced tracks leading up to Union Station, which is a pretty nice looking train station.

Plus, everyone hates Tacoma.

Screw you, I love Tacoma and it would be my place of choice if I moved back to the Puget Sound region- lower cost of living, decent nightlife, not dangerous anymore, has its own culture but isn't too far from Seattle.

Back on topic, I-705 is such a kickass road to drive- it's neatly engineered, has a great view, and interchanges with another major highway (509), making it more than a glorified off-ramp.

[briantroutman]

I nominate the worst stretch of Interstate I have traveled in recent years - I-70 in SW Pennsylvania between the Turnpike and the WV State Line!

I think you mean the section between the Turnpike and Washington (Pa)–which dates from the early '50s and has no center shoulders, a Jersey barrier hugging the left lane, and terrible interchange geometry.

From Washington westward to Wheeling, I-70 is modern by '60s PA standards and was in reasonable shape the last I drove it.

[bing101]

Why Isn't I-180 Wyoming converted or re-signed as Wyoming State Route 180 or County route 180 since the road is  than 1 mile long.

[Bickendan]

I'm sorry, were you asking a question or a making a statement?

[agentsteel53]

Back on topic, I-705 is such a kickass road to drive- it's neatly engineered, has a great view, and interchanges with another major highway (509), making it more than a glorified off-ramp.

no state-named shields.  route does not exist in my world.

[rschen7754]

Back on topic, I-705 is such a kickass road to drive- it's neatly engineered, has a great view, and interchanges with another major highway (509), making it more than a glorified off-ramp.

And it does connect to SR 7 on the south end too.

[bing101]

I'm sorry, were you asking a question or a making a statement?

I was making a statement. for I-180

[Zzonkmiles]

I nominate the worst stretch of Interstate I have traveled in recent years - I-70 in SW Pennsylvania between the Turnpike and the WV State Line!

I think you mean the section between the Turnpike and Washington (Pa)–which dates from the early '50s and has no center shoulders, a Jersey barrier hugging the left lane...

That's exactly what I experienced on I-83 and I-78 in PA as late as 2001. I guess it's a statewide issue. That's pretty dangerous because you don't even have enough room for rumble strips to alert you that you are veering out of your lane.

[national highway 1]

I-180 WY is also US 85 and BUS I-25 and US 87.

[FightingIrish]

Why Isn't I-180 Wyoming converted or re-signed as Wyoming State Route 180 or County route 180 since the road is  than 1 mile long.

They got federal funding for it.

Typically, I don't mind a few little irregularities or quirks in the system. It reminds me not to take life too seriously.

[jakeroot]

Back on topic, I-705 is such a kickass road to drive- it's neatly engineered, has a great view, and interchanges with another major highway (509), making it more than a glorified off-ramp.

no state-named shields.  route does not exist in my world.

There's also no cops...it's the only place in Washington where 70-80 is the norm. My Dad lives at the northern end of the freeway, so I drive it all the time, and my speeds rarely drop below 70. However, when traffic on the 5 backs up, it leaks onto 705(S) and that ruins the fun.

Also, it's only one lane between the A-street off ramp and the S 21st onramp going north. Not too many one-lane interstates in Washington to my knowledge.

[briantroutman]

I nominate the worst stretch of Interstate I have traveled in recent years - I-70 in SW Pennsylvania between the Turnpike and the WV State Line!

I think you mean the section between the Turnpike and Washington (Pa)–which dates from the early '50s and has no center shoulders, a Jersey barrier hugging the left lane...

That's exactly what I experienced on I-83 and I-78 in PA as late as 2001. I guess it's a statewide issue. That's pretty dangerous because you don't even have enough room for rumble strips to alert you that you are veering out of your lane.

Yes, and on the Schuylkill Expressway and mainline PA Turnpike (I-76) and the NE Extension (I-476)–all of which, at least in part, predate the design standards and funding of the 1956 Highway Act. So as blame-worthy as PennDOT and the PTC often are, the under-engineered Interstates are more the price of Pennsylvania being a pioneer–similar to the Arroyo Seco Parkway in LA or some of the New York Parkways-turned-Interstates.

[Gnutella]

I nominate the worst stretch of Interstate I have traveled in recent years - I-70 in SW Pennsylvania between the Turnpike and the WV State Line!

I think you mean the section between the Turnpike and Washington (Pa)—which dates from the early '50s and has no center shoulders, a Jersey barrier hugging the left lane...

That's exactly what I experienced on I-83 and I-78 in PA as late as 2001. I guess it's a statewide issue. That's pretty dangerous because you don't even have enough room for rumble strips to alert you that you are veering out of your lane.

Yes, and on the Schuylkill Expressway and mainline PA Turnpike (I-76) and the NE Extension (I-476)—all of which, at least in part, predate the design standards and funding of the 1956 Highway Act. So as blame-worthy as PennDOT and the PTC often are, the under-engineered Interstates are more the price of Pennsylvania being a pioneer—similar to the Arroyo Seco Parkway in LA or some of the New York Parkways-turned-Interstates.

This is exactly what it is. Pennsylvania started building its own highways before Dwight Eisenhower was even elected president, so there were no "Interstate standards" to build anything to. Then came the 1970's and 1980's, when PennDOT ran out of money and the federal government put most of its effort into building new Interstates instead of rebuilding existing Interstates.

Since the 1990's, PennDOT has rebuilt plenty of Interstates. I-79 between the West Virginia state line and the Ohio River has been completely rebuilt, with the exception of the multiplex with I-70, and that's about to be underway. I-81 between the Maryland state line and Harrisburg has as well, with the exception of a small segment near Carlisle. I-70 near Pittsburgh is being rebuilt as I type this, and so is I-95 in Philadelphia.

What baffled me, though, is that PennDOT didn't start rebuilding the substandard segments first. I guess they started with those that either had the worst pavement quality. The good news, though, is that I-70 is making progress, and they're making final designs for a segment of I-83 on the north side of York, I-78 west of Allentown, I-80 in Stroudsburg, U.S. 22 in Allentown, and U.S. 422 in Reading. I-83 in Harrisburg is going to look radically different about 10 years from now too.

And none of this includes the ongoing reconstruction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

[msubulldog]

I-585 in Spartanburg, SC. FWIW, it neither begins nor ends at another interstate.

[Alex]

I-585 in Spartanburg, SC. FWIW, it neither begins nor ends at another interstate.

Long range plans are for it to be fully connected with I-85 at the north end at least.

[agentsteel53]

There's also no cops...it's the only place in Washington where 70-80 is the norm.

in just about every other state, 70-80 is the norm when there is the threat of cops.  wtf, Washington.

if in California someone put up a sign that said "speed limits not enforced", we'd all be doing 120. 

[jakeroot]

There's also no cops...it's the only place in Washington where 70-80 is the norm.

in just about every other state, 70-80 is the norm when there is the threat of cops.  wtf, Washington.

if in California someone put up a sign that said "speed limits not enforced", we'd all be doing 120.

Oh, I know. My step mom lives in Moreno Valley, and it's always a treat when I go there and get to drive...I always feel like it's a race everywhere, and I love it!

EDIT: Maybe you'd be interested to know, my first ticket was for going 76 in a 60. It was at 1:30 in the afternoon at 317th & I-5 near Federal Way, WA...completely sunny. I was not happy.

[Bickendan]

I'm sorry, were you asking a question or a making a statement?

I was making a statement. for I-180

Why Isn't I-180 Wyoming converted or re-signed as Wyoming State Route 180 or County route 180 since the road is  than 1 mile long.

Statements do not begin with 'Why', and the post was phrased as a question, save for the period at the end which caused the ambiguity.

As for why Wyoming's I-180 isn't a freeway, it's a reminder that thinking in absolutes is a bad idea, as well as giving digital map makers a hard time because it means that the Interstate shield cannot be exclusive to the controlled-access roadway classification.

[TheStranger]

As for why Wyoming's I-180 isn't a freeway, it's a reminder that thinking in absolutes is a bad idea, as well as giving digital map makers a hard time because it means that the Interstate shield cannot be exclusive to the controlled-access roadway classification.

Doesn't this issue for digital map makers also apply to 78 in Jersey City, 70 in Breezewood, and (to some extent) 676 in Philly?

[Kacie Jane]

There's also no cops...it's the only place in Washington where 70-80 is the norm.

in just about every other state, 70-80 is the norm when there is the threat of cops.  wtf, Washington.

Meh. Just drove down to Portland and back, and I assure you that on the southern section of I-5 (where the speed limit is 70 as opposed to 60), actual speeds are definitely in the high 70s.

[mapman1071]

As for why Wyoming's I-180 isn't a freeway, it's a reminder that thinking in absolutes is a bad idea, as well as giving digital map makers a hard time because it means that the Interstate shield cannot be exclusive to the controlled-access roadway classification.

Doesn't this issue for digital map makers also apply to 78 in Jersey City, 70 in Breezewood, and (to some extent) 676 in Philly?

Forgot 587 Kingston, NY

There's also no cops...it's the only place in Washington where 70-80 is the norm.

in just about every other state, 70-80 is the norm when there is the threat of cops.  wtf, Washington.

Meh. Just drove down to Portland and back, and I assure you that on the southern section of I-5 (where the speed limit is 70 as opposed to 60), actual speeds are definitely in the high 70s.

[briantroutman]

Doesn't this issue for digital map makers also apply to 78 in Jersey City, 70 in Breezewood, and (to some extent) 676 in Philly?

I'm not sure about I-78 in Jersey City, but as far as PennDOT is concerned, US 30 in Breezewood is not I-70 and the ramps around Franklin Square are not I-676. Actually, PennDOT considers I-676 to terminate at the interchange with I-95–the continuation of the Vine Street Expressway is designated as SR 0676 in official records. In both cases, I-70 and I-676 shields are signed to direct motorists to where the routes continue, but they are, in the strictest sense, discontinuous.

[jakeroot]

There's also no cops...it's the only place in Washington where 70-80 is the norm.

in just about every other state, 70-80 is the norm when there is the threat of cops.  wtf, Washington.

Meh. Just drove down to Portland and back, and I assure you that on the southern section of I-5 (where the speed limit is 70 as opposed to 60), actual speeds are definitely in the high 70s.

What I meant to say was "The only urban interstate where..." I wish Washington would up the rural speed limits to 75, or 80. I hate being barely better than Oregon. 

EDIT: mapman1071, reply #245 is confusing me. I think something got messed up.

[US 41]

Any interstate in Hawaii is the worst considering they're all intrastates.

[jakeroot]

Any interstate in Hawaii is the worst considering they're all intrastates.

I especially like Honolulu's 10mph legal range. I love it but it's still pretty nuts.