The Great Interstate Bracket Challenge

[Ketchup99]

NORTH
95 over 89 - I know Interstate 95. Interstate 95 is a friend of mine. I-89, you're no I-95.
87 over 68 - Thruway versus a little I-70 spur? No question.
81 over 93 - 81 may be boring at times but it's the backbone of Appalachia.
76 over 78 - Home could be the Pennsylvania Turnpike...

SOUTH
10 over 59 - major cross-country route wins almost any day.
65 over 20 - very close, but ultimately 65 just goes to places I'd rather go to...
75 over 24 - when I see 75mph posted on 24 I may reconsider.
55 over 26 - not sure what the controversy will be here...

MIDWEST
90 over 57 - Aside from being numbered wrong in half the country, 90 gets the nod.
35 over 64 - one is a cohesive highway, one is not. Get rid of the 35W/E splits and it's a bigger win.
69 over 70 - 69 doesn't need to exist but I'm voting against 70 on principle because it sucks in Pennsylvania. Sorry...
94 over 44 - 94 should be I-90!

WEST
80 over 8 - I don't even think I-8 should be in the second round.
5 over 25 - Dream of Californiacation!
40 over 29 - I-40 should go to Virginia Beach but it's still a fantastic highway.   
15 over 84 - I-84 is what happens when I-15 gets lost and wanders west.

[Ketchup99]

75 vs. 24     For my college application essay

I'm gonna jump in and assume there's a story here?

[I-55]

75 vs. 24     For my college application essay

I'm gonna jump in and assume there's a story here?

I've explained it in another thread but for those who didn't see it, my college admissions essay was on relieving I-24 congestion in Chattanooga. The solution I came up with was to build a new freeway in Georgia that connected to I-59 on the west end, roughly followed the routing of GA-2, and ended at I-75.

Also I've clinched I-24 as a passenger, but only drove on the portions where it's concurrent with I-69

[dlsterner]

EAST:  95, 68, 81, 76E
SOUTH:  10, 65, 75, 26
MIDWEST:  90, 64, 70, 94
WEST: 80, 5, 40, 15

[CoreySamson]

East:
95 vs. 89
95's too important.

68 vs. 87
Again, the Cumberland parts look interesting.

81 vs. 93
I'll take the upset here and go for the scenic looks of 93.

76E vs. 78
Not really that close.

South:
10 vs. 59
10 all the way.

20 vs. 65
Very close, but I'll give 20 the nod.

75 vs. 24
Longer and goes more interesting places.

55 vs. 26
Although I've ridden all of 55 in Mississippi, 26 still looks more scenic and fun.

Midwest:
90 vs. 57
90's been getting all the cupcakes.

35 vs. 64
I've actually driven on 35, plus I'd argue 35 is one of the most important interstates in the nation. Easy win.

70 vs. 69
Can't overlook that Rocky Mountain section on 70. That alone gives it the nod.

94 vs. 44
Very tough choice, but 44 has the history to compete.

West:
80 vs. 8
8 is interesting for a large portion of its routing. 80's got more boring sections. Big upset.

5 vs. 25
The mountains of 25 give it the win.

40 vs. 29
Easy win, even though 40's not the most scenic interstate.

15 vs. 84W
Hardest-to pick of the West, but still a clean victory.

[CtrlAltDel]

Like last time, I will limit my choices to eight per day. So, let's begin:

EAST
95 vs. 89

68 vs. 87

81 vs. 93
Probably the hardest decision I've had to make so far, but the more local road to me takes it.

76E vs. 78
I-78 is too far off standards at its eastern terminus to win.

SOUTH
10 vs. 59

20 vs. 65

75 vs. 24
I-75 has pretty much has everything I-24 has and more.

55 vs. 26
I-26 pulls off another upset due to its scenicness.

[DTComposer]

EAST
95
81
76E
79
87
91
93
89

SOUTH
10
75
55
20
65
85
49
30

MIDWEST
90
70
94
35
64
44
77
74

WEST
80
40
15
5
25
84
29
45

[Bickendan]

EAST
95 vs. 89
Underdog pick. Helps that I've been on 89.

68 vs. 87
I'll take the Quebecois Special.

81 vs. 93
The Notch.

76 vs. 78
Holland Tunnel approach.

SOUTH
10 vs. 59
Nearly non-stop drive from NOLA to LACA in 36 hours.

20 vs. 65
The short portion of 20 I drove was pretty. Haven't been on 65.

75 vs. 24
Mackinac Bridge.

55 vs. 26
Eh.

MIDWEST
90 vs. 57
Badlands; the drive down from Montana to Spokane.

35 vs. 64
Better question is: 35W vs. 35E

70 vs. 69
Top of the Interstate System!

94 vs. 44
Ok, I liked the ND portion of 94. And the MSP portion is dynamic.

WEST
80 vs. 8
Nod to the Bay Bridge, wrong way overlap with 580, Biz 80, the Salt Flats, and missing NYC by a hair.

5 vs. 25
The Grapevine, and Redding-Portland define I-5 for me.

40 vs. 29
"Get your kicks/
On Route/
Six-Six"

15 vs. 84
COLUMBIA. RIVER. GORGE.

[adwerkema]

EAST
95 over 89 - 95 connects much more of the country
87 over 68 - Shunpike is nice, but connection between NYC and Montreal is more important
81 over 93 - 93 has some nice sights (Big Dig, Franconia Notch), but 81 is the backbone of the Appalachians
76 over 78 - 76 is the gateway between Washington/Baltimore/Philly and the Great Lakes. 78 sort of vomits into NYC

SOUTH
10 over 59 - 10 connects much more of the country
65 over 20 - Both are arguably of the same importance, but the consensus seems that 20 is more boring
75 over 24 - Everyone in Michigan knows 75 goes to Florida, highlighting its importance
55 over 26 - I disagree with 26 winning over 85, so I'm definitely going to pick 55

MIDWEST
90 over 57 - Longest interstate vs Chicago shortcut? These are two different leagues
35 over 64 - 64 leans on the help of 75/77/81 to cross the Appalachians. 35 is the most well known N/S road in the Plains
70 over 69 - Until 69 can get its act together, I'm not rooting for it. Plus 70 through UT/CO/KS/PA is partially scenic
94 over 44 - Tough one. 94 grossly bending south along Lake MI is hard to ignore. But ND/MN/WI's reliance on 94 beats out 44

WEST
80 over 8 - How is this even the same league? 80 all the way
5 over 25 - The larger population served and border-to-border length hands the win over to I-5
40 over 29 - 40 is definitely more classic of an American highway. CA to NC!
15 over 84 - Both are neat and scenic, but 15 is neat and scenic for longer

[CtrlAltDel]

And now, for the second half of the second round:

MIDWEST
90 vs. 57
I-90's long concurrency with I-80 gets it knocked out by the longest route I've clinched.

35 vs. 64
Linking a pair of twin cities gives I-35 the win.

70 vs. 69
My favorite to win it all makes it to the next round.

94 vs. 44
The hometown route takes it.

WEST
80 vs. 8
I-80's long concurrency with I-90 gets it knocked out by a route I've traveled a hefty chunk of.

5 vs. 25
I-25 in New Mexico is gorgeous. Also, sentimental reasons. When my dad dropped me off at grad school, we traveled this route.

40 vs. 29
My second favorite to win it all also makes it to the next round.

15 vs. 84W
It's the western half of the western I-84 that takes the win.

[wanderer2575]

EAST
95 vs. 89
68 vs. 87
81 vs. 93
76E vs. 78

SOUTH
10 vs. 59
20 vs. 65
75 vs. 24
55 vs. 26

MIDWEST
90 vs. 57
35 vs. 64
70 vs. 69
94 vs. 44

WEST
80 vs. 8
5 vs. 25
40 vs. 29
15 vs. 84W

[Henry]

With the second round ending, here are the final results:

EAST
95 vs. 89
I-95 runs away with a 25-1 win over I-89.

68 vs. 87
I-87 ekes out a 14-12 victory over I-68.

81 vs. 93
In another close matchup, it's I-81 advancing with a 15-11 advantage over I-93.

76E vs. 78
I-78 reaches yet another premature end, with a 21-5 loss to I-76.

SOUTH
10 vs. 59
I-10 comes out on top with a 23-3 win.

20 vs. 65
I-65 emerges victorious once again with a 14-12 win over the other 2di it meets in Birmingham.

75 vs. 24
I-75 gets an easy 22-4 win over I-24.

55 vs. 26
While I-26 gives its all against I-55, it falls just short, 16-10.

MIDWEST
90 vs. 57
I-90 gets a very comfortable 23-3 victory over I-57.

35 vs. 64
I-35 advances with a 20-6 win over I-64.

70 vs. 69
Score another big win for I-70, as it eliminates the ever-growing I-69 by a 24-2 score.

94 vs. 44
I-94 gets the last Midwest spot in the next round with a 22-4 win over I-44.

WEST
80 vs. 8
With a 21-5 win, I-80 advances.

5 vs. 25
This is the closest match in the West, but I-5 survives with a 17-9 victory over I-25.

40 vs. 29
I-40 cruises to a 22-4 win over I-29.

15 vs. 84W
With a 20-6 loss, this means that I-84 will not appear in the later rounds in either form.

Now let's take a look at the Sweet 16:

EAST
95 vs. 87
This is a Battle of the Big Apple, where Boston-Philly takes on Albany-Montreal.

81 vs. 76E
In yet another meeting of Harrisburg-area 2dis, the Appalachian freeway corridor takes on the famed Turnpike.

SOUTH
10 vs. 65
This time, we have a Mobile Special.

75 vs. 55
Sault Ste. Marie-Miami or Chicago-La Place?

MIDWEST
90 vs. 35
This Albert Lea Special has the longest 2di taking on the only 2di that still has splits in its route (and it has two, for that matter).

70 vs. 94
US 40's superior goes up against the Midwest's major metropolitan connector.

WEST
80 vs. 5
Who will win the Battle of Sacramento?

40 vs. 15
This is the Route 66/Barstow Special, with both 2di's replacing parts of the Mother Road.

Again, the results will be posted next week.

[Big John]

95
76E

10
75

90
94

5
40

[clong]

EAST
95 vs. 87
No contest.

81 vs. 76E
Free roller coaster ride with every drive

SOUTH
10 vs. 65
Midwest Beach Traffic Express

75 vs. 55
Less river smell

MIDWEST
90 vs. 35
Destinations

70 vs. 94
Spent too much time on it in MO not to vote for it

WEST
80 vs. 5
This was tough to pick

40 vs. 15
So many terrain changes and nearly cross-country

[Buck87]

EAST
95
76E

SOUTH
10
75

MIDWEST
90
70

WEST
80
40

[CNGL-Leudimin]

My picks. Some are quite hard, especially 80 vs 5:
East:
95
81

South:
10
75

North:
90
70

West:
80
15

[NWI_Irish96]

EAST
95 vs. 87

81 vs. 76E

SOUTH
10 vs. 65

75 vs. 55

MIDWEST
90 vs. 35

70 vs. 94

WEST
80 vs. 5

40 vs. 15

[I-55]

95
81

65
55

35
94

80
40

[Konza]

Now let's take a look at the Sweet 16:

EAST
95 vs. 87
This is a Battle of the Big Apple, where Boston-Philly takes on Albany-Montreal.

The longer length of I-95 and the number of states and important markets it connects makes it the easy winner here.

81 vs. 76E
In yet another meeting of Harrisburg-area 2dis, the Appalachian freeway corridor takes on the famed Turnpike.

I'm a big fan of I-81 for a number of reasons, but I have to go back to the fact that the Pennsylvania Turnpike is the original US superhighway and predated the Interstate system by fifteen years.

SOUTH
10 vs. 65
This time, we have a Mobile Special.

This one was a tough call, as I now live close to I-10 and the route from home to college was I-65.  I'm thirty miles or so from clinching I-65 and have driven I-10 from Mobile to west of Phoenix.  Nevertheless, I-10 is the southern route across the country and there really aren't a lot of alternates.

75 vs. 55
Sault Ste. Marie-Miami or Chicago-La Place?

I-75 connects the Midwest to Florida, and Detroit-Cincinnati-Atlanta-Tampa beats Chicago-St. Louis-Memphis-New Orleans.

MIDWEST
90 vs. 35
This Albert Lea Special has the longest 2di taking on the only 2di that still has splits in its route (and it has two, for that matter).

Tougher than I thought it would be, but a transcontinental east-west route will generally beat out a border to border north-south route, even as important as I-35 is to the nation's heartland.

70 vs. 94
US 40's superior goes up against the Midwest's major metropolitan connector.

From Detroit to Minneapolis, I-94 probably wins this, but US 40 has been called America's Main Street, and I-70 parallels it from Washington, PA to west of Denver. and I-70 west of Denver is more important than I-94 west of the Twin Cities.

WEST
80 vs. 5
Who will win the Battle of Sacramento?

Based on what I'm offered above, I didn't want to vote this way, but I-5 connects virtually every major city on the West Coast, and although it connects the New York City and San Francisco metro areas, I-80 is a relief route across PA, skirts both Cleveland (a nod here to I-480) and Chicago, and is a rural Interstate between Omaha and Salt Lake City.  Add on the long duplex across Indiana and Ohio, and although I've driven a lot of miles om I-80 in Iowa and Illinois, I have to go with I-5 here.

40 vs. 15
This is the Route 66/Barstow Special, with both 2di's replacing parts of the Mother Road.

I look at I-40 as a national route, while I-15 is more of a regional route, especially north of I-70.

[M3100]

M3200's selections

EAST
95 vs. 87

81 vs. 76E

SOUTH
10 vs. 65

75 vs. 55

MIDWEST
90 vs. 35

70 vs. 94

WEST
80 vs. 5

40 vs. 15

[US 89]

EAST
95 vs. 87 - not a huge fan of either, but a greater percentage of 87 is cool compared to 95
81 vs. 76E - the vast majority of 76 is tolled, which I'm not really a fan of

SOUTH
10 vs. 65 - As cross-country interstates go, I-10 takes a path that misses lots of the good stuff and leaves much to be desired.
75 vs. 55 - I'm biased since I've lived within sight of it, but 55 is just too boring. 75 at least has some terrain variation, and I especially like the parts in the GA/TN border region.

MIDWEST
90 vs. 35 - No real reason other than I'd rather this not be a battle between the four transcon x0's. Plus I've been on more of 35.
70 vs. 94 - Glenwood Canyon and San Rafael Swell.

WEST
80 vs. 5 - You're doing the West Coast wrong if you're on 5. Annoyingly low speed limits and truck trarffic knock this one down, plus you can do so much better on roads like US 101 or California's SR 1. 80 is the classic American interstate, has some neat sections like Donner Pass and the Salt Flats, and goes through my hometown SLC.
40 vs. 15 - See I-10 above. I-15 has the Virgin River Gorge, but even beyond that it takes you through a pretty good cross section of the diverse terrain the West has to offer. There's a little bit of everything - deserts, canyons, cities, mountains, plains, and more.

[vsaharan]

EAST
95 vs. 87

I-95 no doubt

81 vs. 76E

Have to vote 76E because I've never been on 81

SOUTH
10 vs. 65

I-10

75 vs. 55


I-75 all the way. MI represent! (very southern state indeed)

MIDWEST
90 vs. 35

Sheeesh this is tough, I-90 is the great one but I-35 is one unique highway. I'll pick I-35 just cuz of the Minneapolis splits, which have always intrigued me.

70 vs. 94

I-70, only because of Denver and westward

WEST
80 vs. 5

I-5. Vertebrae of the Pacific.

40 vs. 15

Another tough one, I'll go with I-40 because of the AZ stretch

[jmd41280]

EAST
95
81

SOUTH
10
75

MIDWEST
90
70

WEST
80
40

[Scott5114]

I was kind of afraid this would just turn into an x0/x5 fest, and it seems like it has. Ah well.

Short enough now I actually feel like writing my justifications out.

• I-95: No contest here. Albany and Montreal versus Miami to Maine?
• I-81: Hard pick here, but 81 is more critical to the network than 76E. Its most important parts are overlapped with I-70 anyway.
  
• I-10: Serves two of the U.S.'s largest cities, Los Angeles and Houston, as well as Phoenix, El Paso, San Antonio, and Jacksonville? 65 doesn't stand a chance. Sure, serving Indianapolis and Nashville is real impressive.
• I-55: The northernmost bit serves the old US-66 corridor, and the rest of it the Mississippi River corridor. This route oozes history and Americana.
  
• I-35: I'm totally biased here since I've lived in sight distance of it twice, and it's still the closest to me. But even other than that, it serves San Antonio, Austin, DFW, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Kansas City, Des Moines, MSP, and Duluth, all great cities. 90 gets points for being the longest Interstate, but a good chunk of that time is spent traversing sparsely-populated territory, concurrent with other routes, or tolled.
• I-70: 70 is great because it has so many weird things along its route. Glenwood Canyon! Breezewood! Ending at a Park & Ride! 94 serves some great cities, but it's so tied up in 90's shadow to me that I always have to stop and think which route goes where.
  
• I-80: San Francisco to New York? Now that's a great American road trip. Sure, it passes through a lot of nothing in Nevada, Wyoming and Nebraska, but it also manages to hit whatever major cities there are in those states, as well as Chicagoland. I-5 connects some great cities, but pales in comparison to the diversity 80 serves.
• I-40: Again, I'm biased, since I also used to live in sight distance of it too. But it's a key cross-country route, and overlaps a good chunk of old US-66 to boot, so it picks up that classic Americana flavor from it. You can even sing the city-naming part of "Route 66"  and most of them still apply (just missing the Missouri cities and San Bernardino). 15 starts out strong, but north of Vegas, you have Virgin River Gorge and Salt Lake, and then it gets pretty obscure.

[Great Lakes Roads]

EAST
95 vs. 87

81 vs. 76E

SOUTH
10 vs. 65

75 vs. 55

MIDWEST
90 vs. 35

70 vs. 94


WEST
80 vs. 5

40 vs. 15