I-41, An AASHTO Violation?

[ColossalBlocks]

I've noticed that I-41 runs concurrent with US-41 for it's entire length. Isn't that an AASHTO violation?

[SEWIGuy]

I've noticed that I-41 runs concurrent with US-41 for it's entire length. Isn't that an AASHTO violation?

AASHTO approved both the I-41 number, and the US-41 relocation, at the same meeting in November 2012.  So my guess is no.

http://route.transportation.org/Documents/SCOH%20Report%2011-16-2012.pdf

[Big John]

With the precedent of I-74 in North Carolina concurrent with US 74, it was allowed.

[Scott5114]

AASHTO once had a policy of trying to avoid US routes and Interstates in the same state, although even from the early days, there were some instances of this (US 24 and I-24 in IL, US 80 and I-80 in CA, etc.) It seems like in recent times AASHTO has acknowledged that the grid has gotten dense enough that some conflicts are unavoidable. Another recently added one is US 69 crossing the path of I-69.

[english si]

And, unlike I-74 and US74, US41/I-41 is far less of a conflict: as they are entirely concurrent, the confusion of two routes with the same number that AASHTO sought to avoid doesn't exist. In fact it's less of a problem than I-69 and US69 merely intersecting, or even I-24 and US24 at opposite ends of Illinois.

[SEWIGuy]

Remember that WISDOT preferred either I-55 or I-57 (I can't remember which), but Illinois didn't want the extension. 

[Big John]

Remember that WISDOT preferred either I-55 or I-57 (I can't remember which), but Illinois didn't want the extension. 

It was I-55 this time.  I-57 was the preference for I-43 from Milwaukee to Green Bay.  Illinois killed both proposals.

[LM117]

With the precedent of I-74 in North Carolina concurrent with US 74, it was allowed.

I-74 was designated by Congress. AASHTO had no choice but to approve it's concurrency with US-74.

[peterj920]

Remember that WISDOT preferred either I-55 or I-57 (I can't remember which), but Illinois didn't want the extension. 

It was I-55 this time.  I-57 was the preference for I-43 from Milwaukee to Green Bay.  Illinois killed both proposals.

I-55 was never considered by WISDOT.  There were municipalities along I-41 in the Fox Valley that wanted I-55.  The alternatives were I-41, I-47, I-594, I-694 with WISDOT preferring I-41 which was selected.  I-41 fits the grid right between I-39 and I-43. 

[billtm]

What I really don't get is why it had to become an Interstate. What's wrong with keeping it US-41? It never crosses state lines anyways. I-43 is the faster and shorter route anyways, so having two interstates connecting the same two points is just confusing, IMO.

[SEWIGuy]

What I really don't get is why it had to become an Interstate. What's wrong with keeping it US-41? It never crosses state lines anyways. I-43 is the faster and shorter route anyways, so having two interstates connecting the same two points is just confusing, IMO.

It does cross a state line.  (And I-43 doesn't).  And I-41 is shorter to Green Bay if you are going from the west side of the Milwaukee suburbs. 

[peterj920]

What I really don't get is why it had to become an Interstate. What's wrong with keeping it US-41? It never crosses state lines anyways. I-43 is the faster and shorter route anyways, so having two interstates connecting the same two points is just confusing, IMO.

I-43 is the shorter route between Green Bay and Milwaukee, but a lot more people live along the I-41 corridor than the I-43 corridor.  Because of that, I-41 has more traffic than I-43 as I-41 is 6 lanes between Appleton and Oshkosh.  Appleton's metro area is almost as big as Green Bay and giving that area an interstate is why the designation was implemented.  The traffic is there and it was a freeway even before the I-41 designation. 

[Revive 755]

It does cross a state line.  (And I-43 doesn't).

That wouldn't be hard to fix; just add a short multiplex with I-39 and I-90 down to the US 51 interchange just over the Illinois border.  Have it implied that it might get extended over a future upgrade of the semi-expressway IL 251. [/sarcasm]

More seriously, at least I-43 does not need a long multiplex just to get near a state line.

[billtm]

Oops, I guess it does cross a state line. But I still believe routes like US-41 should be kept as US highways until their reach becomes more significant than one state(in the east).

[SEWIGuy]

Disagree.  I think if it is an interstate worthy highway, it should be labelled as such.  The system is "interstate."  That doesn't mean every highway has to be.

[english si]

Gotta love the classic 'Interstates shouldn't be intrastate' nonsense - interstate refers to the network, not necessarily the routes. Appleton, etc is worthy of being on that network.

As for the state line issue, it's really I-94 piggybacking on the '41 route rather than I-41 piggybacking on I-94 - and has been since I-94 was rerouted via Chicago as the numbering was tweaked. IL wanting I-55 to end in Chicago has meant that this north-south freeway between Chicago and Milwaukee has strangely had an east-west number as its main one for 50 years. But no longer, at least in WI and the northernmost mile of IL anyway!

[hbelkins]

It should have been a three-digit route. Period. End of discussion.

[SEWIGuy]

It should have been a three-digit route. Period. End of discussion.

No it shouldn't have.  Period.  End of discussion.

[texaskdog]

If you cannot tell the difference between the black/white & red/blue shields there is no hope for you.

[Rothman]

It should have been a three-digit route. Period. End of discussion.

No it shouldn't have.  Period.  End of discussion.

Yes, it should have.  Period.  End of discussion.

[Interstate 69 Fan]

It should have been a three-digit route. Period. End of discussion.

No it shouldn't have.  Period.  End of discussion.

Yes, it should have.  Period.  End of discussion.

Let's not argue.
I-55 was proposed for what is now Interstate 41. Interstate 57 was I-43. Both proposals were killed by IDOT.
Your welcome.

[NE2]

It should have been a zero-digit route.

from http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrew-turnbull/4524557785

[SEWIGuy]

There are 19 2dis shorter than I-41.

Should I-66, I-19, I-97, I-83, I-22, I-4 and I-37 be 3dis as well? 

[Rothman]

There are 19 2dis shorter than I-41.

Should I-66, I-19, I-97, I-83, I-22, I-4 and I-37 be 3dis as well? 

I-66, no.

I-19, possibly.

I-97, absolutely!  Been proposed many times on here.

I-83, heck no.

I-22, fine as is.

I-4, fine as is, doesn't come back and hit the same interstate like I-41 does with I-43.

I-37, possibly.

[billtm]

There are 19 2dis shorter than I-41.

Should I-66, I-19, I-97, I-83, I-22, I-4 and I-37 be 3dis as well? 

I-97 definitely should not be an interstate. Tell me if I'm wrong, but the only highway on your list that is completely multiplexed is I-22. The fact that I-41 is multiplexed along its entire route is not right to me. I think I-22 is okay though because it shortens interstate travel distance considerably.