Five highways you DON’T want to drive

[D-Dey65]

If you hit it off peak. It's usually moving but quite thick. During peak times, it's nothing but stop and go.

I-295 around Richmond is a better ride. 8 lanes and is always moving 80+ mph, even during the busiest of weekends.

You're absolutely right. South of that though, the only time I've really faced any traffic jams are during construction and maintenance... except in Jacksonville.

[Flint1979]

US 1...in any state. Mad props to those who've clinched it through Connecticut, because I can't imagine slogging through 120 miles of sprawl. I-95 was painful enough.
I-79 north of Pittsburgh; I have little reason to head up to Erie. Even if I did, why would I take the least scenic route there?
I-81 in any state. Although I haven't been south of I-64 or north of Syracuse, my idea of fun does not involve large trucks.
I-78 in New Jersey. Why do Pennsylvania drivers instantly smash the gas the second they're in Jersey? They'll only reach the traffic jams in New York that much quicker. I-80 gets a pass because there's more lanes and thus less opportunities to observe the conservation of momentum in real time.
Interboro / JRP in New York. Why do expressways in NYC get slammed through cemeteries? Why would I want to drive a road that mostly traverses a cemetery? I've done it, and I've clinched it, and I never want to see it again.

The Interboro/Jackie Robinson Parkway isn't an expressway it's a parkway. And seriously is it really that big of a deal that it goes through a cemetary?

[sprjus4]

If you hit it off peak. It's usually moving but quite thick. During peak times, it's nothing but stop and go.

I-295 around Richmond is a better ride. 8 lanes and is always moving 80+ mph, even during the busiest of weekends.

You're absolutely right. South of that though, the only time I've really faced any traffic jams are during construction and maintenance... except in Jacksonville.

The segment in North Carolina and South Carolina (big emphasis on south of I-26) can be painful, especially during peak weekends.

[jaehak]

I'm sure there are countless miles of highway that I haven't been on that I wouldn't enjoy, but I can't say there's any that I definitely don't want to do.

Some routes that I would prefer to never drive again:
80 between Des Moines and Joliet
Indiana Highway 16
The Ohio Turnpike
Any non-coastal, non-urban road in Florida outside of the Everglades
The portions of the QL1A in Vietnam that I have driven

The deepest layer of highway hell:
5 Central Valley
70 Independence to Wentzville

[SEWIGuy]

I-41 between Green Bay and Milwaukee
I-65 between Chicago and Indianapolis
I-80 between Chicagoland and Des Moines
I-57 between Champaign and I-24
I-290 in Illinois

[NWI_Irish96]

I-65 between Chicago and Indianapolis

Nobody should ever want to drive this, at least not until they get it six laned all the way.

[SEWIGuy]

I-65 between Chicago and Indianapolis

Nobody should ever want to drive this, at least not until they get it six laned all the way.

My favorite alternate is US-421.  But I need to have the time obviously!

[thspfc]

I-41 between Green Bay and Milwaukee

I-41 is okay in my opinion. The segment between Fond du Lac and Appleton is really nice. Through the Green Bay area it's one of my favorite small city urban freeways.

[Flint1979]

I-65 between Chicago and Indianapolis

Nobody should ever want to drive this, at least not until they get it six laned all the way.

My favorite alternate is US-421.  But I need to have the time obviously!

Personally I like US-41 to US-52 to IN-47 to US-421 going Chicago to Indy.

[Flint1979]

Indiana Highway 16

I clinched that highway by mistake once when I was county clinching in Indiana. From what I remember it's a boring highway and the highlight of the highway is a landfill along the concurrency with IN-119.

[achilles765]

I-81 in VA: While the scenery is nice it's a very boring road.
US 67 in IL
MO 32

Yep. I remember when my friend and I used to drive from Baton Rouge to Woodstock Connecticut and we would have to drive Ih 81 from its southern terminus all the way to Scranton where we would switch to IH 84. That stretch though Virginia was the most boring part of the trip.

[SEWIGuy]

I-41 between Green Bay and Milwaukee

I-41 is okay in my opinion. The segment between Fond du Lac and Appleton is really nice. Through the Green Bay area it's one of my favorite small city urban freeways.

Too much traffic until you get to De Pere.

[Rothman]

I-81 in VA: While the scenery is nice it's a very boring road.
US 67 in IL
MO 32

Yep. I remember when my friend and I used to drive from Baton Rouge to Woodstock Connecticut and we would have to drive Ih 81 from its southern terminus all the way to Scranton where we would switch to IH 84. That stretch though Virginia was the most boring part of the trip.

It does have some nice views of the mountains as you travel up the valley.

[CapeCodder]

I-81 in VA: While the scenery is nice it's a very boring road.
US 67 in IL
MO 32

Yep. I remember when my friend and I used to drive from Baton Rouge to Woodstock Connecticut and we would have to drive Ih 81 from its southern terminus all the way to Scranton where we would switch to IH 84. That stretch though Virginia was the most boring part of the trip.

It does have some nice views of the mountains as you travel up the valley.

I like the mountain that looms ahead of you as you come to the 84 interchange. What is the name of that mountain?

A few more:

NH 1A: If it were winter, I'd probably drive it. Summer time? forget it.
MO 21: This highway seems to be pretty dangerous south of the improved section. I've been on it as far south as Elephant Rocks SP.
IL 127: It seems like a boring highway.

[GaryV]

Any toll roads that gOUgE the consumers.   

[US 41]

I'm not too picky, but here's the main two for me.

1) Any highway that is cluttered with stop lights and/or tons of traffic.

2) Most rural interstates if there is a US or state highway alternative. As long as US or state Hwy isn't like example #1. I do enjoy driving through small towns and medium sized cities (<100K).

[Revive 755]

MO 32

Why this one?  The section from Park Hills to MO 21 has some nice views of the Ozarks.

MO 21: This highway seems to be pretty dangerous south of the improved section. I've been on it as far south as Elephant Rocks SP.

Also has some nice scenery near and south of Ironton.  Definitely could be a candidate for more passing lanes though.

[D-Dey65]

If you hit it off peak. It's usually moving but quite thick. During peak times, it's nothing but stop and go.

I-295 around Richmond is a better ride. 8 lanes and is always moving 80+ mph, even during the busiest of weekends.

You're absolutely right. South of that though, the only time I've really faced any traffic jams are during construction and maintenance... except in Jacksonville.

The segment in North Carolina and South Carolina (big emphasis on south of I-26) can be painful, especially during peak weekends.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen (because I know it does). I'm just saying I've never had to deal with it. Maybe it's just the fact that I usually arrive at the Georgia-South Carolina border around late-morning or early afternoon, but I usually have a fairly smooth ride through the Carolinas.

[sprjus4]

^ You've lucked out then. I've had my fair share of congestion-free trips, but I've also had some pretty nightmare-ish ones as well. It's really just hit or miss and when you travel (week vs. weekend)

I've traveled I-95 on a peak weekend, and it was still bumper to bumper stop-and-go approaching midnight.

[Flint1979]

^ You've lucked out then. I've had my fair share of congestion-free trips, but I've also had some pretty nightmare-ish ones as well. It's really just hit or miss and when you travel (week vs. weekend)

I've traveled I-95 on a peak weekend, and it was still bumper to bumper stop-and-go approaching midnight.

So have I. Last time I went through there on I-95 it was a nightmare from Jacksonville to I-26. Then I-26 was a nightmare to Columbia. I did all of this just to bypass Atlanta and Cincinnati and ended up spending more time on the road I think.

[CapeCodder]

MO 32

Why this one?  The section from Park Hills to MO 21 has some nice views of the Ozarks.

MO 21: This highway seems to be pretty dangerous south of the improved section. I've been on it as far south as Elephant Rocks SP.

Also has some nice scenery near and south of Ironton.  Definitely could be a candidate for more passing lanes though.

Ever been stuck behind an RV moving at old people speed? Take that and multiply that by 100.

[LM117]

I-40, I-440 in the Triangle metro in NC (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill). Also, I-85 between Hillsborough and Durham.

[keithvh]

I want to drive everything, but in my efforts to clinch nearby states, not exactly looking forward to:

1. WY450
2. WY136
3. NM39
4. NM1
5. US83 in Kansas

Chris

I've happened to travel 2 of your more obscure ones.  WY450 is fine - I found the grasslands it crossed pretty in their own way, and the Rand McNally does donate it as a "scenic route."  It does however also pass a few coal plants, which are less pretty.

NM39 I have less good things to say about.  There's only 1 real climb on the highway, the rest of the road is flat, and all of Harding County gives off a bit of a weird vibe.

[Jim]

Thinking of roads I've driven, some pretty often.

1) most of I-95, but especially the Cross Bronx, perpetual construction area north of Philadelphia, and from Baltimore to Richmond.
2) I-70 across Missouri
3) I-90 through Chicago
4) I-10 through the Florida Panhandle
5) I-4

[noelbotevera]

Interboro / JRP in New York. Why do expressways in NYC get slammed through cemeteries? Why would I want to drive a road that mostly traverses a cemetery? I've done it, and I've clinched it, and I never want to see it again.

The Interboro/Jackie Robinson Parkway isn't an expressway it's a parkway. And seriously is it really that big of a deal that it goes through a cemetary?

Cemeteries make for compressed roads (it's impossible to expand the JRP right now). Compressed roads means narrow lanes, and in the case of the JRP - very narrow lanes which are unpleasant. Also, a cemetery is the least scenic thing that a parkway should run through.