Five highways you DON’T want to drive

[thspfc]

- I-10 across Louisiana
- I-10 across Florida
- I-29 (though I've already been on it for a short distance in Iowa)
- MN-1
- FL-A1A (also been on this one a few times)

[Bruce]

Anything without mountains or appreciable differences in terrain for 100+ miles.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

- MN-1

The part between MN 61 and Ely, perhaps all the way to US 53 for Lake Vermilion and the historic Iron Range towns is worth driving.

The rest of it, especially west of US 53, you won't miss anything.

[Max Rockatansky]

I can't undo the two times I've driven I-10 across the country...  Out of the stuff I haven't driven it probably would be mostly urban freeway mileage.  There has to a historic hook or something scenic for me really to go out of my way for an unnecessary urban freeway. 

And I agree, the segment of MN 1 east of US 53 is actually pretty damn nice.

[JayhawkCO]

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

[Scott5114]

Anything without mountains or appreciable differences in terrain for 100+ miles.

I think this is unnecessarily myopic. There are a lot of roads with "no mountains or appreciable differences in terrain" that are still well worth the hour and a half that doing 100 miles on them would take.

[JayhawkCO]

Anything without mountains or appreciable differences in terrain for 100+ miles.

I think this is unnecessarily myopic. There are a lot of roads with "no mountains or appreciable differences in terrain" that are still well worth the hour and a half that doing 100 miles on them would take.

I mean, I don't totally disagree with Bruce.  Living out west and doing clinching here is much more exciting to me than driving a random Indiana state route. (Sorry to pick on you Indiana.)  My personal goals in clinching are states that have interesting terrain/scenery and additionally clinching the interstate system, just because I am relatively close (65.39% at the moment).  I am looking forward to a remote Utah state route much more so than I am I-74 between Galesburg and Bloomington (which clinches "mainline" I-74 for me).

Chris

[Max Rockatansky]

Anything without mountains or appreciable differences in terrain for 100+ miles.

I think this is unnecessarily myopic. There are a lot of roads with "no mountains or appreciable differences in terrain" that are still well worth the hour and a half that doing 100 miles on them would take.

One that comes to mind it the Tamiami Trail between Naples and Miami.  CA 43 comes to mind also given it is pure rail porn and even has State Park ghost town. 

[NWI_Irish96]

I-495 (NY)
CA 91
I-610 (TX)
I-95 between DC and Savannah
I-29 between Fargo and Omaha

[hbelkins]

Anything in Jefferson County, Ky.

[CoreySamson]

These first four are more of "wouldn't exactly care for":

- Any part of I-20
- TX-60
- US 77 between the RGV and Corpus Christi
- I-465 in Indianapolis

But the last one is a clear don't for me:

- The I-10 bridge in Lake Charles (I'll take I-210 instead, thank you very much)

[1995hoo]

I-95 between Petersburg and Miami is high on my list because I've driven it many times and I'm just plain flat-out bored with it, but I know I'll drive it again just because the alternate routes add enough distance that sooner or later I'll wind up using it.

I-81 in Virginia is another that's high on my list–I've clinched all of I-81 and I hate Virginia's part more than any other state's, but sometimes it's  just the best way to get somewhere.

The FDR Drive in New York readily comes to mind as another I don't want to drive because it strikes me as a dangerous road (I've been on parts of it as a passenger, usually in cabs, but I've never driven any portion of it).

Beyond that, I don't know.

[Rothman]

I-95 south of DC.  Blech.
I-83.  I know PA's working on it, but blech.
I-86.  NYSDOT can't blame the bad condition in the western portion of Region 9 on anyone else but them, partially due to the Region switcheroo some years ago.
I-90 between Rochester and Buffalo.  Boring.
I-70 across Kansas.  Also boring.

[Roadgeekteen]

I want to clinch everything

[ftballfan]

Free I-70 in SW Pennsylvania (west of New Stanton)
Any major freeway in NYC
I-70 in Kansas
I-40 in Texas
M-28

[Flint1979]

I-10 in Louisiana
I-405
US-50 in Nevada
US-6 in Nevada
I-80 in western Utah

[CapeCodder]

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

[seicer]

- New York Thruway - arguably one of the most boring highways. Heavy traffic; east-west orientation between Buffalo and Albany make driving in the mornings and evenings a pain; flat; awful service plazas (although the new ones are getting better).
- I-95 south of Washington D.C. because of heavy traffic.
- Pennsylvania Turnpike because of the toll rates. The appendages (i.e. PA 43) are not as expensive per mile and worth the drive generally.
- Indiana Toll Road - a very boring highway with no landmarks; high toll rates; awful service plazas; awful pavement. Compare this to the Ohio Turnpike which is also generally flat but has great amenities.
- PA's two-lane routes, such as US 40 or US 30. Generally, the closer you get to cities, the densier the development is clustered along the road because of a lack of access control. Sprawling development for miles and miles.

[I-55]

Any straight 2 lane roads where there's going to be a car in front of you. Great way to fall asleep. Pick any five from this list, along with ANY rural interstate with a speed limit less than 70.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

US 1 inbetween I-95 termini
I-95 south of Maine
US 75 in MN
I-405 (WA or CA)
PA Turnpike

[noelbotevera]

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.

[sprjus4]

I-81 in VA: While the scenery is nice it's a very boring road.

Agreed, plus the heavy truck traffic and traffic in general just ruins it.

I-64 west of I-81 is more interesting and nicer overall, IMO, and has very little traffic (under 10,000 AADT in most areas) to the point you can just set the cruise control at 70+ mph and not have to fluctuate every 5 miles because of a truck in the left lane going 62.5 mph passing the one on the right going 62.499 mph.

[Rothman]

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.

What's wrong wirh a highway that skirts a cemetery?

[D-Dey65]

- I-95 south of Washington D.C. because of heavy traffic.

Really? Because I kind of like it south of Fredericksburg.

[sprjus4]

- I-95 south of Washington D.C. because of heavy traffic.

Really? Because I kind of like it south of Fredericksburg.

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.