The Final Stretch

mightyace · July 23, 2009, 05:25:59 PM

Quote from: exit322 on July 23, 2009, 02:56:03 PM
For the most part, I-71 between Polaris and Medina is pretty boring, too.

At least there are a few hills in this stretch, the stretch between Grove City and Kings Island is MUCH flatter.

Alex · July 23, 2009, 11:35:12 PM

Quote from: mightyace on July 19, 2009, 11:12:45 PM
Quote from: Bryant5493 on July 19, 2009, 11:05:45 PM
I-65 between Montgomery and Mobile. By the Ancients!

Be well,

Bryant

I'll second that.

The trees come right up to the highways so there's not much you can see!

I'll third that, and to answer the question from Matt, no the trees are not close enough to the freeway to provide a variance in how it looks.

I'll add the 18-mile stretch between I-10 Exit 53 in AL and I-10 Exit 5 in FL.

cu2010 · July 23, 2009, 11:52:06 PM

I-90 between Syracuse and Geneva, NY. It's only about 40 miles, but they seem to take forever...even at 75mph! The 70 mile drive from Watertown to Syracuse on I-81 seems to go much quicker, even though it's a much less travelled road! There is a complete lack of scenery on the Thruway...just cars, road, trees, cars, wildlife refuge, cars, open space, ugly signage, cars...

Of course, most of the Thruway is like that...it is one of the most boring highways in the entire state...

vdeane · July 24, 2009, 04:48:21 PM

That probably has to do with the fact that the average distance between exits on the Thruway is as long or longer than the maximum distance between exits on I-81 (12 miles; the average on I-81 is around four).

AZDude · July 25, 2009, 01:55:26 AM

Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 20, 2009, 11:09:41 PM
I-5 through the central valley gets awful long sometimes!

+1

While scenic, that is the most boring drive ever.

CMHroads · July 30, 2009, 11:54:19 AM

Agree with the I-71 between Grove City and Cincy. Also, US33 between I-270 and I-77 in WV. That takes forever! I drove that on my way to the Outer Banks from Columbus and it was, by far, the longest part of the trip. 33 can't decide if it wants to be a freeway, expressway, or 2 lane highway. They need to 4-lane it clear to 77.

City · July 31, 2009, 12:38:26 AM

US-98 from Hattiesburg, MS, to The MS/AL State Line

Trust me, one time, and you are bored to death. Nothing but fields and forests for miles. (And a couple of exits, but they don't help.) Fifty miles seems like five hours.

Hellfighter · July 31, 2009, 12:41:11 AM

I-94 between M-19 and BL-94. Long stretches and 12+ miles in between exits. ugh!

leifvanderwall · August 03, 2009, 01:57:12 PM

The longest stretch for me especially when I was kid was I-75 from Tifton, GA to Fl. State Line. Here's a really good one : I-90 from the Black Hills to Sioux City, SD.
US 51 from Hurley, WI. to Minoqua-Woodruff, WI is a good one also.

hm insulators · August 03, 2009, 02:26:36 PM

I-10 between Desert Center and Blythe, California. Also parts of I-10 between Quartzsite, Arizona and the Phoenix area. The stretch between Phoenix and Tucson isn't all that exciting, either.

I-8 between Gila Bend and Yuma, Arizona.

Jim · August 03, 2009, 07:30:26 PM

The NY Thruway between Buffalo and the PA line always seems to take longer than I think it should. I guess once I'm in Buffalo, I feel like I should be just about to PA. But no. That, and I-10 in the Florida panhandle, as mentioned by others. That's a long road.

For me, any road I've never traveled, no matter how monotonous or boring, flat or deserted, is a good one. I really like I-90 and I-94 in the northern plains, for example. I'm sure I'd get bored of a lot of those monotonous routes if I traveled them frequently, but I don't think I could ever get tired of the great mountain rides, even on interstates like I-70 across the Rockies, or even the Adirondack Northway or the Mass Pike through the Berkshires back here in the east.

Terry Shea · August 04, 2009, 10:33:26 PM

Pretty much any highway that goes through Michigan, Indiana, Illinois or Ohio. These drives are okay if you like flatness and corn...oh, and nothing but whiteness in the winter.

Ian · August 04, 2009, 10:43:02 PM

After coming home from my New England/New York trips, we come from the New Jersey Turnpike onto exit 6 and get to I-276/PA Turnpike. That stretch from the east end to the I-476 exit (where we get off) takes a really long time. It feels like it goes on and on.

When heading up to my aunts house near Albany, NY, we get into NJ from I-287 then onto the NY Thruway north. Once on it, it takes FOREVER. It says 106 miles to Albany from there, but I feel like stopping and adding a "0" to the end of it.

This isn't a final stretch, but going through Connecticut to my northeast trips feels like forever. I feel the same way about Massachusetts.

allniter89 · August 13, 2009, 01:54:55 AM

I 10 in Florida from Jaxville to exit 56 in AL.

I-16 from Macon to I 95 jct

I-20 from Tuscaloosa, AL toMS line.

I 35 from San Antonio to Laredo, TX.

I 80 from Lincoln,NE west to WY

I-94 in the high plains of eastern MT

I-94 across ND

Snappyjack · August 14, 2009, 05:18:25 PM

I would say the following:

The NY Thruway between the PA Line and Albany. The whole thing is just boring, save for when you pass through the cities.

I-10 from Tallahassee to Pensacola was a long stretch.

I-81 in Virginia is pretty long and in some spots boring, but I like the drive.

City · August 14, 2009, 05:32:06 PM

It looks like quite a few people here don't like the NY Thruway.

Snappyjack · August 14, 2009, 05:56:51 PM

I don't like it because they raise the tolls and do nothing with the road. And it's just boring. Those are about it for me.

vdeane · August 14, 2009, 06:28:23 PM

It's still one of the cheapest toll roads in the northeast. I think the management finally discovered that, which may be the reason for the recent toll increases.

Snappyjack · August 15, 2009, 01:45:44 AM

yes, but for the lack of what gets done with that toll money, makes it feel like even more of a waste. I would rather pay for a road that is nice and well maintained and upgraded to handle traffic, then pay for a road that is still stuck in the 1950's.

Bryant5493 · August 15, 2009, 05:40:49 PM

Quote from: allniter89I-16 from Macon to I 95 jct
I-20 from Tuscaloosa, AL toMS line.

I echo these. Not much to see, especially between Macon and I-95.

Be well,

Bryant

vdeane · August 16, 2009, 07:53:13 PM

Quoteyes, but for the lack of what gets done with that toll money, makes it feel like even more of a waste. I would rather pay for a road that is nice and well maintained and upgraded to handle traffic, then pay for a road that is still stuck in the 1950's.

The Thruway is very well maintained compared to the rest of New York. Unfortunately NYSTA maintains I-287 and the Erie Canal in addition to the Thruway. They are doing stuff though - most of what is done these days is resurfacing (the only repairs you see in NY unless a road/bridge is at the very end of its life) but the eastbound lanes between exits 40 and 39 were recently reconstructed and reconstruction of the I-87/I-84 interchange is ongoing. Since traffic moves above the speed limit (65), you won't see any lanes added any time soon, as in NY we don't get extra capacity on roads unless absolutely necessary. Rush hour traffic does not count.

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The Final Stretch