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Underused Interchanges

Started by theroadwayone, August 05, 2018, 11:19:03 PM

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jon daly

Quote from: theroadwayone on August 05, 2018, 11:19:03 PM
Because there were a great many roads that were never built for political or financial reasons, we have a lot of interchanges that serve a lot less traffic than they were designed for. What are some of your favorites?

I don't go by there during rush hour but Exit 87 off of I-95 in CT (The Clarence B. Sharp Highway exit) might qualify. The end of the Cold War made it less necessary. Electric Boat is doing okay now, but it was huge during the Reagan years and, I think, during the Sixities.


inkyatari

Quote from: webny99 on August 09, 2018, 08:29:02 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on August 09, 2018, 10:58:47 AM
Quote from: inkyatari on August 06, 2018, 11:47:13 AM
I-80 / I-180, Illinois.
Thinking about this one, does it count if the road it's connecting is way underused as well?

Well, if the interchange is underused, one road or the other kind of has to be underused as well, does it not?  :D

Not necessarily, say if there's a better connector rout somewhere down the line.
I'm never wrong, just wildly inaccurate.

Michael

Even as a kid, I never understood why this cloverleaf exists.  According to the NYDSOT TDV, the busiest ramp is southbound to westbound with 1789 cars per day.  The least busy ramp is the westbound to southbound ramp with 59 cars per day.

thefraze_1020

The WA-290 and I-90 interchange just east of downtown Spokane was built in the late 1960's to accommodate the original plan for the North Spokane Corridor. This was cancelled after the interchange was built, and the interchange ended in stub ramps. I wasn't until the mid-1980's that the bridge over the Spokane River was built, and the interchange connected to somewhere at least.

https://www.google.com/maps/@47.6531026,-117.3904615,1014m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en
Alright, this is how it's gonna be!

webny99

Quote from: Michael on August 10, 2018, 06:28:12 PM
Even as a kid, I never understood why this cloverleaf exists.  According to the NYDSOT TDV, the busiest ramp is southbound to westbound with 1789 cars per day.  The least busy ramp is the westbound to southbound ramp with 59 cars per day.

Really good example, and I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier. Seems like it gets a lot of thru-traffic on both roads, and not as much turning traffic (except south-to-west and east-to-north). Given that, it makes sense to allow thru-traffic to flow freely, although a full cloverleaf is probably a bit extravagant.

ftballfan

I-96 exit 98. Surprised that interchange (a full cloverleaf) hasn't been downgraded yet (the much busier exit 93 was recently downgraded).

amroad17

Quote from: webny99 on August 07, 2018, 12:13:18 PM
How about this one? I don't know that my expectations are very high, but since it's essentially unused, I think it also qualifies as underused.
It is fully used overnights as many tractor trailers use this interchange as a rest area (I even used it once just to nap 12 years ago, shortly after it opened).
I don't need a GPS.  I AM the GPS! (for family and friends)

webny99

Quote from: amroad17 on August 16, 2018, 11:20:18 PM
Quote from: webny99 on August 07, 2018, 12:13:18 PM
How about this one? I don't know that my expectations are very high, but since it's essentially unused, I think it also qualifies as underused.
It is fully used overnights as many tractor trailers use this interchange as a rest area (I even used it once just to nap 12 years ago, shortly after it opened).

I've actually used it as well. We bypassed a major traffic jam by using the shoulder, taking that exit, and getting right back on.
Little did we know, as we found out at the end of the ramp, our plan didn't fool anyone - there's no possible way that exit could have been our destination!  :-D

mrcmc888

I-80 to I-180 in Illinois.  The entire interstate is a road to nowhere.

coldshoulder

This one here (OH-82 and US-62) northeast of Youngstown, Ohio near the Pennsylvania border:

https://goo.gl/maps/tQFJqgCJPcF2

The interchange is near an area of heavy industrial plants, and close to the once-booming Sharon Steel operations in Pennsylvania.  It was obviously planned with industrial traffic in mind, and the southeastern segment could have eventually connected to the east with what is now I-376 (and PA-760) near it's intersection with I-80.
You're just like crosstown traffic
All you do is slow me down
And I got better things on the other side of town

TEG24601

People often mention the I-696/Mound Rd. Interchange in Detroit, and that was due to a cancelled freeway.


Then again, the interchanges at I-69/475 and I-75/69 in Flint are far overbuilt for modern day traffic.
They said take a left at the fork in the road.  I didn't think they literally meant a fork, until plain as day, there was a fork sticking out of the road at a junction.

vdeane

Quote from: webny99 on August 17, 2018, 01:32:27 PM
Quote from: amroad17 on August 16, 2018, 11:20:18 PM
Quote from: webny99 on August 07, 2018, 12:13:18 PM
How about this one? I don't know that my expectations are very high, but since it's essentially unused, I think it also qualifies as underused.
It is fully used overnights as many tractor trailers use this interchange as a rest area (I even used it once just to nap 12 years ago, shortly after it opened).

I've actually used it as well. We bypassed a major traffic jam by using the shoulder, taking that exit, and getting right back on.
Little did we know, as we found out at the end of the ramp, our plan didn't fool anyone - there's no possible way that exit could have been our destination!  :-D
There's always the back roads, if you don't mind gravel.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

webny99

Quote from: vdeane on August 18, 2018, 10:09:19 PM
Quote from: webny99 on August 17, 2018, 01:32:27 PM
Quote from: amroad17 on August 16, 2018, 11:20:18 PM
Quote from: webny99 on August 07, 2018, 12:13:18 PM
How about this one? I don't know that my expectations are very high, but since it's essentially unused, I think it also qualifies as underused.
It is fully used overnights as many tractor trailers use this interchange as a rest area (I even used it once just to nap 12 years ago, shortly after it opened).

I've actually used it as well. We bypassed a major traffic jam by using the shoulder, taking that exit, and getting right back on.
Little did we know, as we found out at the end of the ramp, our plan didn't fool anyone - there's no possible way that exit could have been our destination!  :-D
There's always the back roads, if you don't mind gravel.

From this particular exit, the remainder of the area's road network is only accessible by backtracking so far that it's basically equivalent to turning around altogether. If we'd wanted to take back roads - or forecasted the delay - getting off at TN 9 in Jellico would've been the practical choice.
Anyone familiar with the area would have known that the cars whizzing by on the shoulder to take the exit - theoretically to bypass the jam via the backroads - was going to end up getting right back on.

vdeane

Quote from: webny99 on August 20, 2018, 10:06:02 PM
From this particular exit, the remainder of the area's road network is only accessible by backtracking so far that it's basically equivalent to turning around altogether. If we'd wanted to take back roads - or forecasted the delay - getting off at TN 9 in Jellico would've been the practical choice.
Anyone familiar with the area would have known that the cars whizzing by on the shoulder to take the exit - theoretically to bypass the jam via the backroads - was going to end up getting right back on.
Northbound doesn't require any backtracking (well, except to get back on I-75).  Southbound has some, but still less than half the distance to the last exit.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

paulthemapguy

I'm bewildered as to why this interchange has been brought up twice, but the monstrously overdesigned stack interchange to the IL-29 connector road wasn't.  Good lord, why is that there lol

Quote from: mrcmc888 on August 17, 2018, 03:27:28 PM
I-80 to I-180 in Illinois.  The entire interstate is a road to nowhere.
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