Interstates that violate Interstate Highway Standards

[SEWIGuy]

And the section of I-64 between Covington and Clifton Forge?

How does this section violate interstate standards?

Median width. First few times I was on it, I was very shocked at how narrow the median was without any sort of divider. VDOT finally got around to installing a cable barrier several years ago.

A divider has since been installed, but this was the median size on I-39/90/94 north of Madison up until about ten years ago.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2085002,-89.3579694,3a,75y,137.02h,108.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0AbPfm3EaAu1mKE3I16CTw!2e0!7i3328!8i1664

[jeffandnicole]

The I-495 Capital Beltway, outer loop, between the US-50 and MD-450 interchanges.  The distance between the on-ramp of the former and the first off-ramp of the latter is really too short for the volume (and speed) of that roadway, resulting in an unsafe weave.  It doesn't help that the exit to 450 often backs up during rush hour.

I would say the same for the Beltway's interchange with the B/W Parkway, in both directions.  A tight cloverleaf with no C/D lanes.

NJ has plenty of these...on highways signed for 65 mph!

[Flint1979]

And the section of I-64 between Covington and Clifton Forge?

How does this section violate interstate standards?

Median width. First few times I was on it, I was very shocked at how narrow the median was without any sort of divider. VDOT finally got around to installing a cable barrier several years ago.

Regarding median width on Interstate's. The median should have a width of least 50 feet and 10 feet plus a barrier in urban or mountainous areas. There is a barrier there so I think that it would be fine the way it is.

[hbelkins]

And the section of I-64 between Covington and Clifton Forge?

How does this section violate interstate standards?

Median width. First few times I was on it, I was very shocked at how narrow the median was without any sort of divider. VDOT finally got around to installing a cable barrier several years ago.

Regarding median width on Interstate's. The median should have a width of least 50 feet and 10 feet plus a barrier in urban or mountainous areas. There is a barrier there so I think that it would be fine the way it is.

But for years, there wasn't a barrier.

[sprjus4]

A substandard feature, though I wouldn't say it necessarily violates interstate standards. It's in a mountainous area, and the physical roadway meets standards - lane widths, shoulders, etc.

I believe the median barrier was installed when the speed limit was increased from 65 mph to 70 mph.

[MikieTimT]

I-49 in Arkansas has 2 sets of mile markers that duplicate from 20-42.  It doesn't result in duplicate exit numbers within the state, and they are far enough away from each other that it won't result in issues with 911 calls for accidents, but it needs to be addressed at some point.  Unfortunately, it looks like ARDOT doubled-down on the dumb as they removed the correct exit numbers on the newly opened BVB portion and put numbers that didn't result in a big jump from Bella Vista/Bentonville to the Gravette exit.  So now, Exit 284, which was correct when considering mileage from the Louisiana border, has become Exit 99.  Apparently, they don't hold out a lot of hope that the gap from Alma to Barling across the Arkansas River will be funded anytime soon as FutureI-49/AR-549 in Chaffee Crossing mileages and exits are correct to the Louisiana border as well, which will result in another jump that will need correcting.  The portion from Alma to Bella Vista is what should have been changed/corrected.

[JREwing78]

The ramp for I-70 EB exit 37A in MO sems even more substandard than a bunch of RIROs posted in this thread already.

Wow... that's stupendously bad, and totally unnecessary. They couldn't spend a couple bucks and realign the frontage road and existing ramp for Hwy 131 to feed the (now apparently defunct) shopping center? No way that off-ramp traffic should be forced to stop or yield at that point - put the damn stop signs on the frontage road!

[Ted$8roadFan]

Does the I-90 Mass. Pike extension (Newton to Boston) count? Narrow lanes, substandard interchanges, no shoulder in parts.

I would say so. I had driven on it last Memorial Day, and was like "Wow, this road sucks!"  If you've ever tried to get on the Pike from the Pru, it's a blind entrance and I thought I was playing with my own life.

In fact, if you look at some older photos, you can aww "To I-90"  at the entrance ramps to the Boston Extension of the Mass. Pike in Boston.

[tolbs17]

I-785/I-840 between I-40/I-85 and US-70 in Greensboro. There is no guardrail and the median is too narrow.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.0896762,-79.697819/36.0600953,-79.6868/@36.0752941,-79.6945042,5573m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e0

[Pink Jazz]

I-17 in Phoenix - substandard lane width south of Dunlap.

[sprjus4]

I-785/I-840 between I-40/I-85 and US-70 in Greensboro. There is no guardrail and the median is too narrow.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.0896762,-79.697819/36.0600953,-79.6868/@36.0752941,-79.6945042,5573m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e0

Neither of those things violate interstate standards.

It has a 46 foot median and cable guardrail.

[tolbs17]

I-85 between Lexington and Greensboro has a minor violation - Is 6 lanes and does not have full left shoulders.

[tolbs17]

I-785/I-840 between I-40/I-85 and US-70 in Greensboro. There is no guardrail and the median is too narrow.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.0896762,-79.697819/36.0600953,-79.6868/@36.0752941,-79.6945042,5573m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e0

Neither of those things violate interstate standards.

It has a 46 foot median and cable guardrail.

Oh, I thought it reminded me of I-85 between Henderson and Norlina. That has a extremely narrow median and I thought it did not meet interstate standards.

[tolbs17]

I feel like this has to take the cake. They obviously didn't think straight when they were building this highway. It has no shoulders AT ALL!!!

https://goo.gl/maps/5KDWzhKTFzfdY55S7

[sprjus4]

I feel like this has to take the cake. They obviously didn't think straight when they were building this highway. It has no shoulders AT ALL!!!

https://goo.gl/maps/5KDWzhKTFzfdY55S7

How does this take the cake?

Yes, it lacks full 10 foot paved shoulders but it isn't substandard by a large extent.

[tolbs17]

I feel like this has to take the cake. They obviously didn't think straight when they were building this highway. It has no shoulders AT ALL!!!

https://goo.gl/maps/5KDWzhKTFzfdY55S7

How does this take the cake?

Yes, it lacks full 10 foot paved shoulders but it isn't substandard by a large extent.

Because the right shoulders are not 10 feet.

Also my guess they purposely made it narrow to 2 lanes cause they expected large volumes of traffic from Capital Blvd to jump onto westbound I-540. That way so they can merge freely.

[sprjus4]

I feel like this has to take the cake. They obviously didn't think straight when they were building this highway. It has no shoulders AT ALL!!!

https://goo.gl/maps/5KDWzhKTFzfdY55S7

How does this take the cake?

Yes, it lacks full 10 foot paved shoulders but it isn't substandard by a large extent.

Because the right shoulders are not 10 feet.

Also my guess they purposely made it narrow to 2 lanes cause they expected large volumes of traffic from Capital Blvd to jump onto westbound I-540. That way so they can merge freely.

But how does it "take the cake" ? There's far worse violations.

[SkyPesos]

I feel like this has to take the cake. They obviously didn't think straight when they were building this highway. It has no shoulders AT ALL!!!

https://goo.gl/maps/5KDWzhKTFzfdY55S7

I-180 WY: Am I a joke to you?

[tolbs17]

I feel like this has to take the cake. They obviously didn't think straight when they were building this highway. It has no shoulders AT ALL!!!

https://goo.gl/maps/5KDWzhKTFzfdY55S7

How does this take the cake?

Yes, it lacks full 10 foot paved shoulders but it isn't substandard by a large extent.

Because the right shoulders are not 10 feet.

Also my guess they purposely made it narrow to 2 lanes cause they expected large volumes of traffic from Capital Blvd to jump onto westbound I-540. That way so they can merge freely.

But how does it "take the cake" ? There's far worse violations.

Ok, so maybe it doesn't take the cake. I guess you can say I-78 in Jersey City as well as I-70 in Breezewood. Otherwise this is just a minor flaw.

[Bruce]

If a lack of shoulders were such a big deal, then quite a few urban freeways would be major violators. Not to mention sections in the mountains.

[tolbs17]

If a lack of shoulders were such a big deal, then quite a few urban freeways would be major violators. Not to mention sections in the mountains.

Yes, I-40 west of Waynesville has access to dirt roads as they struggled to build it in the 50s. It took a while to open to traffic during that time. That's something they cannot fix.

[Gnutella]

I-70 in Western PA between the turnpike and I-79

That's slowly but surely changing.


Six lanes on the concurrency with I-79

Eight lanes on the concurrency with I-79

New flyover ramp for I-79 northbound traffic at the east junction of the concurrency

Rebuilt segment east of the I-79 concurrency

Exit 25 rebuilt with much longer acceleration and deceleration lanes

Exits 32A-B rebuilt with much longer acceleration and deceleration lanes

Exit 35 rebuilt with much longer acceleration and deceleration lanes

Exit 49 rebuilt with much longer acceleration and deceleration lanes

Exit 51 rebuilt with much longer acceleration and deceleration lanes

Segment west of the Pennsylvania Turnpike currently being rebuilt

Exit 57 rebuilt with much longer acceleration and deceleration lanes


Do not be fooled by the angle either. Even the interchanges rebuilt with asphalt during the economic recession of the late 2000s were rebuilt with adequate interior shoulder width on the mainline. The minimum standard on a four-lane interstate is 4', and the mainline meets that standard on every rebuilt segment. Also, new overpasses are being built with piers that are far enough apart to support proper six-lane expansion in the future, including 10' interior and 12' exterior shoulders.