Interstate 99 is one fascinating highway!

[TheGrassGuy]

I haven't driven a mile of I-99, so I can't really know till I've driven it myself, but the newer section of I-287 from exits 47 to 66 in NJ has a unique buzzing noise to it. Sort of like the overpass screech, but quite more mysterious and different. And I am aware that DE-1 has had a similar timbre from about exits 156 to 114. Creeped me out as a child.

Interesting! Did they just do that section of I-287? Because I am positive it use to be like a low pitch whistle. DE-1 has a really high pitched whistle going down that way, is that the sound you are talking about? It starts at around 16:40 in this video. 

Yep, it was just that section.

[InterstateGuy]

Does every state use pavement that makes some sort of whistling sound on overpasses? NJ clearly does.

Almost every state with the exception of a few have concrete whistling/screaming/buzzing.

[seicer]

It's transverse tining. Some of the bridges in New York and West Virginia used tining that resembled:



It produced a uniform and loud whine. It was thought that transverse tining would have greater friction resistance, better ride, and wear better but the latest iterations of longitudinal tining have produced pavement that has just as good friction resistance and ride qualities. It's also a -lot- quieter, important for urban areas and near houses. (Having lived near a highway with concrete pavements, I can understand the point of noise intrusions on a day-to-day basis.)

As for I-99, I travel that frequently and wondered if it wasn't some sort of test of transverse tining. The northernmost section by Bellefonte was built in 1997 with tining that's low on the scale of noise. It is also rapidly deteriorating at all of the joints. The bypass around Pleasant Gap was built in 2000-02 and I think is the section that's the noisiest. The portions south of State College were built in 2004-05 and are noticeably quieter.

[Revive 755]

Does every state use pavement that makes some sort of whistling sound on overpasses? NJ clearly does.

Almost every state with the exception of a few have concrete whistling/screaming/buzzing.

And those like Tennessee that use HMA on many of their bridges.

[Ketchup99]

I live in State College, so I'm extremely familiar with this bit of roadway. Honestly, I love it. When I was little, driving into State College from NYC or New England, the every-few-minutes-at-most noise change is what let me know that we were almost home. Now that I drive it pretty frequently, I love the quirkiness of it. The fact that, on a highway numbered 99 between 79 and 81, there are more then ten distinct sounds before you change from that interstate to another interstate at an interchange with stop signs, is just a unique quirk that I think is pretty cool. Plus, coming off of I-80, whose pavement sounds really nice at speeds way above the speed limit, the I-99 patchwork reminds me to slow down, which is good because there's always a cop on that stretch.

[seicer]

Thank god they finally raised it to 65 MPH from 55 MPH (but it should still be 70 MPH).

[InterstateGuy]

It's transverse tining. Some of the bridges in New York and West Virginia used tining that resembled:



It produced a uniform and loud whine. It was thought that transverse tining would have greater friction resistance, better ride, and wear better but the latest iterations of longitudinal tining have produced pavement that has just as good friction resistance and ride qualities. It's also a -lot- quieter, important for urban areas and near houses. (Having lived near a highway with concrete pavements, I can understand the point of noise intrusions on a day-to-day basis.)

As for I-99, I travel that frequently and wondered if it wasn't some sort of test of transverse tining. The northernmost section by Bellefonte was built in 1997 with tining that's low on the scale of noise. It is also rapidly deteriorating at all of the joints. The bypass around Pleasant Gap was built in 2000-02 and I think is the section that's the noisiest. The portions south of State College were built in 2004-05 and are noticeably quieter.

Yes, the Bellefonte section uses the stationary transverse tining, resulting in that high pitch but rather quiet whistling sound. The Pleasant Gap section utilizes randomized tining I believe, which results in the much louder and deeper buzzing noise, very similar to what you would hear on the Interstates in Indiana. South of State College has a rather different form of randomization and it results in a very unusual sound. Quieter than the buzzing for sure. For picture reference I am referring to images 1, 3 and 9 on the grooving chart I have made.

[webny99]

I-99 is fascinating for another reason, too: it's an extremely rare example of 21st century new freeway construction in New York!

[TheGrassGuy]

I-99 is fascinating for another reason, too: it's an extremely rare example of 21st century new freeway construction in New York!

I-781: am i a joke to you

[Ketchup99]

I-99 is fascinating for another reason, too: it's an extremely rare example of 21st century new freeway construction in New York!

I-781: am i a joke to you

I-99: yes, I find it funny when spur routes are actually given a 3di number, I guess you poor boy never had Bud Shuster

[kphoger]

I find it funny when spur routes are actually given a 3di number

That's what 3di with odd first digits are for:  spur routes.

[webny99]

I find it funny when spur routes are actually given a 3di number

That's what 3di with odd first digits are for:  spur routes.

I think the part you clipped (I-99:) was supposed to show that I-99 itself, not the poster, was the one making that claim.

[kphoger]

*  whoosh  *

over my head, huh?

I forgot 99 doesn't have an Interstate at one end.

[TheGrassGuy]

*  whoosh  *

over my head, huh?

I forgot 99 doesn't have an Interstate at one end.

Correction. Out of all four of its ends, only the northernmost one ends at an interstate.

[kphoger]

*  whoosh  *

over my head, huh?

I forgot 99 doesn't have an Interstate at one end.

Correction. Out of all four of its ends, only the northernmost one ends at an interstate.

meh.

I think two out of the other three endpoints are functionally at Interstates.

Northern sengment:
North endpoint – Actually I-86
South endpoint – Continues as US-15

Southern segment:
North endpoint – Functionally I-80
South endpoint – Functionally I-76

[Ketchup99]

I find it funny when spur routes are actually given a 3di number

That's what 3di with odd first digits are for:  spur routes.

I think the part you clipped (I-99:) was supposed to show that I-99 itself, not the poster, was the one making that claim.

Right, because 99 should have been a spur route and never a 2di.

[TheGrassGuy]

And then there are those two bridges along US 1-9 Truck.

[roadman65]

I-99 was an afterthought as originally the southern part was an upgraded freeway realignment of preexisting US 220.  Don't want to bring up the Shuster thing (though interstateNG is no longer on here to lecture me anymore lol), but it is always fascinating when older freeways are later considered and added to the interstate system except I-41 in WI.

Though I-43 was added later and even the western ends of I-44 was a non interstate freeway, those are among a few that gotten upgraded already as well as I-795 in NC.

[hbelkins]

I-99, as originally envisioned, was to run from Cumberland to Corning. It's since been truncated to Bedford. Personally, and I've said this before, I think it ought to supplant I-390 and run all the way to Rochester.