(CLASSIC MTR) Road Trip Report: MO, IL, OH, WV, PA, KY

[bugo]

Note: This message was originally posted to misc.transport.road on January 8, 2002.

I went on my rushed trip this weekend.  Left KC around 9:30 on Friday
morning, got back around 6 Sunday morning.  Route was:

I-70 east
US 54 east
MO 19 north
US 61 north
I-72 east
University Ave. east
I-74 east
I-465 north
38th Street east
I-65 south
I-70 east
I-79 north
I-279 north
I-376 east
US 30 east
US 30 west
I-376 west
Liberty Bridge/Tunnel south
PA 51 north
I-279 south
US 30 west
OH 11 north
I-680 south
stayed the night at a motel the US 224 interchange
I-680 south
I-76 west
PA 60 south
US 22/30 east
I-279 north
I-376 east
PA 130 north
PA 8 north
PA 28 south
I-279 south
I-79 south
I-70 west
I-71 south
I-64 west
US 40 west
I-70 west

MO:
-US 54 is a 70 MPH expressway from I-70 to Mexico.  The Mexico bypass is a
super 2 and ends at an at-grade at the US 54B intersection.
-Junction Route K and KK in Laddonia.  I bet a certain MTR troll would love
a picture of that sign.
-I didn't see any Avenue of the Saints markers on US 61.
-No mention of I-72 from US 61.  Eastbound, US 36 is signed "TO I-72, US 36,
BUSINESS US 61".  The first EAST I-72 marker is east of the MO 79
interchange.
-Last westbound I-72 reassurance marker is west of MO 79.  No END I-72
marker.  US 36 turns into a two-lane highway.

IL:
-I-72 in western Illinois is DESOLATE.  Very little traffic, and not too
many businesses off the interchanges.  There was more traffic on some of the
parallelling side roads than on I-72 itself.  Speed limit is 65 (IL max),
which is RIDICULOUS.  80-90 would be safe on this road.
-Saw the Illinois River bridges that Michael Koerner raves about.  They were
neat, but not quite as *KEWL* as I expected.
-Drove through Champaign/Urbana.  It was slow going as it was around 4:30
when I hit the area.  Is the freeway east of I-57 part of I-72?

IN:
-Put in John Cougar Mellencamp's "Scarecrow" as soon as I hit the Indiana
line.
-Took 38th Street in Indianapolis.  Didn't save any time going that way,
however.  The way 38th merges into I-65 is pretty neat.

OH:
-The Ohio state budget for the highway patrol must be enormous.  I saw twice
as many cops in Ohio than on the rest of the trip combined.  The 65 MPH
speed limit sucks IMO.  70 would be much better.
-Stopped in Zanesville to check out the "Y" bridge.  Getting back to I-70
was somewhat confusing.

WV:
-Wheeling, WV was neat with the old bridges and the tunnel.
-Speed limit on WV I-70 is 70.  It is 65 in IL, IN, OH and PA.  Doesn't make
a whole lot of sense.
-Saw some square route markers (state routes?) and some round markers
(county roads?) on BGS's.

PA:
-I-70 was in pretty good shape, much better than I expected.  Most roads I
drove on in PA were good, with the exception of US 22-30 (Penn Lincoln
Parkway).
-What's the deal with the "Township of XX" signs in PA?
-Washington, PA was signed "Washington, Pa" on every sign I saw, never just
"Washington".
-Neat railroad trestles south of Pittsburgh.
-The entrance into downtown Pgh from the Ft Pitt Tunnel was everything I
expected it to be and more.  Driving along, no sign of the skyline, then
BOOM the city appears out of nowhere.  The first time I drove through was at
night, second time in the day.  I'd say the night entrance had more of an
impact.
-I-376 along the Monogahalea was just as cool.  I was in awe the whole time
I drove through downtown Pgh.  This area is truly a road enthusiast's dream.
The Squirrel Hill tunnel was neat as well.
-Drove down US 30 to cross the George Westinghouse Bridge.  I had seen this
bridge in a book as a child, and it was something that I ad wanted to see
for a long long time.  Too bad it was dark though.
-Drove through the Liberty Tunnel.  That thing is f'n long!  I started to
get a bit of an uneasy feeling driving through it, which is very rare for
me.
-As I mentioned before, US 22-30 is in rough shape. US 22-30 exit off
themselves at the PA 60 interchange.  US 30 exits off itself 3 times between
Pgh and Lisbon, OH.
-US 30 was really curvy.  It reminded me somewhat of the roads around Hot
Springs, AR, even though it was dark at the time and hard to really tell.
-Saw a Lance Road off US 30.  Didn't know I was that popular in the
Commonwealth.

WV:
-US 30 is 2 lanes up until just before the Ohio River, where it becomes a
freeway.  Quite a contrast to the curvy 2-lane in PA and WV.

OH:
-Apparently, OH 11 begins right at the border.
-Drove underneath a bridge in East Liverpool.  Traffic was backed up all the
way across the bridge for some reason. This was around 2am.
-OH 11 is a very good road, it appeared to be fully up to I-standards from
what I could see.
-Why on earth is the speed limit on I-680 55 MPH?  It seemed way too slow to
me.
-Asked for map at OH turnpike toll booth, they were out.

PA:
-Got to drive a few miles on the fabled Pennsylvania Turnpike.
-PA Toll 60 and PA 60 were nice roads.  END TOLL 60 marker seen at PA 51
interchange.  Isn't that a bit redundant?
-Can't say enough about how neat Pittsburgh was.

WV:
-I-470 east of town looks like an interesting drive.  Didn't get the chance
to drive it though.

OH:

-Cincinnatti skyline is very impressive, but paled in comparison to the Pgh
skyline.  I'm truly spoiled now.

KY:
-Downtown Louisville was really neat.  Blacklights on a bridge over the Ohio
is a nice touch.

IN:
-Saw some ghost ramps on I-64.  Also saw what appeared to be a closed rest
area.
-Interchange between I-64 and IN 64.  Can't they trade the IN 64 designation
with some state highway in the northern part of the state?

IL:
-Ran into snow somewhere east of Mt Vernon.  Snow was very heavy at times.

MO:
-Snow ended in the St Louis area, was replaced by thick fog.  I-70 was as
deserted as I've ever seen it on this night.

Total states visited: 7.  New states visited: WV, PA.  Clenched Interstates:
72 (all),  70 in IN, OH, and WV, 71 in KY, 64 in IL, IN, MO.  Energy left
after trip: very very little.  I left around 9am on Friday, pulled into KC
around 6am on Sunday.  Slept about 5 hours the whole trip.

Comments?

[hbelkins]

stayed the night at a motel the US 224 interchange

DUAAFA... 

[NE2]

DUAAFA... 

What is this, Secret Muslim hour?

[bugo]

stayed the night at a motel the US 224 interchange

DUAAFA... 

I stayed in Boardman off of "U-224 (Future I-46324670)" well after the TFO troll was created, so this was mere coincidence and it didn't influence the character in any way.