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Small towns with outsized highway networks

Started by hbelkins, February 09, 2023, 02:19:24 PM

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hbelkins

What small towns have highway systems that seem to be overkill?

I nominate Somerset, Ky. Originally, the town sat at the intersection of US 27 and KY 80 through downtown. A four-lane KY 80 route was built to the north of the downtown area, and a four-lane US 27 route was built to the west. The two routes intersect on the northwest side of town. The original construction of the Cumberland Parkway made the east-west corridor a through route.

Then a southeastern bypass was built, a southwestern bypass, an extension to the Cumberland Parkway, and a rerouting of the Cumberland Parkway. Following that, a south-southeast bypass (KY 1247) was built to direct traffic to the US 27-KY 90 intersection at Burnside. Now a grade-separated interchange is being built at KY 80 and KY 461 east of town that will eventually serve as the eastern terminus of a proposed Cumberland Parkway extension.

That whole highway system seems to be overkill for a town the size of Somerset.


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TheHighwayMan3561

Relative to its size Duluth is cited as such by some. Two freeway connections to Superior, one of which is a 3di, and also including a massive flyover ramp from southbound I-35 to eastbound US 2. The late former longtime congressman for Minnesota's 8th district was known for being able to funnel some pork that way.
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formulanone

#2
Camden, Alabama seems to have a lot of state routes for a town its size (just above 2k population).

Since Alabama SRs are based on lane-miles, it seems to be a curiosity because few of them lead directly to large cities. Usually you wouldn't have that many different routes cross through a town that size. Compare that with Huntsville having the same number of different state routes.

zzcarp

Everyone's favorite Colorado control city of Limon would count. US 40, US 287, US 24, CO 71, I-70, and Business Loop I-70 all exist there in a town with a population of 2,000 people.
So many miles and so many roads

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: zzcarp on February 09, 2023, 02:54:14 PM
Everyone's favorite Colorado control city of Limon would count. US 40, US 287, US 24, CO 71, I-70, and Business Loop I-70 all exist there in a town with a population of 2,000 people.
Oh no don't bring up that town! But it is a big junction, probably why Colorado signs it. Limon is a meme on Controlcityfreaks chanel.
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Rothman

My favorite: Binghamton, NY.

For some reason, NYSDOT built the Round Lake Bypass north of Albany, too, about 15 years ago.  Caused a lot of head scratching and murmuring about its value.

(personal opinion expressed)
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: Rothman on February 09, 2023, 03:20:39 PM
My favorite: Binghamton, NY.

For some reason, NYSDOT built the Round Lake Bypass north of Albany, too, about 15 years ago.  Caused a lot of head scratching and murmuring about its value.

(personal opinion expressed)
Yeah I-88 NY probably wasn't needed, could have easilly been a four lane expressway instead.
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Current Interstate map I am making:

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michravera

Quote from: zzcarp on February 09, 2023, 02:54:14 PM
Everyone's favorite Colorado control city of Limon would count. US 40, US 287, US 24, CO 71, I-70, and Business Loop I-70 all exist there in a town with a population of 2,000 people.

Now that's fairly impressive. How many concurrencies make up those 6 routes? Are all of them signed? How many of the concurrencies end within a couple km of town?

Any town, no matter how small, can have two roads that converge or cross in town. In fact, that crossing might be the main reason for the town. Now, find me a town with 4 8-lane freeways and I will call it "outsized".

US 89

I've never been up there personally, but from my understanding a lot of the Rust Belt cities that used to be bigger in places like Ohio would fall into this category.

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: US 89 on February 09, 2023, 05:23:15 PM
I've never been up there personally, but from my understanding a lot of the Rust Belt cities that used to be bigger in places like Ohio would fall into this category.
Like Youngstown.
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

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Henry

#10
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 09, 2023, 06:08:57 PM
Quote from: US 89 on February 09, 2023, 05:23:15 PM
I've never been up there personally, but from my understanding a lot of the Rust Belt cities that used to be bigger in places like Ohio would fall into this category.
Like Youngstown.
Also Pittsburgh, PA and Detroit, MI.

Oh, you meant small towns? Well, in that case, Saginaw, Flint and Erie would better fit the description.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: Henry on February 09, 2023, 06:37:50 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 09, 2023, 06:08:57 PM
Quote from: US 89 on February 09, 2023, 05:23:15 PM
I've never been up there personally, but from my understanding a lot of the Rust Belt cities that used to be bigger in places like Ohio would fall into this category.
Like Youngstown.
Also Pittsburgh, PA and Detroit, MI.

Oh, you meant small towns? Well, in that case, Saginaw, Flint and Erie would better fit the description.
Never thought that Pittsburgh's highway network was overbuilt for it's size. And Erie only has 2 interstates really, wouldn't call it overbuilt.
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

MATraveler128

Hennepin, Illinois with I-180. Nuff said.

As far as major metro areas go, I'll say Scranton. It seems like a bit much to have US 6, US 11, and the Biden Expressway. Not to mention PA 309 and PA 29 in Wilkes Barre.
Decommission 128 south of Peabody!

Lowest untraveled number: 56

zachary_amaryllis

Greeley, CO.

US 85 and 34, with accompanying business routes, and bypass routes.
The bypasses, don't really bypass anything (they run through it), have traffic lights, and generally suck.
At the SE corner of town, US 85 splits into Business and Bypass, at a junction with Bypass 34.
To me it seems overkill for a city that's mostly cattle.
clinched:
I-64, I-80, I-76 (west), *64s in hampton roads, 225,270,180 (co, wy)

Avalanchez71

Martin, TN
SR 22 to the North.
SR 43 to the West
BYP 45E to the East
BYP 45E looping south.

CovalenceSTU

I nominate Harrisburg, PA, it's not as small but it has 9 freeways (including the airport spur) for an area of around 150k people (including a mere 51k in the city itself).

What gets me with Somerset is that all those interchanges were built less then 15 years ago; what kind of growth are they expecting a 12k town to see?  :wow:

dantheman

The Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls, WI area seems to have a lot. "Small town" is a stretch here, but for a central city with a population under 100k, there's more interesting road stuff than one would expect. Most of this is thanks to the old alignment of US 53 getting a bunch of upgrades and grade separations, and then getting bypassed completely with the new US 53. 

SSOWorld

#17
Chippewa Falls (pointed out above), Wausau, Stevens Point, Tomah are good examples - though no freeways cut through town, they are at crossroads of several.

Dubuque borderlines on it - 151/61 enters from North as a freeway but becomes a surface street downtown.

Albert Lea is Minnesota's golden freeway city (being given Control City status on 35 and 90 within MN despite being a small city) as the crossroads of the two Interstates.  Please MnDOT - just point to Des Moines and La Crosse/Sioux Falls already!

(Though La Crosse isn't freeway worthy either - that is acknowledged - one just passes to the north :)
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

Max Rockatansky

Porterville has an isolated freeway to freeway interchange with CA 65 and CA 190.  Both highways away from the Porterville city limit rapidly become two lane highways.  For a city of 60,000 it sure feels like expressways could have been sufficient.

SSOWorld

Fairbanks AK has two short freeways around it - for 30k
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

Rothman

Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Bruce

The Tri-Cities in Washington has 4 freeways and several expressways for a region of about 300K total.

Flint1979

Quote from: Henry on February 09, 2023, 06:37:50 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on February 09, 2023, 06:08:57 PM
Quote from: US 89 on February 09, 2023, 05:23:15 PM
I've never been up there personally, but from my understanding a lot of the Rust Belt cities that used to be bigger in places like Ohio would fall into this category.
Like Youngstown.
Also Pittsburgh, PA and Detroit, MI.

Oh, you meant small towns? Well, in that case, Saginaw, Flint and Erie would better fit the description.
Say what? Detroit, Saginaw, Flint, Pittsburgh and Erie aren't even small towns. I don't see where any of these cities have an outsized highway network. Detroit is the largest city in the state and one of the largest metro areas in the country, Pittsburgh is a pretty big city. Saginaw just has I-75 and I-675 (I-675 was built for two reasons, one to bypass the original Zilwaukee Bridge and two to better serve downtown Saginaw). Flint has I-75, I-69, I-475 and US-23 approaching it on it's own route, Genesee County has around 400,000 people so I'd say it's not oversized. These cities might not be as big as they once were in the city proper but the metro areas are still roughly the same size they always have been.

formulanone

#23
Quote from: Bruce on February 09, 2023, 11:31:24 PM
The Tri-Cities in Washington has 4 freeways and several expressways for a region of about 300K total.

I've heard there's a decent amount of growth there, so perhaps just planning ahead worked? Seemed vaguely as big as the little metro area I live in. (Edit: nope, about 150K less)

Bitmapped

Quote from: CovalenceSTU on February 09, 2023, 07:29:52 PM
I nominate Harrisburg, PA, it's not as small but it has 9 freeways (including the airport spur) for an area of around 150k people (including a mere 51k in the city itself).

The Harrisburg MSA has about 600,000 people.



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