Worst Designed Expressways/Roads

[shoptb1]

I-70 / I-71 in downtown Columbus is probably the biggest clusterf$#@ in Ohio, which is actually saying a lot.  I-71N goes down to one lane, and to remain on I-71, drivers must cross over two lanes of I-70 in less than a 3/4 mile, which is increasingly difficult with the amount of traffic on this road.  Drivers on I-71S must also cross over 2 lanes of I-70 in order to remain on I-71.  ODOT has a project that's already 10 years old to fix this, and not an inch of dirt has been moved yet.  A solution would likely involve fly-over ramps (which ODOT seems to hate), and the location of the Scioto River also adds to the difficulty...but come on...IIRC this is the most dangerous stretch of road in Ohio...needs to be fixed!

[TheStranger]

Business 80 between E Street and Exposition Boulevard in Sacramento, where 10 lanes of traffic cut down to 6 in the span of a few ramps going eastbound...

A few of the ancient ramps at the 101/80 junction in SF desperately need probably 500 more feet of merge room, similar to the ramps at the Business 80/US 50/Route 99 junction in Sactown.

The old left exits on the Bay Bridge - dating back to when the route was US 40/50 - force slowdowns from 50 MPH to 10 MPH in no time, I know at least one of the eastbound exits has been closed as a result.

[thenetwork]

I-70 / I-71 in downtown Columbus is probably the biggest clusterf$#@ in Ohio, which is actually saying a lot.

Has ODOT ever placed helpful signage to recommend using SR-315/I-670 as a more safe & sane bypass around the I-70/I-71 multiplex???  I-670 has been completed for a few years now, you'd think the brains @ ODOT would try to divert some of that I-71 thru traffic that way. 

It worked in the 60's on the old Goodale stretch when the I-71/I-70 segment wasn't completed yet.

[shoptb1]

Has ODOT ever placed helpful signage to recommend using SR-315/I-670 as a more safe & sane bypass around the I-70/I-71 multiplex???  I-670 has been completed for a few years now, you'd think the brains @ ODOT would try to divert some of that I-71 thru traffic that way.  

Of course not!  That would be a good idea, so therefore, it is strictly avoided.  SR-315N to I-670E to I-71N, OR SR-315N to I-270E to I-71N...either of these routes would be a good traffic reliever for 'The Split'.  The other thing that strikes me as strange is that ODOT doesn't utilize SR-104 as a traffic reliever at all.  This route is very under-utilized and motorists would have no way of knowing that it's even an expressway.  I think that the SR-104 sign on northbound I-71 should also be affixed with an "Alternate To I-70 East" sign.  Of course, the motorists could have used I-270 a few miles back as well.  

[yanksfan6129]

Cross Bronx Expressway...3 lanes each will built into a trench on its west side, and a viaduct toward the east.

[jdb1234]

I-20 inside I-459 in Birmingham.  From I-459 on the west end of town to Exit 118 there is a very narrow median.  From Exit 118 to the I-20/59 split lots of weaving traffic due to lanes ending or exiting and lanes entering.  The I-20/59 split has a very sharp curve (deadman's curve) westbound on I-20 and eastbound is not much better.  East of I-59 in some spots there is a very narrow median and heavy traffic.

[froggie]

I'd rank I-20/59 downtown as worse than that stretch of I-20.

[Brandon]

My first would be, I-290 (Eisenhower Expy) between US-12/20/45 (Mannheim Rd) and Central Ave.  Too many ramp through The Avenues, the left hand ramps at Harlem and Austin, followed up by a design that leaves very little shoulder as it traverses a cemetary.

My runnerup is, I-90/94 (Kennedy Expy) between the Circle Interchange (I-290) and the Ontario/Ohio Feeder Ramp.  WTF thought left side entrys every block was a good idea!?!

[OracleUsr]

I-278 in New York City.  We all know which section.

Surely you don't mean the BQE, which makes the flight inside the Death Star in Return of the Jedi look tame by comparison??

Is I-76 between I-276 and I-95 still nicknamed the "Sure-Kill Expressway?"

[mgk920]

For recently built or rebuilt roads, I would say the merge from the reversible express lanes on the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) to the 'outbound' Edens Expressway (I-94) in Chicago.  VERY short and dicey, especially in free-flowing traffic.



Mike

[agentsteel53]

Surely you don't mean the BQE, which makes the flight inside the Death Star in Return of the Jedi look tame by comparison??

I wish it were the death star... Luke Skywalker was flying along at speeds unimaginable on the BQE!

[OracleUsr]

I-77 North to I-40 West, a junction less than 2 miles from my house in Statesville, is a hell of a way to get on I-40.  The narrow bridge makes for a harrowing merge with I-40 as cars move over to take I-77 South to Charlotte.

Then there's the brilliant idea of NC 150 in Spencer.  To stay on NC 150 West, you have to merge onto I-85 South, then swing over to the left lane to get on US 29/70.

Or the twin-lefts on I-40W to I-26E or I-40E to I-26W/I-240E.  Yep, you have to make a steep left-handed turn, then merge quickly.

And the recommended route from I-40E to Bus I-85S (used to be mainline I-85S) is even worse.  You have to slow way down to take the exit and then you have a short merge lane around a sharp curve.  Taking US 220 South to I-85 Bus is a lot better.

AND at the same place, Randleman Road Southbound on to Business I-85 Southbound has almost no accel lane.  I hope the new ramps will be easier to handle.

[Sykotyk]

To go along with what was said about Columbus. Whenever going I-71 north, I just take OH-315 N to I-270 E to I-71 N. And the opposite going south. So much easier than fighting the traffic along the I-70/I-71 clusterf*ck.

[mightyace]

To go along with what was said about Columbus. Whenever going I-71 north, I just take OH-315 N to I-270 E to I-71 N. And the opposite going south.

I often do that, but it's more to stop at MicroCenter at the Bethel Rd. exit of 315 and any other reason. 

[jjakucyk]

I have a love-hate relationship with US-52 through Winston-Salem, NC.  South of the city, it's pretty cool with original pink concrete shoulders and curbs galore.  I know curbs and such are a big no-no on highways nowadays, but being such a heavily built road they put a lot of thought into it.  When you lay curbs and drains and such, you actually have to think more carefully about how things intersect and the geometries involved with the pavement layout.  It gives the road a very tidy feel that tends to be lacking in most places.  There's a little bit of that north of the city too, but much of it has been reworked. 

Right around downtown though it's horrible.  Not only do a few miles of permanently installed temporary jersey barriers make it look totally bootlegged, it has a series of extremely closely spaced interchanges and dangerously tight ramps.  The cloverleaf interchange with business 40 (decommissioned I-40 as I understand) is so tight that at least one of the ramps is signed for 15 mph.  There's barely 200' of space between the ramps, so it's a huge weaving/merging problem. 

[OracleUsr]

I-40 Business is, indeed, the old I-40 expressway through downtown, and, to my knowledge, has always been 45mph.  Another PITA In that area is Peters Creek Parkway (NC 150) coming off of I-40 Business East.  THAT is a short exit for you, but, as jjakucyk said, the US 52 interchange with Business 40 takes the cake.

[Ian]

Is I-76 between I-276 and I-95 still nicknamed the "Sure-Kill Expressway?"

First time I have heard that name, and I am a native. Though, it is a clever name to call it.

[mightyace]

Is I-76 between I-276 and I-95 still nicknamed the "Sure-Kill Expressway?"

First time I have heard that name, and I am a native. Though, it is a clever name to call it.

I can't remember when I first heard it.  I'm pretty sure it was from my dad and he's been around longer than the expressway.

[SSOWorld]

The PA Turnpike.

[dave19]

The I-70 - I-79 interchange east of Washington, PA.

[mightyace]

The PA Turnpike.

IMHO
Saying Poorly-designed is a bit harsh considering there weren't many examples to go by when it was built.  However, it does fit this category considering that they have been slow to bring the highway up to modern standards.  The Northeast Extension especially fits this as the only real change on much of it in the last 40 years it the replacement of the guardrail median with a jersey barrier median.

[hbelkins]

To go along with what was said about Columbus. Whenever going I-71 north, I just take OH-315 N to I-270 E to I-71 N. And the opposite going south. So much easier than fighting the traffic along the I-70/I-71 clusterf*ck.

I did the thru I-71 route once, when I was in the process of clinching I-71. Never again. Now I use, and recommend, OH 315 to I-670 back to I-71 north.

[hbelkins]

To go along with what was said about Columbus. Whenever going I-71 north, I just take OH-315 N to I-270 E to I-71 N. And the opposite going south.

I often do that, but it's more to stop at MicroCenter at the Bethel Rd. exit of 315 and any other reason. 

I'm familiar with the one on Mosteller Road off I-275 in Cincy. I guess it's still there.

[hbelkins]

The I-70 - I-79 interchange east of Washington, PA.

Why? That's just a standard trumpet interchange. Pretty common in Kentucky.

[shoptb1]

The I-70 - I-79 interchange east of Washington, PA.

Why? That's just a standard trumpet interchange. Pretty common in Kentucky.

It's pretty tight when you're coming I-79 N from Morgantown and merging onto I-70W/I-79N.  The worst part is that I-70/I-79 are multiplexed with only 4-lanes through the east half of Washington, PA.  It's ALWAYS a cluster-f$%$ through there....I'm really amazed that PennDOT hasn't widened that section.