Least Favorite Interstate Segment in Your State.

[Rothman]

I-91 between exits 21 and 26. Straight and flat the entire way.

CT?

[Ben114]

I-91 between exits 21 and 26. Straight and flat the entire way.

CT?

Should've clarified there because I just remembered what I have my location set as.

I meant Massachusetts.

[Rothman]

I-91 between exits 21 and 26. Straight and flat the entire way.

CT?

Should've clarified there because I just remembered what I have my location set as.

I meant Massachusetts.

Hm.  I guess.

I found the portion between MA 9 and MA 2 convenient.

But that reminds me, I loathe the four-lane section between US 202 and Northampton that threads Mount Tom and the Holyoke Range.  It needs another lane, despite the terrain issues that would need to be overcome.

[Gulol]

I-270.  Its entirety.  Rolling right through the refineries in Commerce City, always potholed from truck traffic, not wide enough.  At least it's not very long.

Chris

Second this vote for Colorado

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Wisconsin: 94 from the Marquette to the Illinois line. Boring flat exoburban hell trying to figure out where Milwaukee ends and Chicago begins.

[Flint1979]

Another least favorite interstate in Michigan to me is I-75 in the U.P. north of say M-123. It's just boring, very low traffic volumes and it's an Interstate highway. Interstate highways are all the same to me for the most part.

I'm getting quite bored of the eastern U.P. in general. The bridge and island are nice though.

[Thunderbyrd316]

For WA, that would be I-82. I get that everybody uses it as a shortcut from Seattle to Salt Lake City, but it's really not that interesting, especially when compared to the other 2di's in the state.

   I LOVE I-82. And not just because I got to see the almost all of the segments between I-84 and Exit 96 constructed. (The short segment in the immediate vicinity of SR 14 at Plymouth had been fairly recently completed the first time I was up there. Also, I got to see the original US 410 expressway between Exits 82 and 96 before it was reconstructed to modern Interstate standards.)

   I find the entire freeway interesting. I like how much of the route passes through moderately populated areas, not fully suburban but neither "out in the middle of nowhere" either. And the scenery changes over the course of the entire route. The 2nd oldest segment, between Yakima and I-90 has some especially cool scenery, especially northbound. And both the Tri-Cities and Yakima have some nifty suburban freeways and commercial strips of a kind that are no longer very common down here in the PDX area.

   It is also nice to have a freeway in the PNW that is not perpetually surrounded by deep green trees and gray foggy misty rain. I-5 between Jackson Highway and Rush Road (Exits 57 and 72) is considerably less interesting.

[Thunderbyrd316]

I-5 through Portland is garbage!

   It is completely obsolete and wholly inadequate but from a highway enthusiasts point of view it is still somewhat interesting. There are at least 8 distinct segments of I-5 through the PDX metro area I find them all interesting.

   1. Oregon 551 to I-205

   2. I-205 to Oregon 217

   3. Oregon 217 to I-405

   4. I-405 to I-405

   5. I-405 to Columbia Boulevard

   6. Columbia Boulevard to SR 14

   7. SR 14 to SR 500

   8. SR 500 to SR 502

   Although ALL of the segments between Oregon 551 and SR 500 are horrifically inadequate, each segment has its own unique flavor. Most of them may not be fun to drive, indeed the peak period congestion between downtown Portland and SR 500 is about as bad as one would find anywhere in North America but for all of its flaws, I-5 through the PDX metro area is NOT a boring stretch of freeway, even at less than walking speed.

[Thunderbyrd316]

I-5 between Ashland and Medford, somehow more tedious than between Eugene and Albany.

However, I-5 between Salmon Creek and Longview, ironically, is a worse slog, despite objectively more scenic.

   Interesting choices. I find both segments perfectly pleasant. (Not counting the unreasonably low speed limits in all of Western Oregon.) Even I-5 between Eugene and Albany I find somewhat interesting. Nothing like the soul crushing tedium of I-5 between Wheeler Ridge and I-580 in California.

[Thunderbyrd316]

I-238, a connector from I-580 to I-880 in the East Bay.

• it shouldn't be signed as an interstate, or if it needs to be it should be numbered as either I-180 or I-480
• it passes through ugly suburbia
• you're always in the wrong lane

   I find the improper number to be interesting. If everything followed all the rules all the time there would be no variation which is indeed the spice of life. I enjoy Wyoming Interstate 180 for the same reason, it breaks the rules, though in that case the rebellion against conformity is not the number but the construction standard.

   Suburbia is not ugly. The only objection to the scenery along I-238 is the excessive vegetation and those horrible sound walls.

   Whether or not you are in the "wrong" lane depends on where you are going.

[JayhawkCO]

I-270.  Its entirety.  Rolling right through the refineries in Commerce City, always potholed from truck traffic, not wide enough.  At least it's not very long.

Chris

Second this vote for Colorado

I'm glad another Coloradoan feels my pain.  I-70 in the plains is boring yes, but it's not constantly hellish.  A podcast does not make one feel better driving on I-270.

Chris

[Thunderbyrd316]

Boring stretch: I-5 from Coburg to Albany.

Dangerous stretch: I-5 from SR 38 to Grants Pass.

Since I rarely am on I-84 in Eastern Oregon, that subject will be left for another Oregonian to post about.

Rick

   I do not find the segment between Coburg and Albany all that boring. Though the heavy traffic can be somewhat tedious. A widening to 6 lanes is past due. Nothing like the soul crushing tedium of I-5 between Wheeler Ridge and I-580. (Though of course that segment is not in Oregon.)

   I have driven the segment between Hugo and Winston a gazillion times, though not lately. I have never found this stretch to be particularly hazardous, even on deepest, darkest Winter night. Yes, there is wildlife that you need to watch out for and a couple of the grades are significant and there are a few curves (the one at Riddle is somewhat sharp but nothing like the danger that the signage would imply) but there is nothing particularly treacherous about this segment. I-5 northbound from Siskiyou Summit or I-84 over Cabbage Hill are both considerably more hazardous. (By the way, I-5 from Redding to Eugene is VERY scenic. Anyone reading this that has never been on it, it is absolutely worth checking out.)

   Some parts of I-84 between La Grande and Ontario can get a bit boring at times but for the most part it is actually an interesting drive. Even the segment of I-84 between Oregon 74 and Pendleton is cool in its own way. It starts out as flat desert when you first emerge from the Gorge and then transitions to rolling farm land before descending into Pendleton. Although Boardman is the only town of any significance that you pass through on this segment (and it ain't much) there is just enough along the highway to look at to keep it from being boring, including bunkers that once were filled chemical and biological weapons (I do not recall if all of them have been incinerated yet), the impressive junction with Interstate 82 and lots of cool ag scenery.

[Thunderbyrd316]

I-270.  Its entirety.  Rolling right through the refineries in Commerce City, always potholed from truck traffic, not wide enough.  At least it's not very long.

Chris

Second this vote for Colorado

I'm glad another Coloradoan feels my pain.  I-70 in the plains is boring yes, but it's not constantly hellish.  A podcast does not make one feel better driving on I-270.

Chris

   Interstate 270 is probably one of my least favorite suburban freeways. The scenery is not the least bit interesting and the traffic was usually quite congested. Even the interchanges at each end manage to not be particularly interesting to look at.

[Flint1979]

I-270.  Its entirety.  Rolling right through the refineries in Commerce City, always potholed from truck traffic, not wide enough.  At least it's not very long.

Chris

Second this vote for Colorado

I'm glad another Coloradoan feels my pain.  I-70 in the plains is boring yes, but it's not constantly hellish.  A podcast does not make one feel better driving on I-270.

Chris

   Interstate 270 is probably one of my least favorite suburban freeways. The scenery is not the least bit interesting and the traffic was usually quite congested. Even the interchanges at each end manage to not be particularly interesting to look at.

IMO, all the suburbs are the same off the interstate like there's an office park, shopping districts with like Wal-Mart, a shopping mall, strip plazas, doctors offices and stuff like that.

[dlsterner]

Surprised that nobody has mentioned I-70 through Breezewood yet ... 

[Flint1979]

Surprised that nobody has mentioned I-70 through Breezewood yet ... 

I actually kind of like Breezewood it's like an exit off the interstate without getting off the interstate.

[Thunderbyrd316]

   It actually took me a bit to think about my least favorite Interstate segment in Oregon but I think I-205 is probably my least favorite because, as congested as it is, it is a 70 m.p.h. freeway that for most of its length in Oregon has 55 m.p.h. speed limit which is just FAR too slow. In most Western states it would be posted at 65 (60 in Washington) and would be 70 in either Michigan or Utah.

   I also think that part of my dislike for this freeway is that "familiarity breeds contempt". I have driven I-205 probably more times than ANY other freeway. Despite its egregious flaws, most of the structures are 1970's era and are actually quite aesthetically pleasing. (I have always liked 1970's era freeway construction and Oregon's from this era typically looks as nice as any I have seen anywhere.)

   North of Oregon City the scenery is not particularly interesting for a suburban freeway. Mostly a lot of trees, Criminal Vagrants and boring light industrial with not nearly enough suburban commercial development. (82nd Avenue has also been ruined by oppressive sign codes and excessive tree planting.) Between I-5 and Oregon City the freeway is quite picturesque for a suburban freeway and the vegetation is sufficiently dense to give the illusion of being in a rural area. That segment always made me think of how I had pictured the Northeast before Street View came along.

   Not an Interstate (and not even in Oregon) but I hated US 395 between Pasco and Ritzville back in the days when it was 2 lanes and 55 m.p.h. Now that it is a 70 m.p.h. expressway, I find it rather pleasant, if a bit less than exciting. Same for US 97 south of Bend.

   A side note about I-205, back in 1977 my father took me out one Sunday morning on the unopened segment between Sunnyside Road and Foster Road. I wish I still had all the awesome pix he took, including one of me standing in front of a bucket loader and one of a state named I-205 reassurance shield on a white painted wooden post. Almost certainly the last such new sign posted on an Interstate highway in Oregon. Sadly, that sign is as long gone as the photographs I remember seeing in the family photo album for years after that day.

   Of course my least favorite Interstate anywhere is the soul crushing segment between Wheeler Ridge and I-580 in California. For some reason the segment from Woodland to Red Bluff does not have nearly the same effect on me. Highway 99 is not exactly scenic by any stretch of the imagination but it is a decillion times less boring than I-5 there.

   Looking at Street View some of those freeways in the South that are endless miles of trees look pretty unappealing as well but I have not been that far east yet, the eastern most limit of my journeys currently being the junction of Missouri 7 and US 50. Most British motorways leave me with the same kind of impression. Even the ones that travers open farm land have trees along the sides of the freeway. Blech!
 

[Elm]

I've managed never to need to be on I-270, and the posts around this forum make me feel like I've lucked out.

–

My least favorite section of interstate would be another previously mentioned one, I-25 between Monument and Castle Rock. I could narrow that down to roughly the "Tomah Rd"  exit down to Greenland Rd, but the whole thing is miserable. At this point, my bitterness is probably self-sustaining, and there doesn't have to be anything wrong with it on a given day to annoy me. (Hear hear for "familiarity breeds contempt.")

Congestion aside–which is, of course, one of its defining features–it's a common place for aggressive driving and there are crashes frequently, even before the construction. The roadway alone didn't seem so bad that there should be as much trouble as there is, but I guess everything adds up.

The limited alternate routes also frustrate me; you need to commit early to longer-range options like 105 or 83 (both predominantly two lane roads), and if you're closer in, there's no direct connection between can't get between Sky View Ln (the Tomah exit) and Spruce Mountain Rd/Larkspur proper except I-25. Bear Dance Dr (future and current-ish I-25 west frontage road) is tantalizingly close, but even if you could get to it, it's a zig-zaggy path over to 105 or Larkspur, which still aren't good places to be.

And then the construction zone's pavement, narrowness, and lane shifts add to the fun. When the project started, the 2021 finish date felt ages away, but CDOT quickly amended it to 2022 because I-25 was in worse shape than they thought [surprising no one].

Even though I get why CDOT's adding HOT lanes instead of GPLs, the way they've handled publicizing bugs me, too. Among other gripes I have, they must've known tolls would go over badly in the as-of-yet toll-less El Paso County, but they still waited until after a funding vote and minor [but ultimately toothless] fallout to start 'listening tours,' and the "we're giving you the choice to use general purpose lanes" part of Express Lane info materials has been stale for years. I'm also not looking forward to watching people flip in and out of the HOT lanes to avoid the tolls; none of Colorado's new express lanes have physical separation, and virtually every time I'm near one somebody's weaving in and out.

[JayhawkCO]

The limited alternate routes also frustrate me; you need to commit early to longer-range options like 105 or 83 (both predominantly two lane roads)...

I just drove 105 this past Saturday and I was very surprised how nice it was.  Idyllic and rural and the area around Palmer Lake was really nice.  If it had easier and quicker connections to the Denver metro from Sedalia, I'd take it every time I went south.  83 is also a nice drive, especially for those from the Midwest who like the rolling hills and farmland but also like the mountain views.  I take it probably every other time I come back from the Springs.  (I also live near 225 & Parker, so it's relatively convenient once in the metro area.)

Chris

[Roadmaestro95]

Being from LI, NY, there's three different answers for me on this one:

Least favorite interstate segment in NY in general: I-90 between Buffalo & Rochester. The longest drive of nothingness I've ever had to endure.

Least favorite interstate segment in NY based on worst traffic: I-78. I hate being stuck in traffic. I hate tunnels. And there's something about the Holland Tunnel that every time I find myself in it, I'm in traffic. Bah!

Least favorite interstate segment in NY based on road surface conditions: I-495 from Queens to Exit 64. It's amazing how many times NYCDOT/NYSDOT has to fix all the potholes on this road. It's also amazing that they didn't just pave it during the quarantine, it would've been worth it in the end, but, again, it's good ol' New York.

BONUS: Least favorite interstate segment I've driven on outside on NY: A tie between I-80 in NJ between the Delaware Water Gap and Netcong AND the Connecticut Turnpike (I-95) between NY and New Haven. The winding hills at 65 MPH isn't fun to me, and is so much worse at night, especially when folks are driving way past 65 MPH. And the CT TPK. is always under construction at terrible times, and I also hit that traffic all the time. Makes the easy 2.5 trip from Middletown to LI much much unnecessarily longer than it should.

[nexus73]

Boring stretch: I-5 from Coburg to Albany.

Dangerous stretch: I-5 from SR 38 to Grants Pass.

Since I rarely am on I-84 in Eastern Oregon, that subject will be left for another Oregonian to post about.

Rick

   I do not find the segment between Coburg and Albany all that boring. Though the heavy traffic can be somewhat tedious. A widening to 6 lanes is past due. Nothing like the soul crushing tedium of I-5 between Wheeler Ridge and I-580. (Though of course that segment is not in Oregon.)

   I have driven the segment between Hugo and Winston a gazillion times, though not lately. I have never found this stretch to be particularly hazardous, even on deepest, darkest Winter night. Yes, there is wildlife that you need to watch out for and a couple of the grades are significant and there are a few curves (the one at Riddle is somewhat sharp but nothing like the danger that the signage would imply) but there is nothing particularly treacherous about this segment. I-5 northbound from Siskiyou Summit or I-84 over Cabbage Hill are both considerably more hazardous. (By the way, I-5 from Redding to Eugene is VERY scenic. Anyone reading this that has never been on it, it is absolutely worth checking out.)

   Some parts of I-84 between La Grande and Ontario can get a bit boring at times but for the most part it is actually an interesting drive. Even the segment of I-84 between Oregon 74 and Pendleton is cool in its own way. It starts out as flat desert when you first emerge from the Gorge and then transitions to rolling farm land before descending into Pendleton. Although Boardman is the only town of any significance that you pass through on this segment (and it ain't much) there is just enough along the highway to look at to keep it from being boring, including bunkers that once were filled chemical and biological weapons (I do not recall if all of them have been incinerated yet), the impressive junction with Interstate 82 and lots of cool ag scenery.

What makes that stretch of I-5 so dangerous is that it is a two-lane per direction freeway with plenty of steep grades and slow trucks.  Maybe you are driving the route when the non-trucking traffic count is down and thus see no danger.  Let the freeway fill up with trucks plodding along in the emergency lane while others are doing their heavy duty thing in the right lane, then mix in People In A Really Big Hurry. 

If you do not see the danger in that, then I cannot help you.  This danger is why ODOT is finally doing something California did some of on I-5 in rural mountainous NorCal, adding an extra uphill lane on I-5 so the truck troubles get thinned down to some sort of manageability.

Rick

[vdeane]

Least favorite interstate segment in NY in general: I-90 between Buffalo & Rochester. The longest drive of nothingness I've ever had to endure.

This reminds me, in hindsight, maybe I should have given my answer as I-90 between Syracuse and Utica (a little east, actually - between the service area and the descent approaching exit 30).  It's very boring and goes on and on - not as boring as the I-87 section I cited earlier, but over a much longer distance.  It's also subject to "familiarity breeds contempt" for me, as I drive the section between exits 24 and 45 every time I go to Rochester for a family gathering.  At least the parts both west and east of there are more interesting.

Still not as bad as I-95 across the Carolinas, but then, few things are.

[Flint1979]

   It actually took me a bit to think about my least favorite Interstate segment in Oregon but I think I-205 is probably my least favorite because, as congested as it is, it is a 70 m.p.h. freeway that for most of its length in Oregon has 55 m.p.h. speed limit which is just FAR too slow. In most Western states it would be posted at 65 (60 in Washington) and would be 70 in either Michigan or Utah.

   I also think that part of my dislike for this freeway is that "familiarity breeds contempt". I have driven I-205 probably more times than ANY other freeway. Despite its egregious flaws, most of the structures are 1970's era and are actually quite aesthetically pleasing. (I have always liked 1970's era freeway construction and Oregon's from this era typically looks as nice as any I have seen anywhere.)

   North of Oregon City the scenery is not particularly interesting for a suburban freeway. Mostly a lot of trees, Criminal Vagrants and boring light industrial with not nearly enough suburban commercial development. (82nd Avenue has also been ruined by oppressive sign codes and excessive tree planting.) Between I-5 and Oregon City the freeway is quite picturesque for a suburban freeway and the vegetation is sufficiently dense to give the illusion of being in a rural area. That segment always made me think of how I had pictured the Northeast before Street View came along.

   Not an Interstate (and not even in Oregon) but I hated US 395 between Pasco and Ritzville back in the days when it was 2 lanes and 55 m.p.h. Now that it is a 70 m.p.h. expressway, I find it rather pleasant, if a bit less than exciting. Same for US 97 south of Bend.

   A side note about I-205, back in 1977 my father took me out one Sunday morning on the unopened segment between Sunnyside Road and Foster Road. I wish I still had all the awesome pix he took, including one of me standing in front of a bucket loader and one of a state named I-205 reassurance shield on a white painted wooden post. Almost certainly the last such new sign posted on an Interstate highway in Oregon. Sadly, that sign is as long gone as the photographs I remember seeing in the family photo album for years after that day.

   Of course my least favorite Interstate anywhere is the soul crushing segment between Wheeler Ridge and I-580 in California. For some reason the segment from Woodland to Red Bluff does not have nearly the same effect on me. Highway 99 is not exactly scenic by any stretch of the imagination but it is a decillion times less boring than I-5 there.

   Looking at Street View some of those freeways in the South that are endless miles of trees look pretty unappealing as well but I have not been that far east yet, the eastern most limit of my journeys currently being the junction of Missouri 7 and US 50. Most British motorways leave me with the same kind of impression. Even the ones that travers open farm land have trees along the sides of the freeway. Blech!

After reading this I feel the same way about I-675 in Michigan. I've clinched that highway so many times I could probably tell you were every bump on it is. It's boring as it goes through some of the deadest and most run down parts of Saginaw on the east side of the river. Then it's just boring suburban/rural terrain all the way back to I-75.

[Roadmaestro95]

Least favorite interstate segment in NY in general: I-90 between Buffalo & Rochester. The longest drive of nothingness I've ever had to endure.

This reminds me, in hindsight, maybe I should have given my answer as I-90 between Syracuse and Utica (a little east, actually - between the service area and the descent approaching exit 30).  It's very boring and goes on and on - not as boring as the I-87 section I cited earlier, but over a much longer distance.  It's also subject to "familiarity breeds contempt" for me, as I drive the section between exits 24 and 45 every time I go to Rochester for a family gathering.  At least the parts both west and east of there are more interesting.

Still not as bad as I-95 across the Carolinas, but then, few things are.

I actually like that drive over there with the little towns/cities along the side and the Erie Canal. But I normally don't drive that way from SYR to LI, I usually take I-81 down since driving all the way to Albany isn't worth it (most of the time).

[vdeane]

Least favorite interstate segment in NY in general: I-90 between Buffalo & Rochester. The longest drive of nothingness I've ever had to endure.

This reminds me, in hindsight, maybe I should have given my answer as I-90 between Syracuse and Utica (a little east, actually - between the service area and the descent approaching exit 30).  It's very boring and goes on and on - not as boring as the I-87 section I cited earlier, but over a much longer distance.  It's also subject to "familiarity breeds contempt" for me, as I drive the section between exits 24 and 45 every time I go to Rochester for a family gathering.  At least the parts both west and east of there are more interesting.

Still not as bad as I-95 across the Carolinas, but then, few things are.

I actually like that drive over there with the little towns/cities along the side and the Erie Canal. But I normally don't drive that way from SYR to LI, I usually take I-81 down since driving all the way to Albany isn't worth it (most of the time).

Are you thinking east of exit 30, with the Mohawk River/Erie Canal?  Because once you get west of Utica, the canal is several miles north and it's all flat farms.