Generally, the interstates that serve our states get much of the truck, long-distance, and even intrastate traffic going from one area of the state to another.
What are the most important corridors in your state - for the people in your state - that aren't interstate or may not even be divided highways? Do these corridors also have importance in other states?
US11 between Watertown and Rouses Point. Pretty much the main highway across the North Country. It's the only significant chunk of 11 not paralleled by an Interstate highway.
In California, it would probably have to be a tie between US 101 and CA 99. CA 99 probably gets more truck traffic going through the Central Valley and it connects all the major cities there, but US 101 gets a lot of truck traffic going through the central coast, and it is the most important route in the San Francisco Peninsula, connecting most cities there. It's also the longest highway in the state (807 miles compared to about 796 for I-5), so naturally it connects many regions in the state.
MA 2
US/MA 3
MA 24
MA 128
Freeways, as expected.
MN 7
MN 23
US 52
MN 60
US 169
Of these MN 60 is really the only one with importance in another state.
CT-15, CT-2, CT-8, then CT-9 for freeways
US-6; esp from Bolton to the R.I. line.
Edited because I let my eastern CT bias get in the way.
The NJ Turnpike (south of I-95), Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway, of course. The first one is especially important as it's part of the Northeast Corridor (for those bypassing Philly anyway).
There are certain other non-Interstate freeways in NJ which are important within the state, or for commuters from NJ to Philadelphia or NYC: NJ 17, NJ 18, NJ 24, NJ 42, NJ 55, NJ 440.
As for non-Freeways, US 40 is the only route from points south to Atlantic City. US 206 is the only direct route from the Trenton area to the Somerville area and, by extension, to NYC and Albany. NJ 47 carries traffic from NJ 55 to the beaches of Cape May County.
In terms of "importance" , the OP seems to be putting emphasis on long-distance traffic (rather than high traffic volumes on an urban/suburban route), and in Pennsylvania, US 15 probably takes the award. It's part of a significant interstate (and even international) corridor connecting Upstate New York and Ontario with Baltimore, Washington, and points south on I-95.
US 6 is part of a longer transcontinental corridor, but its usefulness has largely been supplanted by other Interstate routes.
Other major US routes are co-signed with or have been functionally replaced by Interstates for significant portions of their length (US 22, US 30, US 322), so while they may be significant routes for part of their length (such as US 30 in the York-Lancaster-Malvern corridor), their importance as a long-distance corridor is far less elsewhere in the state.
It would be a bit difficult to find the *one* important non-interstate in TX. Definite candidates would include:
* US 59 (the parts not already supplanted by the I-69 designation)
* US 75
* US 287 (especially Amarillo to I-45)
I guess US 290 could be considered as well, although I don't ever get the chance to see that one.
I'm not sure about the level of importance of any of the TX primary-level highways in comparison, other than those in the major metros (examples: TX 114, TX 121, TX 183, TX 360 in DFW; TX 225, TX 288 in Houston)
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 03, 2018, 02:07:58 PM
MN 7
MN 23
US 52
MN 60
US 169
Of these MN 60 is really the only one with importance in another state.
I assume you mean Iowa (IA-60), since MN-60 is the only state-numbered route to cross state lines at both ends. It's my opinion, though, that MN-60 is really two separate routes joined together by consecutive concurrencies (with 169 and 14).
Without a second thought it is US-95 for Idaho. It's the only highway that connects Northern and Southern Idaho (without going through Oregon, Washington, or Montana, that is), it's the longest highway in the state, and is the primary access for many important cities including Lewiston, Moscow, Coeur d'Alene, and Sandpoint. Not to mention it's a major suburban arterial in Coeur d'Alene, and also provides access to the popular Silverwood theme park. As for regional importance, it is the connection from Boise to Reno and most of California.
You asked if the highways are also important in other states? It serves a similar purpose in Nevada, providing a major North/South link where no interstate exists. It also connects the only 2 metro areas, Las Vegas and (it comes close enough to) Reno/Carson City. US-95 would be my answer for Nevada too. US-95 is not terribly important to Oregon, California, or Arizona, however.
Oregon is a little tougher, but I definitely argue for US-97. It's the only other quick north/south route through the state besides I-5. US-101 is slow and windy, and US-395 is completely in the middle of nowhere, and also has slow/windy segments. US-95 barely counts. And of course it is the backbone of the Bend area, from La Pine to Madras. US-26 is also another close contender, considering its importance in the Portland area as a freeway, and being a major connection to the coast and Mt. Hood, and the main link between Portland and Bend. But it loses points for the segment between Madras and Vale not being terribly important. US-101 is super important on the coast, but is not really relevant to the rest of the state.
Kentucky:
US 23
US 25E
AA Highway (KY 9/eastern portion of KY 10)
US 127
US 150
The southern tier corridor of KY 80 (including long US 68 concurrency) and the Cumberland and Hal Rogers parkways (note that this involves using I-65 north of Bowling Green)
The parkway system
West Virginia:
WV 2
US 35
Corridor G portion of US 119
Corridor L portion of US 19
Quote from: briantroutman on August 03, 2018, 02:37:06 PM
In terms of "importance" , the OP seems to be putting emphasis on long-distance traffic (rather than high traffic volumes on an urban/suburban route)
Yep, I'm primarily interested in roads used by long-distance traffic. That will usually, but not always, exclude urban and suburban arterials.
QuoteAnd in Pennsylvania, US 15 probably takes the award. It's part of a significant interstate (and even international) corridor connecting Upstate New York and Ontario with Baltimore, Washington, and points south on I-95.
Definitely agree on this one, and in fact CSVT addresses what must be one of the worst mixtures of local and long-distance traffic in the country.
US 36
US 50
US 61
MO 5
MO 13
MO 32
I would have included US 40 and US 71 if they weren't multiplexed with Interstates for most of their length.
Quote from: Techknow on August 03, 2018, 12:52:44 PM
In California, it would probably have to be a tie between US 101 and CA 99. CA 99 probably gets more truck traffic going through the Central Valley and it connects all the major cities there, but US 101 gets a lot of truck traffic going through the central coast, and it is the most important route in the San Francisco Peninsula, connecting most cities there. It's also the longest highway in the state (807 miles compared to about 796 for I-5), so naturally it connects many regions in the state.
58 is pretty up there as well simply due to Tehachapi Pass.
For Arizona I would say US 60 given it has a major freeway segment, Grand Avenue, and serves almost the entire of the state still.
Quote from: jon daly on August 03, 2018, 02:09:42 PM
CT-15, CT-2, CT-8, then CT-9 for freeways
US-6; esp from Bolton to the R.I. line.
Edited because I let my eastern CT bias get in the way.
To add my somewhat more western bias, I'll add CT 10, CT 25, and CT 34, along with US 7 from Norwalk to Danbury.
For New Hampshire:
US 3
NH 101
NH 16
NH 9
Michigan is easy to give examples, because not every freeway is "Interstate-ized".
US-23, US-31, US-131, US-127
M-14, M-6
What's hard is deciding which is the most important.
And there's a number of important non-freeways as well.
Virginia:
US-29
US-58
US-460
US-360
North Carolina (my home state):
US-74
US-64
US-70
US-17
US-117 (section between Goldsboro and I-40)
Indiana: US 31, US 30, US 41, US 50, US 421
South Carolina:
US 17
All the rest are of average importance
Tennessee (no particular order):
TN 111
TN 155
TN 385
US 27
US 51
US 412
US 64
TN 1
Quote from: GaryV on August 03, 2018, 08:44:53 PM
Michigan is easy to give examples, because not every freeway is "Interstate-ized".
US-23, US-31, US-131, US-127
M-14, M-6
What's hard is deciding which is the most important.
And there's a number of important non-freeways as well.
I'd have to say the most important of those is US-23. Local traffic uses it as the main north-south road in Ann Arbor. The recent addition of flex-lanes shows that the state views the corridor as high priority. Long-distance north-south traffic uses US-23 as an alternative route for I-75. Traffic can depart from I-75 in Toledo, bypass Detroit, and then rejoin I-75 in Flint.
The second most important is a tough call between US-31, US-131, and US-127. All three routes serve as important north-south roads for their respective cities. US-31 for Holland and Muskegon. US-131 for Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. US-127 for Jackson and Lansing. For long distance traveling, US-31 serves as an access road to the Lake Michigan coast for traffic coming from Chicago and points wests of there. US-131 serves as the shortest way for Chicago traffic (and points west of there) to get to Sault Ste. Marie, and U.P., and northern Ontario. US-127 serves the same purpose as US-131 for long distance traffic, but for traffic coming directly south of Michigan.
Though US-131 definitely wins in terms of local traffic, I think US-31 is more important for long distance, as there is probably more tourist traffic along the Lake Michigan coast than through traffic into northern Ontario. By default, this means US-131 takes third place and US-127 takes fourth.
Lastly, for 5th place, I nominate M-28. It seems to be the main east-west throughway in the U.P - connecting northern Wisconsin to Sault Ste. Marie and the northern Lower Peninsula.
So, my order would be:
1) US-23
2) US-31
3) US-131
4) US-127
5) M-28
Even though I do not live in Ohio, I do work in Ohio. Here are some I believe are most important...
-US 23
-US 30 (Indiana to Canton)
-US 35 (Dayton to West Virginia)
-OH 11
If we focus on urban arterials and freeways, then for Utah we have:
-UT 201
-UT 67
-UT 154
-UT 85 (especially in the future)
But if we focus on long-distance traffic, then:
-US 40/189 to Heber City--already an interstate-grade freeway. Heber's four-lane connection to the interstate, plus a good amount of tourist traffic. Turns out a lot of people commute to SLC from Heber.
-US 189, Heber to Provo. Again, heavy commute traffic and tourist traffic, but less so than 40/189. Most of this is four lanes, though there is a 2-lane section left near Deer Creek.
-US 6 (between Spanish Fork and Green River). I don't understand why UDOT has made very little effort to four-lane it, only adding passing lanes in select locations. It is the major through route from the Wasatch Front to all points southeast.
-US 89/91, the Logan metro area's only four-lane connection to the interstate.
-US 40, Heber to Vernal. This could get by as a 2+1, but it shouldn't be 2 lanes with all the tanker trucks on it.
Quote from: cabiness42 on August 03, 2018, 09:33:21 PM
Indiana: US 31, US 30, US 41, US 50, US 421
Why US 421? The others make sense for sure, I'd add US 24 and SR 37 (for now) into the mix, but why 421?
Quote from: LM117 on August 03, 2018, 09:09:28 PM
Virginia:
US-29
US-58
US-460
US-360
That is how I would rank them, and I would include ALT US-58 in the US-58 system.
While not as long as the others, I would include US-13 given its strategic nature between I-64 and Maryland, and its strategic nature in Maryland and Delaware and the whole DELMARVA. It is a National Highway System (NHS) Non-Interstate Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) Route between VA I-64 and DE I-95.
Quote from: LM117 on August 03, 2018, 09:09:28 PM
North Carolina (my home state):
US-74
US-64
US-70
US-17
US-117 (section between Goldsboro and I-40)
As another Carolinian, I'd argue that US 264 (Connecting Greenville) and US 1 (Biggest North-South highway serving Raleigh) belong there as well. Granted the important section of US 264 is becoming I-587 so it'll leave that list soon.
Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan areas (Md. and Va.):
U.S. 29 (in Maryland and Virginia, not so much in D.C. itself)
U.S. 50 (especially northeast area of D.C. into Maryland)
U.S. 301 (in Maryland and across the Northern Neck of Virginia)
U.S. 17 (in Virginia between I-66 and I-95)
VA-7 (provides an alternative connection from Northern Virginia to I-81 in Winchester)
MD-295 (federal part unsigned) between Washington and Baltimore
VA-286 and MD-200 (parts of the unbuilt Outer Washington Beltway)
MD-100 (part of unbuilt Outer Baltimore Beltway)
Yep. US 17 is the most important in SC. Connects the fastest growing areas of the state (from Savannah, GA thru Charleston, up to Myrtle Beach) and is basically a Main Street in the Charleston and Myrtle Beach areas.
Michigan has a bunch of them. US-23, US-31, US-127, US-131, M-10, M-1, M-6, M-3, M-5, M-102, M-46, M-72, M-55, M-28, US-2, M-66. There are more and there are other members here from Michigan that probably could give more highways these are the one's that come to mind when I think of an important highway in Michigan.
COLORADO
Denver Area:
C-470 / E-470 / Northwest Parkway
US 6 / 6th Avenue Freeway
US 36 / Denver Boulder Turnpike
US 85 (Castle Rock to Denver, Brighton to Greeley)
US 285 (Fairplay to Englewood)
Peña Boulevard (airport access)
State Highway 58 (Golden)
State Highway 83 (Parker Road south of I-225)
State Highway 93 (Golden to Boulder)
Elsewhere:
US 24 (Woodland Park to Limon/I-70)
US 34 (Granby to Wiggins/I-76)
US 40
US 50
US 550
State Highway 9 (ski destinations)
State Highway 82 (ski destinations)
For Tennessee, it's US 70. It goes across the entire state and is the quickest way for most of Middle Tennessee to access Nashville.
Quote from: Beltway on August 04, 2018, 04:29:30 PM
Quote from: LM117 on August 03, 2018, 09:09:28 PM
Virginia:
US-29
US-58
US-460
US-360
That is how I would rank them, and I would include ALT US-58 in the US-58 system.
While not as long as the others, I would include US-13 given its strategic nature between I-64 and Maryland, and its strategic nature in Maryland and Delaware and the whole DELMARVA. It is a National Highway System (NHS) Non-Interstate Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) Route between VA I-64 and DE I-95.
Can't believe I forgot about US-13. My dad and his people are from Northampton County, so I should've remembered that one. :pan:
Quote from: LM117 on August 05, 2018, 10:18:01 AM
Quote from: Beltway on August 04, 2018, 04:29:30 PM
Quote from: LM117 on August 03, 2018, 09:09:28 PM
Virginia:
US-29
US-58
US-460
US-360
That is how I would rank them, and I would include ALT US-58 in the US-58 system.
While not as long as the others, I would include US-13 given its strategic nature between I-64 and Maryland, and its strategic nature in Maryland and Delaware and the whole DELMARVA. It is a National Highway System (NHS) Non-Interstate Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) Route between VA I-64 and DE I-95.
Can't believe I forgot about US-13. My dad and his people are from Northampton County, so I should've remembered that one. :pan:
It's definitely the most important route in Delaware as well.
Quote from: Kulerage on August 04, 2018, 04:50:22 PM
Quote from: LM117 on August 03, 2018, 09:09:28 PM
North Carolina (my home state):
US-74
US-64
US-70
US-17
US-117 (section between Goldsboro and I-40)
As another Carolinian, I'd argue that US 264 (Connecting Greenville) and US 1 (Biggest North-South highway serving Raleigh) belong there as well. Granted the important section of US 264 is becoming I-587 so it'll leave that list soon.
Same with the aforementioned section of US-117 (Future I-795).
Quote from: amroad17 on August 04, 2018, 12:08:47 AM
Even though I do not live in Ohio, I do work in Ohio. Here are some I believe are most important...
-US 23
-US 30 (Indiana to Canton)
-US 35 (Dayton to West Virginia)
-OH 11
I can agree with that. And to make it a top 5 I'd add US 33 to the list.
US 24, OH 2 are worth mentioning as well, and would definitely be in the top 10
Oregon top 5:
US 97 (really should be an interstate)
US 26 west of Madras
US 20
OR 99W
OR 18
LG-TP260
Quote from: tdindy88 on August 04, 2018, 10:48:54 AM
Quote from: cabiness42 on August 03, 2018, 09:33:21 PM
Indiana: US 31, US 30, US 41, US 50, US 421
Why US 421? The others make sense for sure, I'd add US 24 and SR 37 (for now) into the mix, but why 421?
I admit that there is a clear top four and the fifth spot is debatable. While the entirety of 421 isn't as important as the others, it's a key road between Madison & Greensburg. The more I think about it though, the more I like US 24 for the fifth spot.
Quote from: cabiness42 on August 06, 2018, 12:26:06 PM
Quote from: tdindy88 on August 04, 2018, 10:48:54 AM
Quote from: cabiness42 on August 03, 2018, 09:33:21 PM
Indiana: US 31, US 30, US 41, US 50, US 421
Why US 421? The others make sense for sure, I'd add US 24 and SR 37 (for now) into the mix, but why 421?
I admit that there is a clear top four and the fifth spot is debatable. While the entirety of 421 isn't as important as the others, it's a key road between Madison & Greensburg. The more I think about it though, the more I like US 24 for the fifth spot.
For part of the route between Greensburg and Madison you'd want to bypass Versailles and take Old Michigan Road instead it cuts off about 3 miles and bypasses a town.
Quote from: cabiness42 on August 03, 2018, 09:33:21 PM
Indiana: US 31, US 30, US 41, US 50, US 421
I'd change 421 with SR 37, even the remaining portion south of Bloomington and north of Indy remain pretty important
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 06, 2018, 12:42:14 PM
Quote from: cabiness42 on August 06, 2018, 12:26:06 PM
Quote from: tdindy88 on August 04, 2018, 10:48:54 AM
Quote from: cabiness42 on August 03, 2018, 09:33:21 PM
Indiana: US 31, US 30, US 41, US 50, US 421
Why US 421? The others make sense for sure, I'd add US 24 and SR 37 (for now) into the mix, but why 421?
I admit that there is a clear top four and the fifth spot is debatable. While the entirety of 421 isn't as important as the others, it's a key road between Madison & Greensburg. The more I think about it though, the more I like US 24 for the fifth spot.
For part of the route between Greensburg and Madison you'd want to bypass Versailles and take Old Michigan Road instead it cuts off about 3 miles and bypasses a town.
Quote from: silverback1065 on August 06, 2018, 12:48:33 PM
I'd change 421 with SR 37, even the remaining portion south of Bloomington and north of Indy remain pretty important
As a life-long Hoosier, I would rank the corridors for my native state as follows:
(1)
US 30: from Ohio just east of Fort Wayne to Chicagoland via Columbia City, Warsaw, Plymouth, Valparaiso & Merrillville. It's a viable alternative for many to the antiquated & congested I-80/I-90 Indiana East-West Toll Road.
(2)
US 50: southern Indiana's main E-W non-Interstate corridor from metro Cincy to Vincennes, via Versailles (pronounced locally as "
ver-SALES"), Seymour, Bedford, Loogootee (pronounced "la-GO-tay" or "la-GOAT-e") and Washington.
(3)
US 31: but
only that portion from Carmel to Michigan (which should become I-67, IMHO), as between Indy & Louisville it far too closely parallels I-65 (though it does now provide a toll-free crossing of the Ohio River, unlike on the adjoining Interstate).
(4)
US 41 (along with
IN 63): from da (Calumet) Region to Evansville via Terre Haute & Vincennes.
(5)
US 24 (along with
IN 25): the
Hoosier Heartland (along the Wabash River) and
Fort to Port (along the Maumee River) corridors, from I-65 near Lafayette to Ohio via Logansport, Peru, Wabash, Huntington, and metro Fort Wayne. Continues on in Ohio to Toledo via Defiance & Napoleon.
Other important non-Interstate corridors in the Hoosier State outside of my Top 5 would include the following (in no particular order):
■ While
US 421 (the Michigan Road) is historically important, there are better alternatives (in most cases) along most of its length.
■
IN 46, between I-74 in Greensburg and I-70 in Terre Haute, south central Indiana's E-W corridor connecting important cities like Bloomington & Columbus with those endpoints.
■ The
US 6 and
US 20 corridors in northern Indiana parallel US 30 & the Toll Road (respectively) for the most part, but nonetheless are important connectors for the smaller towns and agricultural ares they serve. Also, the US 20 freeway ties together the South Bend/Elkhart metro area.
■
US 27 from Fort Wayne south to Ohio, via Decatur, Portland, Winchester, and Richmond, and eventually reaching Oxford & Cincinnati in the Buckeye State.
■ The
US 231 corridor, between Kentucky and Lafayette, via Jasper, Bloomfield, Spencer, Greencastle, & Crawfordsville.
Two important shorter routes which provide connections to/from longer-distance corridors:
■
US 150 between the Falls City region (Indiana suburbs of Louisville, KY) and US 50 in Shoals via Paoli.
■ The section of
IN 3 between I-74 at Greensburg to Muncie, via Rushville & New Castle. Along with
IN 67 west to I-69 at Chesterfield, provides a viable shortcut to SB I-69 traffic wishing to head EB on I-70 and WB I-70 travelers bound for NB I-69 without having to go to Indy and use I-465 or use the 2-lane alternatives (IN 9 or IN 109).
I would no longer include
IN 37 in any list of significant Indiana corridors, excepting perhaps two shorter portions: northeast of Indy between IN 13 (in NW Madison County) & I-69 in Fishers, and the southern Indiana portion from I-69 in Bloomington to US 150 in Paoli. The only part between Bloomington & Indy that is not yet officially I-69 (as of later this month) is Section 6 from Martinsville north, and that will be converted over the next few years. Of course the full original IN 37 route is a historically significant corridor, but it has for the most part long since been supplanted by Interstates (both "Classic" and now the "Extended" versions of I-69).
Delaware is pretty easy since it's the second smallest state.
Statewide:
DE-1
US-13 (especially Dover and south)
US-113
New Castle County:
DE-2
US-40
DE-141
US-202
US-301
DE-896
Kent County:
DE-8
DE-15 (in beach season)
Sussex County:
US-9
DE-24
DE-30
DE-404
For Wisconsin I would probably say the most important route that isn't an interstate would be WIS 29. It connects Green Bay and the Twin Cities, going through Wausau and Eau Claire as well before connecting with I-94 about 10 miles west of Eau Claire. Other than that I would say the Beltline around Madison (US 12 along its entire route), US 151 between Madison and Fond du Lac, and US 10 from Appleton to Stevens Point. WIS 441 and 172 also form important beltway routes in Appleton and Green Bay, respectively.
Before it became an interstate I would've said US 41. It connects Milwaukee, Green Bay, and all the cities around Lake Winnebago.
Quote from: SSR_317 on August 06, 2018, 04:25:54 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on August 06, 2018, 12:42:14 PM
Quote from: cabiness42 on August 06, 2018, 12:26:06 PM
Quote from: tdindy88 on August 04, 2018, 10:48:54 AM
Quote from: cabiness42 on August 03, 2018, 09:33:21 PM
Indiana: US 31, US 30, US 41, US 50, US 421
Why US 421? The others make sense for sure, I'd add US 24 and SR 37 (for now) into the mix, but why 421?
I admit that there is a clear top four and the fifth spot is debatable. While the entirety of 421 isn't as important as the others, it's a key road between Madison & Greensburg. The more I think about it though, the more I like US 24 for the fifth spot.
For part of the route between Greensburg and Madison you'd want to bypass Versailles and take Old Michigan Road instead it cuts off about 3 miles and bypasses a town.
Quote from: silverback1065 on August 06, 2018, 12:48:33 PM
I'd change 421 with SR 37, even the remaining portion south of Bloomington and north of Indy remain pretty important
As a life-long Hoosier, I would rank the corridors for my native state as follows:
(1) US 30: from Ohio just east of Fort Wayne to Chicagoland via Columbia City, Warsaw, Plymouth, Valparaiso & Merrillville. It's a viable alternative for many to the antiquated & congested I-80/I-90 Indiana East-West Toll Road.
(2) US 50: southern Indiana's main E-W non-Interstate corridor from metro Cincy to Vincennes, via Versailles (pronounced locally as "ver-SALES"), Seymour, Bedford, Loogootee (pronounced "la-GO-tay" or "la-GOAT-e") and Washington.
(3) US 31: but only that portion from Carmel to Michigan (which should become I-67, IMHO), as between Indy & Louisville it far too closely parallels I-65 (though it does now provide a toll-free crossing of the Ohio River, unlike on the adjoining Interstate).
(4) US 41 (along with IN 63): from da (Calumet) Region to Evansville via Terre Haute & Vincennes.
(5) US 24 (along with IN 25): the Hoosier Heartland (along the Wabash River) and Fort to Port (along the Maumee River) corridors, from I-65 near Lafayette to Ohio via Logansport, Peru, Wabash, Huntington, and metro Fort Wayne. Continues on in Ohio to Toledo via Defiance & Napoleon.
Other important non-Interstate corridors in the Hoosier State outside of my Top 5 would include the following (in no particular order):
■ While US 421 (the Michigan Road) is historically important, there are better alternatives (in most cases) along most of its length.
■ IN 46, between I-74 in Greensburg and I-70 in Terre Haute, south central Indiana's E-W corridor connecting important cities like Bloomington & Columbus with those endpoints.
■ The US 6 and US 20 corridors in northern Indiana parallel US 30 & the Toll Road (respectively) for the most part, but nonetheless are important connectors for the smaller towns and agricultural ares they serve. Also, the US 20 freeway ties together the South Bend/Elkhart metro area.
■ US 27 from Fort Wayne south to Ohio, via Decatur, Portland, Winchester, and Richmond, and eventually reaching Oxford & Cincinnati in the Buckeye State.
■ The US 231 corridor, between Kentucky and Lafayette, via Jasper, Bloomfield, Spencer, Greencastle, & Crawfordsville.
Two important shorter routes which provide connections to/from longer-distance corridors:
■ US 150 between the Falls City region (Indiana suburbs of Louisville, KY) and US 50 in Shoals via Paoli.
■ The section of IN 3 between I-74 at Greensburg to Muncie, via Rushville & New Castle. Along with IN 67 west to I-69 at Chesterfield, provides a viable shortcut to SB I-69 traffic wishing to head EB on I-70 and WB I-70 travelers bound for NB I-69 without having to go to Indy and use I-465 or use the 2-lane alternatives (IN 9 or IN 109).
I would no longer include IN 37 in any list of significant Indiana corridors, excepting perhaps two shorter portions: northeast of Indy between IN 13 (in NW Madison County) & I-69 in Fishers, and the southern Indiana portion from I-69 in Bloomington to US 150 in Paoli. The only part between Bloomington & Indy that is not yet officially I-69 (as of later this month) is Section 6 from Martinsville north, and that will be converted over the next few years. Of course the full original IN 37 route is a historically significant corridor, but it has for the most part long since been supplanted by Interstates (both "Classic" and now the "Extended" versions of I-69).
I travel Indiana quite a bit, and really, there are only (3) routes that would be ahead of the others, US 31 between South Bend and Indy, US 41 the entire length (with the SR63 section) and US 30. All are primary through routes with heavy truck traffic. Honestly of the three, not sure how to rank them, but it seems 41 gets more truck and transcontinental traffic. Regardless, the traffic drops considerably after these three.
US 50 is a secondary road in many places..the stretch from Shoals to Bedford is not conducive to interstate trucking. US 24 is a decent route between Ft. Wayne and Lafayette, but traffic counts are light, it is disjointed, and is secondary other than the stretch between these two cities. SR 37 is significant between Bloomington and Bedford, but is pretty much a dead end after Mitchell. US 150 should be decommissioned, as the stretch from Louisville and Shoals could easily be served with a state route. The rest is meaningless multiplexing. US 421 only has a little significance for the approximately 50 miles between Greensburg and Madison. Another one that can be easily served with a state route.
Using a criteria based upon a combination of traffic counts, service as primary route by distance, and population along with use by out of state traffic, I would rank them as follows. Again, the top 3 could be rearranged.
US 41
US 31 Indy-South Bend
US 30
Big drop-off
US 24
US 50
US 231 Owensboro-I-69
US 27 Ft Wayne-Richmond
SR 3 Greensburg-Ft Wayne
For Alabama in no particular order:
US 231
US 280
US 72
US 431
US 80
AL 157
AL 20
AL 55
Gulf Shores Parkway
Quote from: GaryV on August 03, 2018, 08:44:53 PM
Michigan is easy to give examples, because not every freeway is "Interstate-ized".
US-23, US-31, US-131, US-127
M-14, M-6
What's hard is deciding which is the most important.
And there's a number of important non-freeways as well.
US 2?
Mike
Quote from: MantyMadTown on August 07, 2018, 11:13:08 PM
For Wisconsin I would probably say the most important route that isn't an interstate would be WIS 29. It connects Green Bay and the Twin Cities, going through Wausau and Eau Claire as well before connecting with I-94 about 10 miles west of Eau Claire. Other than that I would say the Beltline around Madison (US 12 along its entire route), US 151 between Madison and Fond du Lac, and US 10 from Appleton to Stevens Point. WIS 441 and 172 also form important beltway routes in Appleton and Green Bay, respectively.
Before it became an interstate I would've said US 41. It connects Milwaukee, Green Bay, and all the cities around Lake Winnebago.
I would say (does not include 'mainly for local access only' highways):
-- WI 29
-- US 10 (Appleton to Stevens Point)
-- US 151 (Madison to Fond du Lac)
-- US 151 (Madison to Iowa state line)
-- US 53 (north of Eau Claire)
-- WI 23 (Fond du Lac to Sheboygan)
-- US 41 (Green Bay to Michigan state line)
-- US 51 (north of WI 29)
-- US 141 (north of US 41)
-- US 61
Mike
Quote from: mgk920 on August 11, 2018, 07:32:54 PM
Quote from: MantyMadTown on August 07, 2018, 11:13:08 PM
For Wisconsin I would probably say the most important route that isn't an interstate would be WIS 29. It connects Green Bay and the Twin Cities, going through Wausau and Eau Claire as well before connecting with I-94 about 10 miles west of Eau Claire. Other than that I would say the Beltline around Madison (US 12 along its entire route), US 151 between Madison and Fond du Lac, and US 10 from Appleton to Stevens Point. WIS 441 and 172 also form important beltway routes in Appleton and Green Bay, respectively.
Before it became an interstate I would've said US 41. It connects Milwaukee, Green Bay, and all the cities around Lake Winnebago.
I would say (does not include 'mainly for local access only' highways):
-- WI 29
-- US 10 (Appleton to Stevens Point)
-- US 151 (Madison to Fond du Lac)
-- US 151 (Madison to Iowa state line)
-- US 53 (north of Eau Claire)
-- WI 23 (Fond du Lac to Sheboygan)
-- US 41 (Green Bay to Michigan state line)
-- US 51 (north of WI 29)
-- US 141 (north of US 41)
-- US 61
Mike
Those pretty much all make sense. I use 151 and 23 all the time to get back home.
For Iowa, I have little doubt it's US 20 as the most important non-interstate. My best guess for most important north-south non-interstate is US 218.
Iowa has US 151 to Cedar Rapids from Dubuque, US 61 - esp between the Quads and Dubuque. US 20 continues importance into IL all the way to Rockford. US 67 in IL between the Quads and Alton. Missouri has US 61, Iowa has the four-laned US-218 north of Waterloo to where it hits US 18 (These are the Avenue of the Saints)
Quote from: cpzilliacus on August 04, 2018, 04:59:38 PM
Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan areas (Md. and Va.):
U.S. 29 (in Maryland and Virginia, not so much in D.C. itself)
U.S. 50 (especially northeast area of D.C. into Maryland)
U.S. 301 (in Maryland and across the Northern Neck of Virginia)
U.S. 17 (in Virginia between I-66 and I-95)
VA-7 (provides an alternative connection from Northern Virginia to I-81 in Winchester)
MD-295 (federal part unsigned) between Washington and Baltimore
VA-286 and MD-200 (parts of the unbuilt Outer Washington Beltway)
MD-100 (part of unbuilt Outer Baltimore Beltway)
US 50 is also important east of Annapolis into Ocean City.
I'd also add US 13 as it's an important long distance route that connects Salisbury, MD to DE and VA.
MD 32 serves as an southern outer outer Beltway of Baltimore.
US 1 as an alternative route to Philly (and a bypass of the Tydings Bridge toll)
There are also important long distance tractor trailer routes between I-95 and I-83, such as 1) MD 152, MD 146, MD 23, and MD 439 and 2) MD 24, MD 23, and MD 439. The first one is actually shorter than just staying on the interstates and the second is only slightly longer.
Quote from: mrcmc888 on August 05, 2018, 10:19:08 AM
Quote from: LM117 on August 05, 2018, 10:18:01 AM
Quote from: Beltway on August 04, 2018, 04:29:30 PM
Quote from: LM117 on August 03, 2018, 09:09:28 PM
Virginia:
US-29
US-58
US-460
US-360
That is how I would rank them, and I would include ALT US-58 in the US-58 system.
While not as long as the others, I would include US-13 given its strategic nature between I-64 and Maryland, and its strategic nature in Maryland and Delaware and the whole DELMARVA. It is a National Highway System (NHS) Non-Interstate Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) Route between VA I-64 and DE I-95.
Can't believe I forgot about US-13. My dad and his people are from Northampton County, so I should've remembered that one. :pan:
It's definitely the most important route in Delaware as well.
Definitely don't want to forget VA 307, which is a shortcut between US 460 and US 360. Had I-64 been chosen to go between Clifton Forge and Richmond via US 220, US 460, and US 360, it would have included VA 307.
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