Rural-looking freeways in urban areas

[STLmapboy]

There was recently a thread similar, but that was just for roads.

I've noticed sections of I-64 in Louisville definitely do not look like they are in an urban area:
https://www.google.pl/maps/@38.2419214,-85.6897647,3a,75y,271.98h,77.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swwS6pi5LrmcndwBPWAoDwQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

The 4-lane freeway, treed-in surroundings, and grassy median (later) only add to this feel. If I were to show you that link without context, chances are you wouldn't guess it was in an urban area.

Any other freeways in urban areas (not exurban) that have a distinctly rural feel?

[roadman65]

The Merit Parkway does to some extent, but the close proximity of interchanges makes it somewhat noticable.

[kphoger]

I-29 and I-635 in KC

[STLmapboy]

The Merit Parkway does to some extent, but the close proximity of interchanges makes it somewhat noticable.

Well the trees and spread-out lots of Fairfield County do kind of diminish that "urban" feel.
Another addition--very small portions of 210 between Pasadena and the western terminus feel somewhat rural (though the wideness and exit density reduce that feeling.).

[sprjus4]

Hampton Roads has numerous examples, mostly on the Southside.

Just a few:

I-264 between I-64 / I-664 (Exit 1) and Greenwood Dr (Exit 2)
I-664 between I-64 / I-264 (Exit 15) and VA-135 College Dr (Exit 8)
I-64 between I-264 / I-664 (Exit 299) and I-464 / US-17 / VA-168 (Exit 291) ***before current 6 lane widening began***
I-464 between I-64 / US-17 / VA-168 (Exit 1) and Freeman Ave (Exit 3)
I-64 between Greenbrier Pkwy (Exit 289) and Indian River Rd (Exit 286)
US-58 / US-13 / US-460 along Suffolk Bypass
VA-168 between I-64 / I-464 / US-17 (Exit 15) and Hillcrest Pkwy (Exit 8) ***freeway is rural / exurban south of Exit 8***

Most of these freeways were built in these areas when they still were rural, development has built up around them, and the highways themselves have not changed much.

[nexus73]

The southern section of I-205 in Oregon passes through undeveloped countryside.  One has to wonder how long it remains that way even with urban growth boundaries in place.

Rick

[webny99]

Depends on how you're defining "urban area". We could get a lot of exurban examples that are rural-feeling for good reason.

I have mentioned this elsewhere, but this section of I-490 feels like a British or European rural freeway, specifically. It's similar to German autobahns in another important way, too: it's the only freeway I know of where you don't really have to watch your speed. There are a number of reasons for this, but let's just say it's among the narrowest 65 mph roads in the state, and it would be almost impossible to exceed 80 mph (which is when you'd have to start worrying about cops). That is to say, other factors would start to tell you you were going fast enough before your speedometer (exactly the opposite of the Thruway, where you have to watch it if you're not using cruise control).

[MikeTheActuary]

A large portion of I-40 in Memphis, traveling over what was to have been the north side of the I-240 loop, passes through river floodplain.  I don't know that I would call it rural feeling, since it is a busy six-lane freeway, but for much of that section, the landscape doesn't seem urban either.

[Roadgeekteen]

I-280 in California

[webny99]

I-280 in California

About as rural as it gets...

[Ned Weasel]

NY 440

[CoreySamson]

Little Rock has some great examples of this:

I-40 at the 167 interchange:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7784326,-92.2296887,3a,75y,275.83h,79.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgwT0hZhoOVhy9L6LFI-mNQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Most of I-440 in general:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7167695,-92.2343895,3a,75y,99.19h,79.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNgLx10k7o7IjUwCJDC3mKA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I-30 just south of the 530/30/440 interchange: (actually, probably that entire interchange feels rural)
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7053235,-92.2923894,3a,75y,249.08h,83.51t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0gMfBBDvbcMjOXAniJlgIg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I-430 just north of the 30/430 interchange:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.6906667,-92.4046608,3a,75y,2.72h,76.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saucd5xqZZh6DTl2t-2aosg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[sprjus4]

I-280 in California

About as rural as it gets...

Seems pretty rural to me outside the city.

[CtrlAltDel]

I’ve always thought that I-57 through the South Side of Chicago looked a bit rural, with the grassy median and the difficulty of seeing any buildings.

[webny99]

I-280 in California

About as rural as it gets...

Seems pretty rural to me outside the city.

You specified, but RGT didn't.

[mapman]

I-280 in California

I assume you're referring to parts of I-280 (Junipero Serra Freeway) in San Mateo County.  Grassy medians on freeways with no barriers at all (like those referred to by STLmapboy) are now relatively rare in California due to some fatal crossover collisions where vehicles crossed over wide medians.

[DTComposer]

I-280 in California

About as rural as it gets...

Seems pretty rural to me outside the city.

You specified, but RGT didn't.

Not sure what your issue here is. The OP specified "sections of freeway" within an urban area. I-280 is within the San Francisco-Oakland urban area (the section in question does form the boundary of said urban area, but it is still there). There is continuous development less than a quarter-mile to the east of this view. This feel goes on for about 15 miles in a major commute corridor.

But meanwhile, I'll give you this section of CA-13 in Oakland.

[ErmineNotyours]

When I saw pictures of The Uniroyal Tire, I thought it was out in the middle of nowhere.  Not until I tracked it down did I find it was on a short stretch of wooded road in an urban area.

[sprjus4]

I-280 in California

About as rural as it gets...

Seems pretty rural to me outside the city.

You specified, but RGT didn't.

Still the same I-280. When he said that, he was obviously referring to those segments.

It's still in the urban area, just skirting the edges.

[Bruce]

Treed-in surroundings are pretty common for freeways in the Seattle area, so here's a few that look particularly rural: I-5 in North Everett, I-5 in Fife, SR 512, SR 167 in Pacific, SR 522 in Woodinville...the list can go on.

[bing101]

I-210 between San Fernando to Pasadena has a section of urban freeway that looks rural, CA-2 Glendale Freeway has some sections like that though too.

[sparker]

IMO the most rural-looking of Bay freeways would be I-680 between the Sunol Grade east of the CA 238 junction and Bernal Avenue in Livermore.  Looks can be deceiving; there's a lot of higher-end housing tucked away in the hills through which the freeway passes -- but hard to see from a distance, particularly the mansions west of the freeway near the Sunol Blvd. exit (John Madden lives in one of those just west of the country club). 

[SeriesE]

IMO the most rural-looking of Bay freeways would be I-680 between the Sunol Grade east of the CA 238 junction and Bernal Avenue in Livermore.  Looks can be deceiving; there's a lot of higher-end housing tucked away in the hills through which the freeway passes -- but hard to see from a distance, particularly the mansions west of the freeway near the Sunol Blvd. exit (John Madden lives in one of those just west of the country club).

I would add I-680 northbound from Jacklin Road to Mission Boulevard (CA-262). Because the section is higher than the southbound side with a hill directly to the east, all the houses west of the southbound side is not really visible, and no development on the east side.

[webny99]

I-280 in California

About as rural as it gets...

Seems pretty rural to me outside the city.

You specified, but RGT didn't.

Not sure what your issue here is. The OP specified "sections of freeway" within an urban area. I-280 is within the San Francisco-Oakland urban area (the section in question does form the boundary of said urban area, but it is still there). There is continuous development less than a quarter-mile to the east of this view. This feel goes on for about 15 miles in a major commute corridor.

I know. I have actually been on I-280 between Daly City and CA 92, so I knew exactly why he mentioned it. But, the point is that the "rural" feeling doesn't apply to the entire route, so it helps to specify which part of the route you're talking about, for those that might be unfamiliar with it. I was trying to have a little humor while making that point, but I guess it didn't translate very well.

Still the same I-280. When he said that, he was obviously referring to those segments.

^See above^

But meanwhile, I'll give you this section of CA-13 in Oakland.

There's a road with very similar character in the Vancouver metro area that I'll have to try to put my finger on.
I might have even thought this was it, if I didn't know this was in California.

[Henry]

As I see it, any freeway without any streetlights can be considered rural. A great example of such would be the various loops and bypasses of the large Southern cities (I'm looking at you, Atlanta, Birmingham, and all cities in the Carolinas!), while those in the Northeast and Midwest are typically well-lit.